en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/764152 Comments by yankeefan17 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment69031086 I think that Hollywood completely destroys the image of women. It is terrible to think that there are so many miserable women in the world who look through magazines and watch movies and TV and strive to look like the women that they see. The fact is that these images are not realistic. Magazines use airbrushing techniques to make the women in these pictures look flawless. There are so many young girls who see these images and think that they are supposed to look a certain way. This causes everything from poor self-esteem to eating disorders. Young girls should be taught that they are perfect as they are and that everyone looks different. Women are all different shapes and sizes and there is nothing that should change that. We are forced as a society to watch famous female celebrities getting cosmetic surgery all the time. This shows the women of today that it is okay to be unhappy with what you look like because you can always change it. I don’t feel that you should just change the way you look. If we all start doing this then we are all eventually going to start to look exactly the same and that would eliminate a lot of our identities. If women aren’t confident in themselves it makes it okay for men to look down on them for physical appearance as well. I think that this is a major part as to why women are still not where men are in the workplace. Women’s bodies are structured to carry and bear children. The population would never sustain if it weren’t for the pain that women go through for nine months. This is something beautiful and special that pertains solely to women. Men cannot say that they did such a thing. I think that if women felt this way about their bodies then they would be less concerned with what size they wore and simply focus on the more important things in life. I think that women have been given the idea that they should look a certain way so that they appear presentable to others. This is predominant in other countries where women do not have as many rights. Some countries require women to cover themselves, others require them to look perfect and put together so that they fit in with their surroundings. In earlier years when women were typically homemakers they had to look nice for their husbands when they came home from work. I think that women should be dressing for themselves. I think that they should do whatever is going to allow them to feel confident. It is sad that the confidence often comes from looking like these Hollywood stars, but until women can accept the fact they aren’t born into those figures, I don’t think that things will change. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:29:29 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/women__trashed/#IDComment69031086 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66612622 I did not register for this class with the expectation that my mind would be changed. I took it because I thought that I might learn something about why different races are at different points and levels in society. There are the obvious reasons such as slavery throughout the world among other things, but I wanted to learn about why racism is still so prevalent and theories as to why the world is still like this. Penn State is not as diverse as other parts of the country so I also thought that it would be interesting learning about race relations in an environment that is predominantly white. I honestly did not think that this class would be as enlightening as it has been. I do not think that Sam has changed my opinion about anything. I do; however, feel that he has opened my eyes to an entirely new set of ideas. I never considered the experiences of young children of different races or how people begin their lives at different starting points. I have always been grateful for the opportunities that I have been given, but I never thought about how much easier I have had it compared to other individuals around me. Hearing the stories of other people has been the most influential part of this class for me. Listening in group discussions to the different experiences of students here and talking in class about how people are statistically different from one another has been informative. I have learned a great deal about other races and ethnicities simply from listening to the stories and struggles of others. This class has made me even more grateful to be where I am. I am extremely fortunate to have been born into the family that I am a part of. I realize that as a result of this class. I knew that things were bad elsewhere but I do not think that I was aware of all of the extremities. You of course hear stories and watch TV to learn about these things but it is different sitting in a classroom and having these things told to you in person by someone who has lived in and experienced many different parts of the world. Many things in this class have made a difference to me. I appreciate more now what people of other races and from different socioeconomic backgrounds go through to be successful. It makes a difference to me because I know how fortunate I am to be where I am right now. It makes a difference to me that know more about the history of these ethnicities and what each has gone through and where their setbacks came into play. Overall, I think that this class has better informed me about the rest of our society and the world which is something very important. If we could not discuss these things the world would go on in ignorance and improved race relations would never even be a possibility. Thu, 8 Apr 2010 16:12:55 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/i-really-want-to-know-also__trashed/#IDComment66612622 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/revisioning-the-revisioning-stage__trashed/#IDComment65121816 I grew up in a very diverse town unlike the state of Pennsylvania and Penn State. I have always been in classrooms with people of different races, backgrounds, and ethnicities. My two best friends growing up were both multiracial. I guess I feel like I was thrown into the revisioning stage faster than others. Coming up here, I definitely took notice that the campus was mostly white; in fact, it was one of the first things that I noticed. I was extremely surprised because Penn State advertises itself as being very diverse and the lack of diversity was very evident upon my arrival here. I am from central New Jersey and in school I was in class with many different types of races as well. Besides whites, my town consists mostly of families from Asian countries. I was exposed to many different types of cultures as a result of this. I have actually spoken about this with a number of my friends up at school and it was obvious that we had very different experiences. Many of them are from different parts of Pennsylvania. They told me that this school seemed very diverse to them and that they had gone to school with mostly white people. I think that I am fortunate to have had such an experience because I feel that I am much more accepting and understanding of other cultures. I have an appreciation for it that I don’t think you can get just by reading and learning about how people of different backgrounds do things. One of the major differences that I found was in my friends’ parents. It was so exciting to grow up with friends whose parents were immigrants and being able to experience first-hand how they were different from my parents. I think that it would be great if everyone could have an experience like this growing up because it certainly has a different effect when you are younger. I think that being younger, you are less likely to notice the obvious differences in people and you can actually get a feel for how different cultures and ethnicities behave. I feel that when you are older and come from a place where everyone looks the same you are more likely to look at people of different races from a different perspective. You are probably more likely to assume the stereotypes and act in a less open manner. I am not saying that everyone is like this but I do find that talking to people who have never lived in a diverse area act in such a way. I think that classes like this along with discussion groups and the race relations project are great ways to go about eliminating this. It is great to be able to talk about it in a safe atmosphere and learn about the experiences of others and how they are different from our own. Thu, 1 Apr 2010 03:53:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/revisioning-the-revisioning-stage__trashed/#IDComment65121816 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment64064998 I personally feel that they concept of white guilt is changing. I think that it is obvious from class that most of the white people there do not feel guilty. It should not be about carrying around guilt with you and individuals of other races should not be making white people feel that guilt because of what their ancestors did generations ago. I think that it should be more about recognition and understand of the past as opposed to trying to make up for it now. I did not physically or emotionally harm anyone, so there is no reason for me to carry around guilt. As far as the textbook comment goes, I agree that history books in this country are manipulated to portray a strong country that it is always in the right and makes the right decisions; however, I learned about slavery at a very young age and knew what had happened. I didn’t feel guilty again because I did not do anything myself. I remember feeling bad that that took place in history, but no more than I feel bad that people are made slaves all over the world today (which is not always by white people). As I said, I did learn about slavery and the terrible torture that went on; however, I do not remember learning about how the Native Americans suffered and still do today. If there is a group to feel guilty about it is most certainly the Native Americans. Our textbooks tell us when we’re little kids that the Europeans and Native Americans got along well. I seem to remember quite a bit of reinforcement on the fact that diseases like small pox are what killed most of them. I was definitely unaware of the fact that they were tortured by the European settlers. I think that textbooks actually do eliminate the guilt because they avoid it. They don’t tell you exactly what happened because most white people try not to think about it anyway. I don’t think that you can teach little kids that their ancestors tortured other humans. I would assume that would be something emotionally and psychologically draining. It is okay to talk about it at an older age. I specifically remember doing a project in seventh grade called the Columbus Trial. We researched what had happened when Columbus came to America and put on a mock trial to decide whether or not he was innocent or did in fact torture the Native Americans. The thing about that project that I thought was appropriate was that our teachers let us do the research and let us come to the conclusions on our own about what happened. It eliminated a lot of the ignorance and showed us that we needed to do our research and decide what we thought about our history books. Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:09:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/what-to-do-about-white-guilt__trashed/#IDComment64064998 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62865498 I was very surprised while reading this article. I know that there are a ton of people and states in this country that are not open to the idea of same-sex couples, but I never would have imagined a school going to such extremities to repress it. Prom is supposed to be a time for you to celebrate your high school years with the people who meant the most to you. Do the teachers and the rest of the school really care about who each student brings as a date? Sure it may make students uncomfortable and they will probably be staring, but isn’t that enough for Constance McMillen to deal with? Now they are making it so that her sexuality is publicized. She is probably an outcast as it is because it seems that the school isn’t comfortable with this, so now everyone will not only remember her for that, but the girl who got the prom cancelled. I do not understand it because Constance being a lesbian is not hurting anyone. Nothing different would have happened at the prom if she brought her girlfriend. I don’t get why people are so upset? Why do they care? It doesn’t affect anyone but Constance and her girlfriend. The board referred to this situation as causing “distractions to the educational process.” Isn’t prom in general a distraction to the educational process? It is a social event, not an educational event. They aren’t standing around making out in front a class trying to do math problems. I would understand this being an issue if this were a Catholic high school because it clearly states in the Bible that this is not accepted, but there is no evidence of this. It appears that this is a public school with no school uniforms; a place where teenagers should be allowed to express their individuality. Constance is doing just that. She is expressing herself at no one else’s expense and trying to do what she wants. The school is in no position to judge her for her sexuality. They are ruining what is supposed to be a very special time for all high school seniors over something that is so stupid. They do not even have a good excuse for doing it because of how they referred to it. It isn’t fair that other girls in the school get to bring the person that they are closest to with them to the prom while Constance has to stay home and miss it. She hasn’t done anything wrong to have her prom privileges taken away from her. She behaved just like everyone else and deserves to be able to be herself during the last few weeks of her high school life. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:57:52 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62865498 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59841856 PART 3: By creating this league, “Moose” is essentially saying that white people can’t play with black people. It’s not like the NBA excludes white people. Black people just happen to be more talented more often when it comes to basketball. Should we create a black hockey league or a white baseball league? It just isn’t something that will move this country forward. It will increase the evidence of peoples’ physical difference and bring a ton of attention to it. If we are trying to move away from racism then this is absolutely not that way to go about doing it. We talked about the fact that white people who have committed crimes are more likely to be hired for jobs than black people who haven’t. We should all be competing equally and taking that out of sports is the first step away from that especially with so much controversy in other areas such as business. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 05:27:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59841856 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59841834 PART 2: Even though I disagree with the reasons that “Moose” wants to promote this league, I know that he is probably right with regards to the feelings of many white people in this country. I just think that that’s very sad to say that white men need a place to retreat to when it comes to basketball. It almost sounds like a form of affirmative action for white men today. This just seems like a step in the wrong direction if this country is truly working towards equality. Why would you give advantages to a group that has always been given advantages? We would essentially have to do this for every sport because a different ethnic group dominates each one and that would just be ridiculous. If we are working towards equality in this country we should just let the people who are the best be the best. There is no need for subgroups everywhere that reinforce inequality. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 05:26:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59841834 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59841781 PART 1: I get where Don “Moose” Lewis is coming from when looking at his views from a business perspective. I think that he is correct in saying that the stands will be filled with different types of fans; statistically speaking fans with more money because white people, on average, make more money than the minority groups. My issue is with the ethics behind the situation. I think that this country has come very far in its acceptance of other cultures; however, we still have quite a long way to go. We are nowhere near complete acceptance and this is one of the reasons why. I have to say I am slightly offended that “Moose” feels that white people would more likely want to watch other white people playing basketball. I personally would prefer to see the best players. I think that sports come down to do talent and training, not the color of the player’s skin. Clearly, more black people play professional basketball than white people, but there is a reason for it. They are typically better and when you see a white guy playing, you know he has got to be pretty decent. Fri, 5 Mar 2010 05:26:15 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-this-racist-really__trashed/#IDComment59841781 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-two__trashed/#IDComment58864960 This class is beginning to change my way of thinking on a number of levels. When Sam first began lecturing about Native Americans and how they were tortured by white people I thought well those were my ancestors, I haven’t done anything. I found myself getting offended in the early lectures by what he was saying about how we need to accept blame. I do not by any means feel guilty about the past, because it’s true I wasn’t there and I did not personally attack anyone. My feelings in this respect remain unchanged. After more discussion; however, I began to realize that it isn’t about feeling guilt. It is about recognizing what was done in the past and how so many people were and still are affected by it. It bothers me that we are never taught these things in school. History books and the media are so manipulated that it is scary to think of the number of things we are oblivious to. I remember learning about the Columbus trial in middle school and being shocked to discover that Columbus was not the hero we all thought that he was. We have an entire day dedicated to him after all. Even then, I was young and didn’t really understand how the Native Americans were truly treated. The fact that Native Americans are still suffering so much today is an indication of how wrong things still are. I do not think that we as individuals have to feel guilty. I feel that it is instead about making it right now and allowing them the rights that our ancestors wrongfully took from them. Even now, we have them pushed aside onto reservations. There is no opportunity for them. I think that slavery is a topic that is studied more. White people brought black people over from Africa as slaves, but eventually we became the good guys by freeing them. I guess that’s why we learn about that because it makes it look like white people did the right thing. This also seems to be the main concern in race relations because it always comes back to white and black people. When it comes to the Native Americans though, everyone just ignores them. They have been pushed away and swept under the rug. At least other races in this country have been able to begin to work their way up a bit because of recognition; however, Native Americans have never even had that opportunity. There are people born into that particular culture today that have not gotten a say and may never get a say. Their land was taken from them and they never even received an apology. We are supposed to be the smarter, more enlightened generation that is trying to bring peace to the world. So it does become our responsibility to make sure that they are recognized and heard because they are human beings like the rest of us. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:07:44 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-two__trashed/#IDComment58864960 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-four__trashed/#IDComment57710908 People get married for religious purposes in this country; however, they also get married for legal purposes. There are many different cultures and religions here and each one has a different way of celebrating marriage. If different religions are allowed to use different practices to marry then why shouldn’t gay and lesbian couples be allowed to marry? It seems silly to think about the crazy Hollywood marriages that we see every day and then think about two people that really love each other and have society tell them that they can’t do the same. I imagine that it is extremely frustrating for those individuals to live their lives and have to see all of this taking place at the same time. I suppose that the main reason religions support marriage is the fact that you are supposed to do it in order to procreate. I feel that if this is the purpose then gay men and women should be allowed to form unions so that they can adopt and care for the children of the world who have no parents. This would be extremely beneficial especially considering the fact that the world population is at a high right now. I do not think that they are any worse suited to be parents. That fact should be based on personal traits and characteristics; not gender. It is difficult for me to understand why the government does not allow this. I understand the church’s position; however, we have a separation of the two for these particular reasons. I’m sure that the Bible would never have considered such ideas. We live in a society where most people want to find and start families. If we are going to marry for love today, then everyone should be allowed to marry for love. If the reason to marry is to reproduce then I understand the conflict, but I do not think that this is how we all live. Our goals are different and people live longer today than they did when the Bible was written. They want to spend their lives with the right person, not the one that will give them the most children. I think that marriage for the right reasons is a major part of this issue. The celebrities that marry five or six times are just wasting time and money. When two people are truly in love and will create a union that will last then they should be given the rights to do so. If two people want to raise a family together and bring up children in a loving manner then they should be given the rights to do so as well. The people who do not deserve such rights always seem to be the ones abusing it. Sat, 20 Feb 2010 02:48:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-four__trashed/#IDComment57710908 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56558972 I will reiterate what everyone has already said: I agree that class on Tuesday was great. It was a passionate lecture and very eye opening for me. My personal experiences have very closely related to what Sam spoke about in class. I am the exact stereotype that he described as having it easy. I am fortunate enough to not have to worry about paying for college and my parents have always given me everything. My high school was filled with teenagers just like me at the time, so I never saw anything else but spoiled kids that had everything handed to them. At the time, I personally felt that I appreciated things more than most of my friends because my father worked very hard to earn a living so that he could eliminate as many of the obstacles as he could for me and my siblings. Instead of just giving us everything we wanted without a word, he made sure to instill a very strong work ethic in each of us. We respect him for all that he did and know that we each want to work to do as well as he has so that our children will not have any obstacles. I am very grateful for all of this and hope that I can someday provide my kids with equal ambition and respect for others. With this background, I have learned from my dad that it is possible to have many obstacles and overcome them. I have seen first-hand that it can be done with the proper work ethic and the appropriate commitment. I realized during the lecture that I have been looking down on the people who do not make something of themselves. I have simply blamed this on the natural laziness of individuals because I know how hard my dad worked. When Sam spoke about the different obstacles that many people face; however, it brought to my attention a number of different situations that could arise. I know that if I were to face some of those that I would not be able to stay in school and finish my education. I know after Tuesday’s lecture that if I were forced to switch places with certain individuals that I would not be strong enough to deal with those obstacles and get to where I want to be. Although I cannot personally relate, I respect each of these individuals that are forced to make such difficult decisions. I think that it was brilliant what Sam said about standing in the middle gray area. So many citizens in this country get caught up in arguing and taking sides and it can be very frustrating. It is obvious that people have very strong opinions; however, it is ignorant to not be able to see another’s side of a situation. I think that this is what causes conflict worldwide and it is a lot of what we have been talking about in my discussion group. We talk about why people fight, and I think that this lecture was very helpful in answering that particular question. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:36:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/swinging-past-the-other-end-of-the-ideological-spectrum-on-the-way-to-the-intellectual-gray__trashed/#IDComment56558972 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55353089 I found David Brooks’ article “The Messiah Complex” to be very interesting. The ideas that he states and shares have never occurred to me; however, looking at the examples he uses, it is interesting to find so many different parallels. Being a white American, I think that this is something I have never given much thought to while sitting in a movie theater, but I am sure that others of different races and cultures have. We spoke in class about believing in a god or following a leader that looks like an individual from our own individual ethnic groups. I think that this ties in strongly with the movie industry and how producers and directors choose to portray protagonists. If the majority of individuals working in film and ultimately seeing films are white then it would make sense to have white protagonists more often than not. I think that Brooks makes an interesting point when discussing other films. I am not familiar with all of the films that he listed, but I did think of the “Lord of the Rings” series when reading the article. The heroes in that movie are white as well, and they use imaginative characters to portray everyone else. Besides the audience, this leads me to examine other reasons as to why this type of story line is so common. Other than the people that are actually creating these films, I think that there is a lot of controversy over the actions of white people throughout history. White people are constantly criticized by individuals of other races who feel that they or their ancestors have suffered as a result of white actions or the idea of white supremacy. The movie industry may be using these ideas and concepts to make white people look better in the eyes of the rest of the world. I personally feel that there may be another reason for these actions. I think that when other countries think of the United States they think of white people. The assumption worldwide is that Americans are white even though we at home know that this is not the case. Moving forward, the United States is a strong global power and we constantly make it our responsibility to take care of everyone else. This is an idea that I feel is being portrayed in these films. If the United States thinks of itself as the protagonist of the world, then it makes sense for the film industry to portray these ideas through their movies as well. Other countries are watching these movies and seeing the Americans being the protectors and saviors of the other people. I feel that this is closer to the messages and ideas that the producers and writers of these films are attempting to get across to their viewers. Thu, 4 Feb 2010 17:36:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55353089 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54233418 I was absolutely appalled watching the video about the European soccer fans. I had no idea that that was how things were overseas. To say that it shocked me is an understatement. I felt so terrible for those few players that were forced to perform their jobs while being screamed at by thousands of so called “fans.” To think that those people could stand there and yell such obscene things is absolutely absurd to me. In the United States I think that sports are something that we all bond over. You meet people that like the same teams as you and it becomes a point of relation. You cheer together, you get excited over new players together, and it becomes an emotional experience that we all go through together. Yeah you yell the occasional offense when a player on your team screws up or loses the game, but nothing to the extreme of what the European fans were shown doing. Even when fans do this at home, it is usually an insult about the talent or skill or a player and how he or she plays the game. I have never attended a professional sports event and heard a fan yell something about the color of a player’s skin. I am positive; however, that they would be thrown out immediately if anyone overheard it. I’ve seen parents get thrown out of high school sports games because they yelled that the referee wasn’t doing a good job, so I can’t imagine what would happen if they had been yelling about the ref’s physical appearance. Hideki Matsui was the MVP during the World Series this year and the Yankees were proud to have him even though he was not an American. If the fans screamed at him the way the fans in Europe screamed at Thierry Henry, things may not have worked out as they did. According to the video, Thierry Henry is arguably one of the best players in the world. I think that in the United States if a team recruited the best player in the world the fans would be proud and rubbing it in other fans’ faces. I grew up in a very diverse town. Living there has taught me so much about different cultures and how different people do things. I have learned that a more diverse group is a lot more capable of coming up with new ideas and plans. This relates to sports teams as well. People are built differently and can bring different skill sets to a game just like bringing ideas to a business strategy or plan. Why wouldn’t sports fans want their teams to be the best that they can be? Shouldn’t the fans be proud to have one of the greatest players in the sport on their team? I learned from watching this video that I really haven’t been paying attention to how things are everywhere else and that racism is a lot more prevalent in Europe than I assumed it would be. I have never been there, but my perception of Europeans is that they are “classy” and act “properly.” This video has completely changed my views regarding that fact. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:00:51 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment54233418 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-i-or-j__trashed/#IDComment53881548 hey Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:12:46 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-i-or-j__trashed/#IDComment53881548 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/haitis-calamity__trashed/#IDComment53252063 I think that the comparison made between the crucifixion of Christ and the recent tragedy in Haiti is very interesting. It is not what I would have initially compared it to; however, I feel that the writer has a fascinating view. I grew up in a Catholic home and consider myself to be very religious. I think that God has a hand in all of this and that this perhaps happened to evoke emotion and unity. As bad as we all think we have it here with the economic troubles that we are facing, I think that we are being shown true suffering. There are so many of us throughout the world that do not appreciate what we are very fortunate to have. Simply being born in the United States makes most of us better off just because of our location. I think that these events are eye opening to many people and make individuals come together and be thankful for all that they have. It is sad to think that these feelings are typically evoked at the expense of others. For me, it is difficult to identify with the people of Haiti. The events that I see similarities with are the terrorist attacks that took place in our country on September 11th. I live in New Jersey and have a lot of family members that worked very close to the Twin Towers at the time. It was terrifying to be home wondering if my family members were okay. Fortunately, no one I loved was hurt, but I had friends who lost people in the tragedy. Watching everyone suffer as a whole was a very emotional and powerful experience. The country was united as a result of the occurrence because everyone could relate to one another and everyone experienced it together. I see parallels between this and what is going on in Haiti because everyone wants to help out and be of comfort to one another. I think that comparing this to the crucifixion of Christ is interesting because the crucifixion took place so many years ago and it is still a tremendous subject of debate. People are constantly pondering why God would create pain and suffering, and I find myself wondering the same thing. We hear horror stories such as this which cause many people to have doubt. I hate to think that this is the only way to get people to be grateful and give back to one another, but I feel that if we look for a message beyond that, we can find that God is trying to make us better off as a whole. We need compassion in our society in order to survive. If no one cared about anyone else, we simply could not function as a human race. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:33:11 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/haitis-calamity__trashed/#IDComment53252063