Before attending this lecture on “Christian Invaders” my friend from Soc 030 told me about the trailer for the lecture. She said it looked pretty interesting, yet I was still skeptical. I really had no clue what he meant by Christian Invaders. But after listening to his lecture, everything makes sense. And I believe his goal for us all to UNDERSTAND was achieved. Also, I can see how the trailer would grasp your attention; however, I thought he basically covered all the main points in this two-minute video, and I feel like those who didn’t go to lecture would understand–just not fully.
I really like how Sam set up this lecture. The class before when Laurie was trying to explain the idea of looking from a different “lense,” it didn’t quite make sense. But after this class I completely understand. Until this lecture, I had never really thought about what the Middle Easterners thought about our position in their country. We see a soldier and see a hero, but some might see something entirely different–a Christian Invader.
This fact sort of struck a chord in me. In the past I have thought about doing mission trips, and always thought that people would be so happy to accept Christianity. If I were a Muslim and I saw the videos of the radical Vacation Bible School, I would think Christians were crazy too. It’s sad that people are getting the wrong idea of Christianity because some “knuckle-heads” from the middle of no where are having their ideas captured on video and put online for the world to see. It is just really upsetting that Christians would be stereotyped because of this negative display.
I was also very moved when Sam asked how many people would join the fight against America. I was kind of surprised that so many people raised their hands; and that’s when it hit me that if all of us were that easily persuaded to fight against ourselves, how many Muslims felt the same way. Sam also asked if anyone would be able to commit suicide in honor of a family member who was killed. This question also shocked me. What was even more disturbing was the statistic about how many civilians could die in order to make ONE intended kill. That is so sad.
Another fact that I didn’t know was that Middle Easterners enjoy getting their pictures taken by Americans, and actually want them to take home the pictures and to show their families. Almost like a gift. I feel like if we asked Middle Easterners that were in America to take home our pictures, it would be considered rude and condescending almost.
All in all, I really enjoyed this lecture. It opened my eyes to a lot of new things.

After reading this article, I’m glad that more and more schools are implementing Chinese into their schedules. Unfortunately, in my high school Chinese was not offered. Spanish, German, Italian, and French were the languages available. I decided to take Spanish all four years–which I think was a smart decision. I have come in contact with many Spanish speakers here at school and even back home. However, at my school, Spanish was the easy language to take. What was surprising was that our Spanish department had the worst teachers and in my four years of taking Spanish, I barely learned as much as the German or French students. Our German and French teachers were great, and their students learned so much during high school. It’s unfortunate that these teachers might be losing their jobs because their languages aren’t as popular anymore. The AP test in Chinese is even being taken more often than the AP exam in German. I think that is amazing, and the fact that it has only happened in a short period of time is even crazier.
With that said, if we are going to be introducing Chinese into our school systems, I would hope that the instructors would be on par. I think sending “guest teachers” over here is a great idea. However, some people don’t have the skills to teach, and I’m hoping that they select these 325 volunteer in a strategic manner. It truly is an amazing opportunity for them. A Chinese guest teacher is making $49,910 in salary in addition the $13,000 in travel expenses he receives from Hanban. In my opinion, these “Guest teachers” are making out better than actual teachers here in America.
With the No Child Left Behind Act, I am very surprised that Chinese is making it into the schools at such a quick rate. I know that there is an Elementary School near my hometown that teaches their KINDERGARTEN class in Chinese some days. I’m definitely shocked at how early they are incorporating the language into learning, but I think it’s great. Kids are like sponges. The younger they are when taught something, the better likelihood that they will soak up the information and remember it.
Now knowing that China is becoming such a strong force and has much power, I believe it’s essential that every school introduce Chinese and make it mandatory for students to take. If I were in high school now, I would definitely have the desire to learn Chinese. I’m even thinking about teaching myself over the summer. I frequently go to this little Chinese restaurant in my hometown, and it would be exciting to see if I could put my newfound language to the test.

I’ll admit, I’m one of those people who think all video games that involve violence shouldn’t exist in our world today. The only exception being hunting games, maybe. My reasoning behind this is that violence on television along with violent video games in my opinion contributes to our aggressive society. Also I think movies like Saw, where Jigsaw thinks of creative ways to kill people, shouldn’t be produced as regularly as they are now. If you think about it, the movie is showcasing how “fun” it is to be a killer. Don’t the producers of the movie think that they could possibly be giving ideas to the psychos out there?
This type of video game is definitely pushing the envelope too far. Okay, killing people at war in a video game, not so bad…but RAPING someone? Are you kidding me? The fact that people would spend their time on a game like this is ludicrous. And to think that it might offer an “emotional release” or distract the potential rapist from actually committing the crime is ridiculous. If anything, I think it would encourage them.
During the video, the girl being interviewed in London said she wasn’t offended. Although, I respect her opinion, I must disagree. It is completely degrading for women to be used as objects in a video game of these sorts, and I was offended. This then makes me wonder, how would peoples’ opinion of this game change if the rape victim was a man, or better yet..a child?
What if children get their hands on this game at a young age? This video game is portraying this bad behavior as acceptable. As if it’s no problem to go fondle a girl in the subway. If they were to see their older siblings playing this game, or ever worse find it on the Internet, who’s to say that they won’t begin to adapt this behavior and accept it as the social norm. As if our society doesn’t have enough problems as it is. Children are like sponges, and if they see this material, it could be very damaging.
It also bothers me that the Chinese government doesn’t seem to have a problem with this type of game. I really wish CNN would have had the opportunity to speak with the government, just so we would know what they actually think about the subject. Also, I wonder who the mastermind behind this game could be. I wonder how old, male or female, kids or none. What would ever motivate someone to make this game?
I honestly never thought a video game of this kind would be invented, and I’m kind of disappointed that nothing is being done about it. I hope it doesn’t become popular over here in the U.S. I don’t know how our government would react to it.

Out of everything we have spoken about this semester–all of the videos and Sam’s crazy stories–I think this will be the topic that I will remember long after this class ends in May. I knew that they had done this study in the past, but I didn’t know that it was done recently. I definitely thought the results would have changed by now, and it is so sad to see that they haven’t.
When Sam stopped the video and said, “If I were creative, I would have you all sit here in silence for the next half hour to let everything sink in,” I could tell everyone was taken aback by the video. You could hear people gasp at the end when the girl stalled before choosing the doll that looked most like her. It was really sad to watch the grief she experienced when asked this question. It just goes to show how big the issue of race actually has become.
Society is the only one we can blame for placing these thoughts into their young minds. Everywhere they look, kids probably see white–on TV, in magazines, and in movies. Although social media is becoming more diverse, it is still a problem. It also frustrated me when I heard what the little girl said in the movie about her hair. She decided to wear it natural, and her mother told her to stop that because it looked “African.” And the little girl goes, “I am African.” It is bad that even her own mother doesn’t want her to be proud of where she comes from.
This whole issue about hair and how everyone wants it to be straight like white girls, I don’t really understand. I know that most white girls that have curly hair want their hair straight, not because it looks “better,” but because they get annoyed with their curls. So how is a white girl straightening her curly hair any different from a black girl that wanting to straighten her hair?
I was also thinking more about the doll situation. Do you think it’s possible that because their friends have white dolls, that they like them more? In day cares and schools, I’m sure that most of the dolls they have are white. Do you think it’s because they are trying to fit in?
All in all, this video was a real eye opener. I wish the solution to this problem could just be to make all the dolls a random color–like blue, for instance. However, I think it will take a lot more to solve due to the fact that this idea of what beauty looks like has been so engrained into our society.

In the past couple years, many new and exciting changes in our society have taken place. First, how could we forget the inauguration of our first black president, and now one of the first woman football coaches has been appointed. Even though I don’t think these two examples are equivalent in importance, hiring a woman as a high school football coach is a big change and is making history.
In a sport that is dominated by men, I think it’s great that women are finally being able to coach, and in some cases even compete. I thought it was interesting how humble Natalie Randolph acted on the news. She definitely understands what this means for women, but downplays her success. Playing in high school and then continuing to play on the “Divas” shows how dedicated she is to her sport. I have no doubt that she is very educated and knows her stuff when it comes the game.
I am, however, a little concerned about how the season is going to progress. In her eyes the reactions of the students were very welcoming, but I can only imagine what a teenage boy is thinking about having a woman coach. One of the first questions that came to my mind was, “Are they going to take her seriously?” I certainly hope that they do, and I’m sure that her soft spoken nature that we witnessed on CNN is rarely seen on the field. My brother played football in high school. Sometimes I would go watch his practices, and I would see the coaches yelling in their faces. I can only imagine what it will look like to see Natalie yelling at them. And it makes me wonder if she will have a motherly side to her or if she will be stern and forceful the entire time.
I’m also concerned about how the public will react to her if they begin to lose. The negative comments and criticism is probably already beginning to arise in the minds of many. I’m sure they are going to be critical of her performance and are already apprehensive about the upcoming season. So far I feel like her race has been left out of the equation, which I am happy about. It could have been big news that a BLACK female became coach, but instead it has been avoided–which could be contributed to political correctness or the fact that we are moving away from seeing only in black and white. I really don’t know. But if anything, the fact that she is black probably helps her situation. White people aren’t necessarily known for being the dominant force in sports. If a white woman were to be named coach, I feel that would have caused an even bigger uproar, and even more skepticism about the upcoming season.
Overall, I look forward to reading or hearing about how her season as coach unfolds. Either way, this is a big step for women and America in general. Each day, I feel we are breaking molds and taking great leaps forward towards becoming a better nation–a nation where we all are truly equal.

This is a terrible issue. I can’t believe that a school would cancel the whole prom in order to keep one girl from attending. What are you really shielding the students from? And what I find slightly humorous is the reasoning behind canceling the dance– “Distractions to the educational process?” Really, how’d that work out for you, the members of the school board? Now you are being bombarded by thousands of questions and are headlining National News. Is that distracting and hindering the educational process? I think so.
In one article I read that some students are mad at Constance McMillen. I’m sure she is being harassed and ridiculed, and my heart goes out to her and her family. But when we really think about it, the students should be mad at the school board. Although, I still don’t fully understand LGBT relationships, it is not my place to tell someone how to live their life. If a girl wants to take a girl as their date, that is her own choice. During my sophomore year of high school, I didn’t have a date to homecoming. Instead of going stag my girl-friend and I decided to go together. Is that so wrong? Would it have made a difference if my sexual orientation were known as “gay?"
What also is frustrating is the fact that they were upset she was going to wear a tuxedo. I know that by all means a tuxedo meets the requirements for the dress code. Normally, the teaching staff is concerned about the girls wearing a dress that is too revealing. A tuxedo is just the opposite. Clothes are clothes, and as long as it is tasteful and not offensive, it should not matter what someone is wearing.
I’m actually kind of happy this story is being recognized. It is probably beneficial for this story to be in the headlines. I feel like normally LGBT issues are left in the dark and no one really wants to talk about them. Now that being gay is more accepted, I feel like many more people are going to “come out the closet,” and we will be hearing more about the issues it may cause. I feel most people are living in the present and are accepting LGBTs; however, I can only imagine the school board at Itawamba Agricultural High School. I doubt that they deal with much diversity in their school. To be honest, I picture a bunch of hicks going to the school. My mind then shifts to the beginning of the movie Mean Girls when the little boys in overalls say “And on the third day, God created the Remington bolt-action rifle so that Man could fight the dinosaurs. And the homsexuals. Amen.”
I support Constance completely, and I hope she can win the case.

I’m normally not a very angry person or get easily upset by peoples’ opinions, but for some reason this question¬or rather statement really struck a nerve. I couldn’t believe that she was making such a generalization that all white people have themed parties and they normally make fun of black people? I can understand why she would think that we have themed parties because in my experience at school I know for a fact that many occur. However, I could not disagree more about the statement that most theme parties are targeted towards black people.
Despite my immediate disgust after hearing this statement, I put off writing back to it for a couple days. During those days that I didn’t respond I became aware of the happenings at the UCSD campus. When my TA read the actual invite that was sent out on Facebook, I was shocked. It was one of the most distasteful pieces I have ever read. At first, I thought the title “Compton Cookout” was kind of humorous-not quite a difference between that and a “Trailor Trash” party, I thought to myself. And I think if the party was just entitled this, without the rude and discriminating description of the party, everything would have been fine; but with the description, it definitely pushed the envelope much too far. Later when I became aware that a noose was hung in the library of the school, I was appalled. How can people be so rude? Did they think it was funny? I would really like to know what was their motivation to do such a thing. It’s people like this who keep racism forever embedded in our society. I feel terrible for the white people who go UCSG and are now probably stereotyped as being racist; and even worse for the black people of the school who unfortunately have been targeted by this stupid party.
If I were to be honest, though, this is one of the first themed parties I have heard about that is directed towards the black population. If anything, I think most of the themed parties I have heard about are directed towards white people. Or there are parties that have themes that are just for fun. Although, I have seen people dress up as “thugs” or “wiggers” for Halloween, I don’t know of many parties where people get together and dress like “black people.” I put that in quotes because how do black people really dress? But coming back to the question “Why do white people have themed parties directed towards black people?” I really feel like we don’t, and before you make generalizations about parties, do your research. How many parties have you really heard of that make fun of black people? And this sounds like a stretch, but maybe if you hear of one, you should go and see what their all about. You sound like you’re interested, so why not see for yourself?

This is a very sad yet inspiring story. As one can imagine, life in Haiti did not sound too easy even before the earthquake. Yvrose Jean Baptiste showed such drive and dedication toward her work and should be commended for her efforts. In a town that wasn’t very well developed, she made the best of her circumstances. Also, the tactics she used in her line of work were very smart. She had much faith in her customers. I would have never thought to loan my clients the materials and then collect interest (which is why I’m not a majoring in business-I guess). I’m glad NPR highlighted her work. This story is very inspiring. With only a fifth grade education, she is doing pretty well for the conditions she is living in. It is nice to hear about others succeeding and might make others strive for the same goals.
I thought it was interesting that the interviewers just saw her on the street, and she became the story. I also think it was great that she was able to meet the economic advisor. I would like to think that this lifted her spirits immensely. After hearing about her daily life, I gained much respect for her and the job she held. It was so shocking that this woman was carrying thirty-three pounds of chicken heads on her head. This is not the image that comes to mind when I think of the “ideal job.” It was even more shocking that with each chicken head she sold she only made a small profit-a few cents for each one.
My heart ached as I listened and heard that the day after she leant out the last of her food supplies, the earthquake hit Haiti. If I were to place myself in her shoes after the devastation, I don’t know what I would have done. I probably would have crawled into a ball and cried for days. Luckily, Yvrose stayed strong. I am very curious as to whether she was able to pay her loan or not. However, I have a lot of faith that she was able to pay it. She has faced many struggles before, and I don’t know why this would be any different.
After reading the book Disposable People, I wonder how the earthquake affected their social roles in society. Will Haiti resort to a new form of slavery? Did the gap between the rich and poor widen at all? Will there still be people like Yvrose that will be able to make a living with this type of business? How will others survive? What jobs will they take? These questions are of much interest to me, and I will look forward to seeing how Haiti rebuilds their economy.

When I first read the name of the article to my six roommates, we all had a pretty good laugh. My one roommate even screamed and howled with laughter at the picture of the doll as she exclaimed, “She is hideous!” However, as I began to read the article aloud, I watched as their initial reaction of finding this doll humorous changed to disgust. This doll spurred an hour-long conversation, and now I can definitely see how this “sex toy” is getting so much attention.
But seriously– a $7,000 dollar sex toy?? This is the most expensive and advanced toy I have ever heard about. With the economy the way it is today, how do people even have that much money that they can just throw around on a stupid toy. For God’s sake, if someone is that desperate, why don’t they just go find a prostitute? Isn’t that less expensive? But then again, couldn’t this doll be considered a prostitute? According to Webster’s prostitution is to offer indiscriminately for sexual intercourse especially for money. She is anatomically correct like a normal human being, speaks like a normal human being, and feels like a normal human being…plus the buyer is paying her for sex. So doesn’t that technically make her (or it) a prostitute?
The inventor claims that the robot does everything other than vacuum and cook, and Sam said he expected a woman (whose significant male other got a Roxxxy) would feel like she was downgraded to only cooking and cleaning. Although the customer base is said to be shy, awkward or older men who have “trouble meeting girls,” who is to say that married men or men in relationships aren’t buying these dolls? If a man is in a relationship, I feel it would be considered cheating if they use this doll. This might sound silly, but with the dolls ability to talk there is some capacity for not only a physical connection to be made between the male and his Roxxxy, but also an emotional one. I mean, she has five different personalities, and can be programmed to save what they like to hear. Very creepy if you ask me. This might be wishful thinking, or maybe not, but I can’t picture very many men in relationships buying this doll. I picture creepy, child-molesting whackos that have nothing better to do with their time than fantasize and mess around with a fake human.
As much as the thought of this doll angered me, it is quite amazing how advanced our technology has become. Who would have ever thought that we could buy a companion? I don’t even want to think about what new toys they’ll invent in the future; and I truly hope that a robot never replaces a woman.

Language is such an important part of our lives. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to communicate, let alone function in a civilized manner. When I read there were approximately 7,000 languages in our world today, I was blown away. It is absolutely great that we have resources, education and the ability to study other languages to such an extent. In our country, children are even being taught a different language at an early age. It is especially important for children to learn Spanish or Chinese. These languages are going to be so important in our upcoming lives.
Learning about these different language is very beneficial. With the knowledge of these different languages we can learn about the people that use them, their cultures and customs. That is why it is important to learn as many languages as possible. Languages inform us about the past and people’s history. Without the knowledge of others language, we as humans are hindered from learning about the past. For example, if we were able to decipher what was written on the Rosetta stone, new knowledge could be shed upon humanity. This is why the statistic that 80% of languages aren’t even accounted for from the article scares me. There should be a way to document all of our languages.
How is it possible for us all to coexist without knowing each other’s languages? And will these languages ever be documented? Then I also begin to think, will English ever perish? Our language has existed for quite sometime and many other countries are even fluent in English. If it is used in many other places, how could it possibly die out? I don’t see it dying out in the near future, but possibly after my time it could. I feel like we have enough documentation of our language that it would be able to withstand time. However, language going extinct goes hand in hand with globalization. It is scary to think about, but I feel it might be inevitable. As we progress, I also wonder if having a universal language is attainable. It also makes me wonder, how many languages have vanished?
Although I felt sad that her language had finally become extinct, what good is it if no one else uses it? Also, was she able to communicate with anyone else? Did she know enough of another language to interact with others?
Even though language is important, it is more about the emotions that we are trying to express. We all share the same emotions, and because of that are able to communicate. Although spoken language can be passed down from generation to generation, it can be altered. Written language is set for the rest of time. This is why it is so important to record our languages.