en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/762307 Comments by Aditsan https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment69887448 For anyone who is familiar with South Park and shows like it...Family Guy, The Simpsons, etc...you know that the writers and creators really like to push the buttons of every facet of culture, religion, and other current topics. I often watch the show because the characters are funny, childish, satirical, mocking, improper, ironic, and a whole host of things that make me laugh. The most recent episode made a spectacle out of all the past 200 episodes of the show. Celebrities like Tom Cruise, Rob Reiner, and Steven Spielberg were made fun of in addition to Jesus, Krishna, Budha, and other religious prophets. Mohammed, the prophet of Islam, was depicted as wearing a bear costume because the world would not be able to handle him being seen in the public eye without causing mayhem. Does the show turn people off because of the things and people it chooses to make fun of? Yes, undoubtedly. But for anyone to think that the true intent of the show is to demean someone's name and to make them feel bad about adhering to a certain religion or belief is something I wouldn't bet on...with possibly the exceptions of Scientologists and Barbara Streisand haha. But seriously these shows spare no celebrity or cause in their satire. I've seen them bash presidents, celebrities, dead celebrities, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Mormons, politicians, countries, Jared from Subway, and even PETA. But the show isn't making fun of the individual per se, the show is taking a jab at the cultural impact and personal impact these things have on our lives. Really, the show can make you think about the faith we can have in certain religions or policies and laws or leaders. We live in a country where we don't have to silence our disapproval of anything. We are allowed to express ourselves and comment on the way our country is being run. Yes South Park is "Politically" Incorrect...but more often than not it is morally correct and points out the flaws in our logic. The show is bound to make a few heads turn in disgust, but so be it. They have succeeded in making a show based on the ridiculous extremes of human interest. I'm not saying that people should not feel a certain way after viewing the show. They would be in remiss if they did not have a differing viewpoint. But they should take that conversation to the next level and find a way to brake the barrier set up between differing sides and make a bridge to understanding. Otherwise all we get is more threats and more laws and more policies and on the other side we get more satire and more anger and more frustration. Seems like South Park always has the right thing to say at the wrong time...or maybe it's the other way around. I guess it depends on your view. Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:24:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/south-park-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment69887448 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68329274 Props to Sam, that was not an easy lecture to do. I came into the lecture today with some understanding that this war in the Middle East was about somewhat about oil and occupation. I've always felt a certain way about this war. I remember back to 2003 when we first invaded Iraq and I was all for the invasion because I wanted retaliation for the 9/11 attacks and I didn't want to see more harm coming to innocent people because of these terrorists. What I didn't know then, that I've leaned over the past few years is that the "enemy" is not these nations or governments as a whole, but small groups of religious fanatics who use the word of God to further their mission. These poor souls who live in the Middle East who are just trying to live their lives and survive the war that surrounds them. I can't imagine what it has been like for them to try and protect their children and families from the destruction of their homes and neighborhoods. This class did a lot to get me to understand what the people of Iraq and Afghanistan must feel about Americans. To connect things together about the different political powers saying we are on a crusade, or must "chase them back to their caves", or that we are on a mission from god....blues brothers vibe haha. But seriously with the news reports about the christian mission workers in Iraq and the words of political candidates McCain, Palin, and Gulianni as well as General Patreus and President Bush how can someone living in the Middle East not think that America means to destroy their lands on the basis of a spiritual guidance. I would certainly think so. I don't know if I'd join the insurgency because of the way I've been brought up here in America as a peaceful person but had I grown up in the Middle East in a normal society and then have my land stripped of it's resources and told by foreigners that we mustn't resist their occupation otherwise we will be destroyed, I might feel differently about fighting and would want to protect my homeland even if it meant giving my life for the cause. During my discussion section before class today, some of the people in the class stated that they felt that they didn't know why they hated our country so much, but that because of 9/11 they wanted to see them all destroyed. I was just amazed that someone could harbor those feelings without knowing why the opposition feels the way they do. I know I used to feel that way, but now I know better and after today's lecture I feel an even deeper understanding of the situation. I think what this class gets you to do best is to take an interest in viewing topics from a new perspective. I feel I'm pretty open-minded about most issues. Some more than others I have a formed opinion but that's only because the bubble on the topic has been burst for me and I've examined things in a new light. I used to think vegetarians and vegans were crazy but for the past 8 months I've been one...and that is because I took myself out of the singleminded views of the topic. I guess I'm getting a better understanding of the power of ethnocentrism. Fri, 16 Apr 2010 05:56:10 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68329274 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65244126 What's the big qualm of balck people not wearing shorts? I see black people in shorts all the time! In fact, wasn't Michelle Obama wearing shorts for the first time in like 5 presidencies or soemthing like that? And last time I checked she was black. I think we get bogged down too much on little stuff like this when the bigger issues at hand are the inequalities that still plague this land. So what if there are a bunch of black people wearing shorts in an LL Bean magazine?! That just means we've won the battle for black and white people to be advertised equally wearing shorts. Now can we please focus on how to curb the drop out rates of inner city, mostly minority children? 4/4 Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:05:18 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65244126 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65244114 The catalogue may have a improportionate number of black people wearing supposed "white" clothing but so what? I see white people walking around all the time in supposed "black" clothing. Does that mean I should feel offended when I look in a magazine? I don't think so, maybe the magazine is trying to reach a new demographic of customers and broaden their appeal. Times are tough, I can't blame someone for trying to make a buck hahaha. That probably wasn't the point of showing the magazine pages...but really any time we see something that rubs us the wrong way we bark about it. Sam showed us pictures from the engineering building and they don't neccesarily reflect the actual numbers of students in that college male/femal wise or by race but they do reflect the different peoples of that college. Snd what's wrong with that? Isn't it good that people celebrate diversity and shwo that people of all backgrounds can be accepted into this place? 3/4 Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:05:12 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65244114 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65243673 They do not indicate that you are better or worse than someone else or that if you are further along that you are a winner. In fact if you believe that, your probably still in the pre-awakening stage hahaha. But seriously, if we were all at the place Sam is at the world would be crazy!!! Everyone would do and say whatever they wanted and people wouldn't give a crap, or maybe they would...I don't know. Who wants to live like that? I think the point Sam is trying to get everyone to experience is that there really is no point. At least not one big point that will solve everything. There are a lot of little points about how people behave and what causes them to do so. I don't really understand the whole Jesse Jackson thing either but the LL Bean catalogue was kind of funny the way Sam was showing it. But I mean c'mon those comedians he showed in class can do it to. The way people talk and walk can be dissected and humorized just like everything else in the world. 2/3 Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:03:34 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65243673 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65243427 There is no way to win, at least not in the grand scheme of things. We can't, it is just impossible. I suppose the only scenario in which a decided victory could be proclaimed is if one day there is no more need for a race relations class or circle discussions of race issues or what have you. But we can take little victories I believe. Unless I'm mistaken, the goal of these "stages" is a progression in your state of mind. 1/3 Thu, 1 Apr 2010 18:02:59 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/how-can-we-ever-win__trashed/#IDComment65243427 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64253034 Sam isn't always a crowd pleaser that's for sure. I'm starting to realize his method for teaching though. As one of his students, I call bullshit every time he says the next words out of his mouth are gonna be the most shocking of the semester. Often his topics are very interesting, but he uses the perk-up-your-ears method to exhaust. Anyway, the topic of gender issues and bleeding have gotten a rise out of most of the class. Sometimes even moreso than race. Maybe because that is something we all have issues on because instead of an infinite amount of races or ethnicities or cultures...there are only two sexes. And you would think that would make things simpler to understand if there are only two ideas to grasp, yet sometimes figuring out the differences between men and women are even more perplexing than black and white. I definitely don't know all there is to know about women, and even men for that matter! But I don't want anyone to confuse that just because I don't go out of my way to understand everything about the opposite sex doesn't mean I am disgusted or revolted by the idea of gaining that knowledge. I guess for the most part I've just always felt that what goes on in a person's body, whether regular or irregular regards a certain level of modesty and outer respect from others. If a close friend of mine who was a girl felt it was necessary for her to tell me she was having problems due to her period I would try and be as sensitive as possible to her needs. I don't really need to know about the bleeding part because really what good would it do? I mean people don't really enjoy talking about bleeding in general just because it can make some people squeamish or ill. I work a lot with the Red Cross blood drives here on campus and I see blood all the time and it doesn't really bother me that much. But I still see people come in to donate or support their friends and have to look away from the needle stick or the blood bag. It can be an uncomfortable thing for some. I can't say that I would really be equipped to understand something that doesn't happen directly to me. I think that with 3+ billion other women on the planet there is a pretty good support system already. But I would never want to make a friend of mine or girlfriend feel like I didn't care that she was in pain on a regular basis. I have the utmost admiration because their sex is the one that conceives and bares children. I wish I could understand better but really if it is something that is not directly in my face every day it's hard for me to focus and connect to. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:36:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/in-her-own-words__trashed/#IDComment64253034 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62893287 Well I wish I could say I'm surprised by this course of action but I'm really not. I don't think this would have happened in a Northern state, but I could be wrong. I'm glad that her family and the ACLU is sticking up for her. Really, I don't understand what the stigmatism is in people's minds about being around gay and lesbian couples. More and more each year there are more media attention to gay rights and gay celebrities and gay movements. I've known several people who are gay and lesbian and they all have different ways of expressing themselves. Some want to be open about it, some are more closed off about it, and some don't hide the fact they are gay but also don't go out of their way to tell people. What does the school board think is so terrible that these girls could be doing that would upset the other students? I mean it is a prom, the night's activities basically involve going out to dinner with friends, showing up all clean and looking nice, having some fun on the dance floor, and maybe a smooch here or there. There might be some post prom activities but the school doesn't need to know about that as long as they advocate making safe choices. So would the other students be that offended if this girl wore a tux and danced with her girlfriend? Maybe they would, I don't know. I've never been in a Mississippi school before so maybe the climate is very anti-gay down there. It just seems unnecessary to me to cancel the entire prom because of one lesbian couple. I want to know what the parents of the other students think about this. Do they approve of canceling this function over such a small thing? If they do, then I think there is a much larger issue at hand and that it needs to be addressed. I can't believe that in the year 2010 someone's sexual orientation in America would preclude them from attending public events. I know that people have views against the practice either moral or religious or political but I have never met someone who would be outraged enough to cancel a dance over it. Can't we all just accept each other for who we are? I mean, I'm not gay so I don't understand the attraction to men because those feelings just don't exist in me. But I can understand that another person might find beauty in a man where I don't because not everyone views the world as I do. If everyone thought the same, life would be pretty boring. I used to be weirded out by gay and lesbian people because I was misinformed about them and what it meant to be gay. Now I feel nothing positive or negative about the issue. If one of my friends told me they were gay, well I might be a little surprised if it was out of the blue...but I wouldn't stop being friends with them and I wouldn't bar them from having dinner or hanging out or doing any activity I'd do otherwise with them. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:15:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62893287 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment59983175 My reaction to the video is that it seemed a little much to react over considering the the noose and the party. It just seems to me like innocent yet clearly misguided college kids looking to have some fun. What it turned into was a firestorm about race and hurt feelings. The headline on the video was something like "Is UCSD a racist campus?" I mean come on. There may be some substance to this video but to have a meaningless conversation with two minority people about how they feel just seems like the media is trying to escalate the situation into something bigger...that was my impression from just watching the video. After reading the article I was a bit more concerned about the situation. It seems like the University of California is having problems with students instigating racial or hate crimes all over its campuses. I don't know if any of the incidents are related or if they are copy cat crimes or if it's all just poor judgment but I'm really tired of college campuses becoming the battle grounds for racial equality and acceptance. I mean, it's not like the topic shouldn't be acknowledged in college, but why does it always dissolve into an argument? I always sigh when I pass by the HUB or the Allen Street Gates or the Willard building and hear people shouting their heads off about their ideology(do they think people are stopping to listen to what they say? No, they are getting a brief amusement from you making a fool of yourself.) Then, their political or sociological opponents will stand on the opposite side of the street and yell right on back, gaining some support just because they tend to be on the more popular side of the issue...sometimes. But why is it always an argument? I feel bad that people of minority groups feel that the only way to respond is to make an uproar and attract as much attention as possible. My attention and patience for dealing with things that way is very small and I do not feel like making a commotion is the right way to address your feelings. I'd much rather sit down and talk about the way we feel and discuss routes and measures to address what injustices people are feeling on their side of the table. The black students at UCSD have a right to feel their campus climate is being upset, I don’t blame them. I blame the media for in turn making the events look like the campus is on the verge of a racial melt down. Why would ask two people with a biased view to have a discussion and not bring in people who were related to the incident or see how a white person felt about the issue? That video from the school chancellor said she was working to make changes according to guidance from the black student group. It all just seems one-sided to me. Sat, 6 Mar 2010 03:50:20 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/this-is-getting-to-be-too-much__trashed/#IDComment59983175 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-four__trashed/#IDComment58742526 I believe that the purpose of Sam's lectures are to get us to think in a different way than we usually do. There isn't really any big agenda item that he is pushing other than that he wants us to come to an understanding that there are certain wrongs and differences amongst our population. The goal of this class is not to feel guilty or ashamed of your race, the goal is to understand the different footings that we are on between white, black, asian, latino, etc. I believed for a long time that the choices we make in life are largely responsible for how we turn out, but now I see that there are blaring differences in how white people are treated compared to minorities. I think the best thing that we can do is stop allowing the small voice inside of us control our subconscious thoughts and actions towards other races. I'm not saying everyone is racist because certainly that is not the case but there are certain things that we see in our daily lives that we don't even realize are hurtful or demeaning to others. Taking steps to become more aware of our own actions in the world of race relations and moving towards understanding and communicating with each other across the race table will go a long way to bridging the gap between the races. Once we can start moving past blaming each other for the mistakes of our ancestors we can take action to improve how society functions as an equal ground between all peoples. As an individual, I want to stop making generalizations about people based on the color of their skin or how they dress or talk. I want to share the knowledge I've learned from this class with my family and friends and inform them of things they've never thought of before. What I don't understand is how anyone can sit in this class and not do anything with the information they've learned. I don't think giving certain races a "free pass" is appropriate because achieving equal ground will only come about through mutual efforts among our populous. If you sit in class and listen to Sam and then go back into your day to day life without connecting anything from the classroom to real life then you are just as much responsible for the ongoing problem as are the people in the statistics we see in class. If you are given the information and then choose not to act on anything then I blame you in part for your ignorance. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:46:07 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/native-americans-question-four__trashed/#IDComment58742526 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-two__trashed/#IDComment57533951 I think what determines whether a person is straight or gay or what have you, is the combination physical and emotional attraction. I have emotional attractions to several people, men and women, so does that make me gay? I don't think so. I don't find men attractive or appealing really in most aspects and feel I can relate to women much better and of course can appreciated their beauty. I can appreciate that a man may look appealing or good looking, but I myself do not find myself drawn towards men. I think that two people who share a bond regardless of their sex can see a separation between friendship and companionship. That's just me though. I certainly don't have feelings of physical attraction towards my female friends (or at least I don't anymore). But I can still appreciate their beauty. What I find attractive in them is their friendship with me. I love them for the people they are and choose to be. The same thing goes for guys, I love my male friends for the bond I have with them. It is not a different love than that which I would share with anyone else, intimate or not. I choose to love certain people in my life for the things they do and the experiences I share with them. I cannot separate love from the equation. I have yet to find someone who I connect with on an emotional and physical level, so I can't pretend to know everything about love. I will say though that love comes in many shapes and sizes and that most people in my life I have a love for, but some will always hold a stronger connection to my heart because of what we have between us. I don't think we can use broad terms to identify whether of not someone is gay or bi. It really is up to an individual to declare if they themself feel that attraction. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:06:33 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/lgbt-class-question-two__trashed/#IDComment57533951 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56597365 I don't get it...actually it's more along the lines of I don't care. Not in the sense that I don't believe that talking about race isn't important, but that I just don't bother to make it factor into my daily life. Yeah I, like a lot of us, may assume things about people based on stereotypes occasionally and well you know what they say when you assume (you make an ass out of "u" and "me". But really I don't see how letting race affect how I live my day to day life is something productive. I guess I just care to live my life on the assumption that people are trustworthy and decent and that once in a while I'll get bit in the ass by someone looking out for their own interests, but more often than not I'll receive a greater reward for having that point of view. But maybe believing that race doesn't belong as a part of my view is part of the problem. I guess more people than not allow race to affect their world view and for me to go along against the grain, while not assuming the social constructs as my own, then I am missing a part of the daily struggle of others to overcome their surroundings that have been blocked off by race. But why, WHY does race have to exist as a social determinant. Are we too stubborn to change our ways or think that our self worth and pride is more important than a social peace? It seems to me that no matter how hard we try to make things equal in this country, we just can't. It's not possible under the current set of circumstances. If everyone believed the way I did then I think we'd have less problems dealing with issues of race or ethnicity. But if everyone did think like I do, then what kind of way to live is that? Do we want to look back on our lives and say, "Oh, that was easy...I never had a day in my life where I struggled." Well if you did want to live your life that way then I pity you, because no one ever learns anything without making a mistake or struggling or making an ass out of themselves. I honestly don't know if this fully relates to the topic at hand, but it's how I feel on the subject of talking about race. It's like talking about anything. If something bothers you, you need to confront it head on...On the topic of race, I suppose most people have issues with white and black people because of the influence they have in American culture. If you lived in China I'm fairly certain the issues would not revolve around white and black. The issues of race differ wherever you go. Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:50:14 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/why-is-the-conversation-always-about-black-and-white-people__trashed/#IDComment56597365 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55567735 I wish our society realized the true extent of the damage we inflict by polluting and abusing and taking from our natural resources. The greed and corruption of politics and society on our planet is a very discouraging thing to see constantly. It was a nice escape to see a planet in which intelligent beings communed and physically connected with the natural world. I don’t really see how race and a white messiah complex play into the movie as a whole, but I guess that’s just how I interpreted. 3/3 Sat, 6 Feb 2010 03:46:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55567735 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55567724 And in some ways, yeah I guess that sums it up, but in other ways it barely begins to describe what happens in this film. Is it really the white messiah that rescues the natives? If anything, I believe that the native's saved him or at the very least they saved each other. Yes in the end, the originally white man did lead the natives to victory but had they not first saved him from his life of misery then the natives would all have perished. I think the movie’s message fell more along the lines of what can we learn from cultures unique to our own. Honestly I feel like the film achieves much in the realm of humans communicating with nature and the Earth. The planet Pandora is worlds away from Earth in terms of landscape and variety of species but it’s connected universe speaks to how disconnected our civilization is from our own planet. I get that this is a fantasy universe, but at the same time it makes me feel guilty of how much we abuse our world and the plants and creatures that inhabit it. 2/3 Sat, 6 Feb 2010 03:46:42 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55567724 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55567706 When I first heard of the movie I thought it sounded very far-fetched but maybe something I'd be interesting in catching On-Demand one day. As the movie was hyped in the media leading up to its release however, I saw how much the movie revolved around the revolutionary visual effects and futuristic other-world landscape. I went to see it recently and was very impressed with the visual aspect of the movie. I also found the plot to be entertaining and connected to the audience, something I look for in a movie. My immediate reaction to the film was "so that was basically Pochohantas in Space." 1/3 Sat, 6 Feb 2010 03:46:24 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/avatar-and-the-white-mans-burden__trashed/#IDComment55567706 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-m__trashed/#IDComment55153393 yo Wed, 3 Feb 2010 08:03:05 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-m__trashed/#IDComment55153393 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53090353 Since when does anyone with half a brain take Pat Robertson seriously? Isn't this the same guy who agreed with Jerry Falwell that 9/11 happened, not because of terrorists, but because of feminists, gays, the ACLU and a slew of other people?! I can't believe anyone would go out of their way to watch his show. Jon Stewart doesn't even have to try that hard in order to make his bit funny because Robertson does all the work in making himself seem absurd. I just don't get why people in America waste their time on these people. I rarely turn on the news anymore because they only show and tell of the bad things happening in America. I did catch a brief glimpse of a news show the other night with a quick segment of President Obama serving food in a homeless shelter on MLK day. At least he's doing something. I like to think that I gave back to my community on MLK Day by giving blood. We are a civilization that enjoys tearing down each other and destroying public reputations (even if they were false to begin with). I'm really disgusted every time I look at the news because it makes me feel bad sometimes to say I live in a country with people who don't do anything but bitch and moan. Go out in the streets and meet people, take a stand for something, wake up in the morning and have a purpose. I don't want to sound like I think I'm all high and mighty, because I certainly struggle to make my way through life. But one of the very few things I have figured out is that you have to start by loving yourself and the people in your life and then spreading that love and joy to others around you. I don't know where I'm going with this or what my original point was but I guess it's something along the lines of don't condemn a group of people for their misfortune. Take that opportunity to lend them a hand and show that you have a kind heart. Don't rub it in their face and say sucks to be you. We need to stop all this hatred and work together because whether you've heard it or not, Pat Robertson can't single handedly save this planet....and neither can you. It's all of us or none of us. Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:14:53 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/clubbing-the-bejesus-out-of-rationality__trashed/#IDComment53090353