en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/761621 Comments by KiaTNique http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/what-americans-fear/#IDComment145298411 At this point, especially after a semester of sociology 001, videos like this only serve to annoy me and help me to realize how much bullshit propaganda is out there. This is what humans do when they want you to see your point, find the worst images, skew the statistics, and just generally make everything seem worse. That being said I can understand why Muslims fear Americans after seeing certain videos and publications and why Americans fear Muslims or middle eastern after seeing something like this. Not knowing better or even knowing and still being sucked into the ominous music or scared by the signs and the pinpoints on the maps or the cryptic words running across the screen it becomes easy to imagine that all Muslims are like this, that all Arabs are like this, that everyone in the middle east is out to get America, which is certainly not true. I do not even know how we begin to separate ourselves or rise above these types of things. Is it enough to realize that “Oh this is what they see, no wonder they fear us” or vice versa. Is it even possible to stop this or must we accept it as something that serves a sociological purpose and therefore will be around forever? I just really wish we could see the best in people, or not even the best just an accurate representation. I am too tired of videos like this, on both sides of the war. When I see videos against Christians I get upset and I am sure Muslims get upset at videos like this against their people. Even reasonable people who know better can be swayed by these types of videos, I got a little scared and I am not even an American. After a second I realized I was being ridiculous but these are some very well strategized videos aimed to put fear into people and it works a lot of the time. I hope that something is there to counteract these videos and mentalities. One day we will all watch videos like this and be able to laugh at their ridiculousness Sat, 23 Apr 2011 05:13:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/what-americans-fear/#IDComment145298411 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment143304834 I definitely think that an injustice was done against this man. Transgendered people have the right to be identified as whichever sex they prefer. I also believe that once they have made this decision it should be protected by the full extent of discrimination laws. However I do see where his boss was coming from when she made her decision. That to me is where the problem lies. When there are no laws in place or protocol for what to do in situations like these. Our people and more importantly our government needs to acknowledge transgendered people and afford them the same opportunities of everyone of the sex they identify as. Unfortunately for situations like this it usually takes someone to speak out greatly on the situation. The man in the article values his privacy which is his constitutional right; however that may mean that nothing will change. As mentioned in the intersections book there is such a small percentage of people that identify as transgender and even more few of them are open about their journey. But that does not mean that they do not have just as much rights as every other American citizen. Also mentioned in the intersections article is the fact that we may not know how many people actually do identify as transgender because it is still such a taboo subject, that some people who are transgender will never actually come out and say it. I really think the only thing to be done at this point so that what happens to the man in the article never happens again is education. People need to realize what being transgender means and the more and more they are exposed to it, the more accepted it will become and the less and less accepted discriminations like the one in this article will occur. It will also take people who identify as transgender t o step forward and volley for their own rights. Like the man in the article who at least reported his discrimination, I hope that transgendered people all over the country and the globe have that same courage and even more. Sat, 16 Apr 2011 04:29:22 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/11/transgendered-complications/#IDComment143304834 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141178468 I am trying to think about the constant struggles that soldiers face every day, but unless you have actually been there it is unimaginable. The video in class gave us some sense of what was going on, and that was bad enough, accidental murder of innocent people and things of that nature. How is it even possible to NOT be affected? I think some psychiatric consultation should be required for all soldiers who have been deployed, those in the field as well as those returning. I honestly do not know what can be done about the stigma surrounding post traumatic stress disorder. I hope that SOMETHING can be done because it definitely needs to be done. Too many of our soldiers are suffering: committing suicide and those who do not commit suicide are still suffering in many ways. With the stigma it may be impossible to find out exactly how many soldiers actually suffer from PTSD or similar mental illnesses. My solution would be that we stop sending our citizens to war but that may never happen so hopefully we can have the courage to address this issue head on.] Sat, 9 Apr 2011 05:50:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141178468 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141178438 Post Traumatic Stress disorder is a very serious issue affecting our troops. As someone who opposes war, especially the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, I just think it is another strike against it. But in actuality it is something we need to address as a country and within the army itself. If we continually send our citizens to war we must be prepared to deal with all the consequences of that, including the mental ones. War is a serious business mentally and physically taxing it should go without saying that veterans need treatment in these areas. And as with the video we watched in class it is appalling that there is a stigma attached with seeking psychiatric attention during or after deployment. Taking a life, even in the name of one’s country, is a difficult thing. I really do not understand why it would seem cowardly or weak to have some sort of reaction to doing that over and over. I think that those who seek help must have extreme courage to face their mental demons. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 05:50:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/war-vets-and-ptsd/#IDComment141178438 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/30/so-what-your-take-on-those-inequality-classes/#IDComment139293178 The wealth disparity lecture was disconcerting to me but it was not particularly surprising. Of course the wealthy want to stay wealthy and become wealthier. There is not really much that the working class can do about it. In an ideal world we could all share wealth communally, but we do not live in an ideal world and there are greedy people, dishonest people and looks out only for their own interest. I also feel that some of the elite rich believe that they deserve to have this much wealth and thus deserve their immense wealth. I honestly believe that there is little that one can actually do to deserve THAT much money. Most people do work hard in their live and are still in the poor or middle class. That is bad enough but what makes it worse are those people in those rich, high positions who make it easier for themselves to become richer and richer and keep everyone else in perpetual poverty. And of course the more money you have, the more money/power you are able to get. Just as we saw in class, the rich oil used their money/power to get tax breaks that benefit them. And with such a lack of transparency on these things it is hard for the people at the bottom of the pyramid to even understand what is going on. I really do not think that most people think this gross disparity in wealth is fair. I think that most people do not actually understand it. I know that I did not understand just how much wealth was controlled by this elite class. And you also have to be paying good attention to realize how impossible they make it for this to ever change. We just accept what is without really having in-depth knowledge on the nitty-gritty truth. There is an attitude of deserving, when one has been successful at something. I deserve this salary because I worked hard in college, I deserve this job because I rocked the interview. I deserve…….. which I think a lot of people have. But as Sam says most of it are those invisible strings. And while the elite don’t realize that they have that exact attitude, which coupled with billions of dollars is a dangerous thing. Sat, 2 Apr 2011 04:28:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/30/so-what-your-take-on-those-inequality-classes/#IDComment139293178 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137623392 Even with the statistics and the mentality of many people, I don’t really think that religion will die out. I think that there are too many people searching for meaning and structure in their lives and sometimes religion is a good place to start with that. I feel that religion does have some benefits but I do not think that it is truly needed. I also feel that most people who are spiritual or religious have some type of religious journey that involves at least one particular religious denomination. Not to say that organized religion is just a stepping stone for everyone but I do think that it serves that purpose to some people and always will. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:06:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137623392 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137623350 Also I think that education is the enemy of organized religion. I know that when I was younger I believed everything I read in the bible and took everything that my religious leaders as true and accurate. But as I learned more about history and the inaccuracies in the bible, I began to question my beliefs. And as we become global citizens and learn more about other religions and see the merits of them it becomes even harder to take on faith that your religion is the correct one. Especially in western countries with a melting pot of religions, we see people that we believe to be good and righteous who do not follow our religion and refuse to believe that because they do not have the exact beliefs as me that they aren’t going to heaven or reap afterlife rewards. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:05:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137623350 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137623309 I personally do not care if religion disappears. I am someone who does not identify with any particular religion, although I do believe in God and am a deeply spiritual person. I firmly believe that most, if not all religious institutions have corrupted the spiritual message and do not really serve their purpose anymore. I do believe that you can find God in church but not anymore than you can find him in a park or in your own house. He is wherever you choose to look for him. As more people realize that God is not a concept or being unique to their church or their particular religion then they may be less inclined to identify with it. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:05:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/religion-in-the-future/#IDComment137623309 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135900079 The law would only provide them with the equal right they deserve in order to live their lives in a more equal fashion. Some people think that homosexuals should not be married because of the religiousness of marriage and of what certain religious texts say about homosexuality. But personally I do not believe in any of those text because they probably got it wrong. Also it doesn’t even matter now because in today’s world, marriage is more like a secular agreement that allows certain rights. Many non religious people get married everyday, some in secular or civil ceremonies and if we really had church/state separation then we would see that homosexual rights are being fundamentally infringed upon. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:09:56 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135900079 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135900041 Children are mean and although I wish the world were more accepting, the fact is they are not and I would never want children to suffer because of that. But I am definitely hopeful that one day it will not be this way and we can all live in harmony. But I also think that it is steps like these that help along that road. If we do not care about it enough to amend our laws for it then it will never change. I truly commend the guy in the video and everyone else who is in the fight for the equal rights of the LGBT community. It is definitely true what he said, homosexual couples already function as married couples, as family. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:09:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135900041 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135899938 The man in the video makes a compelling argument. I fully believe that homosexual couples should have equal rights of marriage and be recognized as equal partners in the eyes of the law. I also think that it is great that he was raised by a homosexual couple and is proud of that fact. Honestly I do not know exactly how I feel about homosexuals raising children, especially adopted children. As the man said in the video they can do just as good a job and it has no adverse affects on that child’s life. I am sure that homosexual couples fulfill all roles of the family structure. However in a society that does not fully accept homosexual culture, the life of a child being raised by a same sex couple could be exponentially more difficult if his/her peers knew about it. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 20:08:55 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/15/lgbt-families-theres-a-lot-of-fear-out-there/#IDComment135899938 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/the-r-word-and-the-oblivious-others/#IDComment134966547 I will try more to stop using the word. I have realized that it is a negative thing to say both for people who are retarded (I feel like qualifying this) and for the person who you are saying it to and sending negative energy toward. Being around people who have mental retardations also make me realize how derogatory it is. The evolvement of the word now makes it seem that anyone who has a mental retardation is incapable of the most basic reasoning functions and it also groups everyone who has any type of mental retardation into one big “retarded” bubble. I think as a people we need to be more respectful of people who are a little different and who we don’t understand as much, we need to stop making assumptions, especially negative ones. Tue, 15 Mar 2011 01:17:29 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/the-r-word-and-the-oblivious-others/#IDComment134966547 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/the-r-word-and-the-oblivious-others/#IDComment134966489 The r word is a weird subject. I think that the article was trying to parallel it like other derogartoy terms like nigger or paki or chink. I do not think it is the same though. Retarded is a word that actually has a purpose, with a neutral meaning, someone who suffers from a mental retardation. Like the word dumb, we use it to mean something stupid but it is also to describe someone who cannot talk. That being said it is horrendous that we use it in a negative context. I of course have done it in the past and still do it on occasion. When I call someone retarded or hear someone being called retarded it is most often related to that person doing something that is considered lacking in common sense or something stupid, basically saying that they have some “mental retardation” preventing them from acting up to their normal intelligence level. It really brings a negative meaning to the world all together. If I happen to really be talking about someone that is retarded I can’t actually say the word without having to qualify it. I do really feel bad for people with mental retardation because now there is a negative connotation indelibly linked to that word and therefore to them. Tue, 15 Mar 2011 01:17:08 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/09/the-r-word-and-the-oblivious-others/#IDComment134966489 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130795216 Maybe I really have been affected by the way the media has displayed these things, but realistically what can they say? Today 3 million children WERE NOT abducted but one was. No they are going to report what is not the norm and is interesting that deviates. As a nation we have to understand that is what they are doing. I acknowledge the reality that these things are not at all common but they still exist. I guess our energy would be better spent worrying about things that are more likely to happen and the media could stop emphasizing these non issues as much but they can’t play up what is not there. I definitely get it and I will try to make efforts in my life to try and be more aware of the invisible strings and of the real statistics of what is going on around me. But as for right now I’m still planning to tell my kids not to talk to strangers. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:36:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130795216 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130795192 I know that what Sam said in class makes sense and that this is so rare but I cannot help but thinking that rare is not nonexistent. It can still happen as unlikely as it may be and I would rather be safe than sorry. It is like the same thing with the lottery, yea sure the chances are that you won’t win but there is that minute chance that you will and that chance is hope. If my child is in the street and happens to get separated from me I probably would tell them to find a police or find the nearest establishment, hopefully a franchise. Even though it is unlikely that my child will find the ONE person that would be willing to kidnap them, that one person is enough to put fear in my heart. Did that nanny or the mother of that child think that they would be the one person on Avenue B that day that would be the victim of an attempted abduction? Probably not but it still happened and even with the odds against us, it could happen to any one of us. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:36:11 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/21/stranger-kidnapping/#IDComment130795192 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/15/social-structure-shapes-free-will/#IDComment129014216 There seems to be no downsides to the lifestyle described in the clip. They preserve their farm, have a big family and work together. The one guy even said that the choice of the bride is the decision of everyone, not just the eldest brother, so it’s not as if he is just dragging his younger brothers along with him. If these things work and it’s the choice of the people going into the situation, who are we to judge them? Our culture very likely has things that are equally as bizarre to them but not to us because of our egocentrism. The only thing that I didn’t like was that their lifestyle is in jeopardy because of western influences. It’s not as if these influences changed their situation. They still need to farm and the ratio of men and women is still off. I understand the education part and family planning but those effects will take a few generations to make a change so I hope that they people there are happy with their choices and do not see them as wrong now that western culture is looking at it with some scrutiny. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:27:16 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/15/social-structure-shapes-free-will/#IDComment129014216 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/15/social-structure-shapes-free-will/#IDComment129014085 I think that it is a pretty cool thing that people can come up with workable solutions to social problems. Of course it seems bizarre to us because it’s not a part of our culture, but to me it is perfectly understandable. For every culture, every human, every being, our first goal is self preservation. We want to preserve our lives, and also our way of life. It is actually a very good idea, their culture and way of life is preserved and they can sustain themselves with their farms. It is a very inventive way to keep themselves going, no one seems to be unhappy about the situation. I mean I am sure there are some people who are unhappy in that lifestyle as there are people unhappy in any lifestyle. But for the most part it seems to fit their lives. I think most of us would do similar things in the same situation.__The more I think about this the cooler I think it is. I think that more western cultures that already against polygamy/polyandry, if faced with the same problem could not come up with an adequate solution. We would probably come up with some random way that cost money, unhappiness and doesn’t quite solve the problem, but preserves our sense of morality. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:27:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/15/social-structure-shapes-free-will/#IDComment129014085 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/04/the-not-so-invisible-structure-that-shapes-us/#IDComment127477489 Another reason also may be that many Americans are content with their lives in this country. They think that America has all they will ever need. From a young age many Americans have been fed the notion that America is the greatest, freest country on earth, if not the universe. Even though that is probably not true, it is believed and if it is believed then why would you want to spend money and travel to a country that is not as good as or as free as yours. I am a curious person and have traveled to many countries and I know that America is not the greatest country (opinion, but still fact lol). I do not know what country is but I know that every time I travel to a foreign country there is a sense of uncertainty and trepidation that conflicts with that American confidence especially if the country speaks a different language. I think that we should all be more open to traveling and to getting to know other cultures. Everyone who is reading this should definitely get a passport and travel to a foreign country and experience what is like. It will change your perspective a lot. But hey, if you don’t then it’s still not that big of a deal. Sat, 12 Feb 2011 05:04:07 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/04/the-not-so-invisible-structure-that-shapes-us/#IDComment127477489 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/04/the-not-so-invisible-structure-that-shapes-us/#IDComment127477455 Honestly the fact that many Americans do not have passports really does not affect me that much. It does not seem like a real social issue to me. I personally have a passport but then again I do not really consider myself an American although I am. Perhaps the reason does lie with the fact that America is a “melting pot” and you can find aspects of most cultures around the world in the United States. People may think that there is no reason to actually go to Europe, Asia or the Caribbean, when they can just hop over to china town or something like that. They may also be content to believe that what they see around them IS an accurate representation of what is going on around the world. They do not want to believe that they could be horribly misinformed or just ignorant. Sat, 12 Feb 2011 05:03:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/04/the-not-so-invisible-structure-that-shapes-us/#IDComment127477455 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment126069898 . In class Sam said that people assume that people are more knowledgeable than them in a particular situation so they will go along with the group norm. But in a situation where they have the knowledge, are confident about their knowledge or are just passionate about their beliefs to a point that they question why they are going with the group norms. History is full of people who believed in things or went against group norms and changed the norms to what we know now. For me personally I conform in situations that I have no particular interest in or that I feel do not matter in the long run. Everyone has a point to which they will go along with the group. Some points are higher than others. But that level is also based on the way we were socialized growing up. I guess there is really no escaping it and although I do think that in important situations, at least situations important to that individual, one will break the norms, I can never be sure. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 04:11:51 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/30/conformity-rules-the-day/#IDComment126069898