This letter was really cool and it was really kind of surprising to me. I know that Sam has always discussed his contact with inmates serving life in prison, but I could never really imagine the meetings. I mean, its really hard to imagine meeting a man who murdered another human being. So when Sam talked about his discussions with lifers it was really hard to even think of them a people. I guess its because most people will never meet a murderer in their lifetime, so imagining even talking to one is pretty tough.
This letter really put a face on the inmate and a mind and a heart. This has to be one of the most unique experiences of this class because I have felt as though I would never be able to relate to or understand a murderer. I think that the media has some role in this image. Whenever there is a show and they interview murderers, they normally sit there with their racist tattoos and say they would kill again and are normally cold. But, after reading this letter I realized that these people probably do not comprise the majority of people serving life in prison. The media just probably picks these people for shock value and to acquire viewers. Movies paint a very similar pictures, and like the media, writers probably do this just for the story line.
They almost seemed like aliens to me. But, after reading this letter, my opinion really changed. I realized he is just like me, he is a person. Seeing the words of a murderer really hit this point home with me. Any person could have written a letter like this, but maybe the situation takes place in a school cafeteria or a dorm. The background information says that this man did not even graduate high school and his letter is eloquent. This showed me that these people are very smart and they could probably be very successful if they were not in jail.
I am sure that not all murderers or prison inmates are like this man. There are surely those who are cold hearted, but I am sure that most of them can change. This man once murdered people and it is nice to know that these people can change. I constantly here people saying how the prison system does not change people and that it is ineffective. But, this guy showed me that maybe there is hope for everyone in prison. If inmates make the most of their unfortunate situation they can become better people and, as evidenced by this man, become eloquent and educated. I am really happy that I got this opportunity to read this letter and take a different perspective on those who are in prison for life. They made a terrible mistake, probably the worst mistake anyone can make. But they are people, just like me.

After reading this article I was pleased to see that the American education system has finally gotten more international with the public curriculum. China has and is still rising as one of the greatest economic powers in the world with a large amount of our international business and affairs being tied to China in some way or another. School systems should be offering courses that are conducive to American relations with other major-power countries that speak languages like Russian, Korean, and Arabic. People are often drawn to the French, Italian, or Spanish classes that are offered in high school because they have some ethnic ties to those languages, or someday hope to visit one of the countries that speak the language. Without some form of re-exposure in your everyday (excluding making the occasional ethnic restaurant order) it is extremely likely that those four years of Italian or French will become lost and forgotten. Spanish has been able to maintain its number of enlistees simply because the Spanish population is on a steady rise in major parts of our country, and it is not uncommon to find an opportunity to apply your basic Spanish knowledge. Granted you will probably not find it so easy to find someone to converse in Russian or Korean with, but people seeking higher education in order to pursue a career in business, politics, journalism, or even engineering, will most likely find themselves working with people from those countries.
Its extremely interesting how countries like Korean, Japan, and China require students at a young age to begin learning English as a second language. I have a friend right now who was hired by the Korean government to move to Korea for a semester to teach English to Korean citizens. These countries are taking initiatives to make sure they are able to international business and diplomacy. Its rather egocentric of Americans to believe that we are the major-power country and that we do not need to learn another countries language as they will accommodate to our needs by requiring their citizens to learn English. I am not saying that our school systems should require us to take specific language courses but I do believe we should prioritize which classes should be more available than others.
Its great that the government is taking the initiative to encourage more schools to teach Chinese but it would most likely be a lost cause. The language that is most likely going to win the "secondary language" battle will be whichever language is exposed to a child at a young age. Research has show the children under the age of ten are more likely to become proficient and fluent in a foreign language. As of now there are few schools that immerse children in other languages other than English but there is another medium, TV. Shows like Dora The Explorer are educational children shows that integrate a second language into their programming. With Dora The Explorer teaching Spanish to children, and no Chinese programming available, it is clear who will win the "secondary language" battle.

Seeing that there is a video game where the main objective of the game is to rape young girls is nothing short of disturbingly shocking. The most horrifying part about this whole situation is how these companies are able to sell a significant amount of units, and has been able to long enough to establish a flourishing industry out of it. This goes to show how the social dynamic has formed in Japan, that these games are so common that several variations of the game can be found in stockpiles on store shelves.
The fact that these industries are taking advantage of the interactivity and control that modern video game technology provides to put players right there in the game can be somewhat frightening. When people who find enjoyment in the situations this game provides are offered the opportunity to see how their fantasies play out it may only be a matter of time before they make a real world transition. Granted there are many video games that offer much gratuitous violence with extreme graphic detail, but these video games put the player in a position that is much different from their own, whether it be a soldier fighting a war or some type of gangster, establishing a boundary between game and reality. What alarms me are the Japanese games where the character is fired from a job and hunts down to rape the women responsible. People playing this game may find themselves in the same if not similar situation as the character, making it harder for the players to draw that boundary between player and game.
The strongest argument that is being made about how this kind of game is good for people is that it may serve as a form of ventilation for frustrated or conflicted people. This is not true because condoning the use of this game would just be enabling people with distorted social perspectives. People who make this kind of argument are ignoring a problem instead of trying to guide someone to the concept that rape is wrong. This also goes for people who have aggressive tenancies and turn to violent shooting games as a means of tension relief. Video games should not be used as a means of therapy as it will only exasperate the problem.
Whether this product should be banned or at least policed in Japan is easy to say not being a Japanese citizen. As a Japanese citizen it is more difficult to see the issue with this game as their culture has been embedded with content similar to this. For us to govern another country into doing what is right or wrong is an entirely separate issue in it self.

I guess that I will first discuss the issue that people have with the word Negro appearing on this year's census. I, personally, do not think that it is a big deal that Negro is listed as a race on the census and I do not completely understand why people are getting so angry about it. It was on the census in previous years, so what's wrong with it now? I am not black, so maybe I do not have the proper qualifications to comment on the subject of racist terms for black people. But overall, I think that people are just too sensitive about these things. Black people used the word Negro for a while; they even used it up until 1980 for their personal baseball league, known as the Negro leagues. Basically, people just let simple stuff get to them too much and they need to toughen up a bit. If the word was okay to use thirty years ago, what's wrong with it now? Besides what is a word? It's simply a combination of symbols that when strung together in a certain order mean something. At their origin, they are no more meaningful than a combination of numbers or a string of ones and zeros. But for some reason, people think that is is necessary to apply certain meanings and undertones to a word and then say that it is bad. Why is fuck a bad word? It doesn't target anyone, it's just a word used to express feelings. But because of a few people it is a bad word and people get all worked up over it. Maybe one day "carpet" will be a bad word. I don't know why, but I'm sure someone can find a reason for why it is offensive to them. So really, stop being so sensitive about words like Negro. It is only offensive because you made it offensive.
The other issue that this piece touches on is the fact that the census may be confusing or that people may not be able to adequately describe themselves. I have filled out the census form and do not find it at all confusing; however, I understand that people think that they do not fit one category. But after all, the United States is a melting pot and it is ridiculous to expect everyone to be able to fit into one category or to have enough categories to fully describe themselves. If the census bureau wanted everyone to be able to accurately describe themselves there would have to be thousands upon thousands of categories. This would simply be time consuming and I'm sure that people would complain about this too. Besides, the real purpose of the census is to get an idea of the racial make-up of the nation. The more important part is having statistical data about the population so that seats in the House of Representatives and funding can be appropriately distributed. The census isn't perfect, but people should just accept it and move on.

I'm not really sure what kind of opinion to have on these people. Over the past few decades, the media has pointed out that United States citizens seem to have become more and more distant, or even ignorant, to the political scene in the country. Although, television and the internet have allowed people more access to the government, people just seem to care less, or have less time to worry about bills and do research. So in a time in which people have complained about the ignorance of voters and citizens, this is in some ways a positive thing. However, some of the things that these people are saying are a little outrageous. I am a fan of the normal tea parties that have taken place over the past year and I feel that these are really important. In an age of technology where it is much easier to join a Facebook group which either supports or denounces a bill. But going to a rally and spending time there really shows that people care and should really show politicians that people care.
Now speaking more in relation to the people who are extremists, I find it hard to support them that much. I am happy that they are voicing their opinions, but I do not understand why they think violence is necessary. I really question what goes through people's heads when they make these signs and why they find it necessary to write such outrageous things. I believe that citizens who attend tea parties with rational signs have much more of an effect on politicians than extremists with radical messages. Why would a politician listen to someone calling them the n-word or a faggot? Why would a politician looking to appeal to the majority of people listen to the opinions of an extremist? The answer to both these questions is that they wouldn't
I am very happy that the politicians are simply ignoring the people with their ridiculous messages. I do believe that their opinions should be heard, but if they are going to resort to radical tactics in trying to get their message out, then politicians should have the right to ignore them. In addition, people in this age seem to be way too sensitive. They take every comment or message and scrutinize then criticize it. Often they try to find racist or gender related undertones. This causes many problems. The fact that politicians are being mature in this matter and just simply ignoring the extremists sends a staunch and important message to them: "if you want to be heard present your messages in a civil manner." Thus, I feel that holding grassroots forms of protest and rallies is very important; yet, the actions of the protestors and manner in which they protest should have some bearing on whether the protestors listen to them. Even though some protests may be out of line, I still think that the protests should still be legal under protection of the first amendment of the Constitution.

In the beginning of the video clip, Cambell Brown mentioned how the town she is from was so impressed with this recent development that they created a holiday to honor Coach Randolph. I think its great that she is apply to take the position but the whole situation has been greatly over glamorized. There has been female football coaches all over the country before Natalie Randolph started coaching for Calvin Coolidge High School. Making such a big deal about a female becoming a coach is somewhat demeaning to women. By doing this, the public is basically making it seem like an unnatural event for a woman to be coach. If people want female football coaches to seem normal, they cannot make such a big deal out of this situation. Rather people should act normal. Natalie was striving for the title of female football coach and was finally able to triumph, but she actually kind of fell into the position because the school needed someone to fill the slot. The reason she has such a nonchalant demeanor throughout the interview is because she herself does not believe that this event is not as big a deal as everyone was making it out to be. It is impressive that another women managed to become a football coach because their are plenty of stereotypes for women and "good football" coach is not one of them. In order for a coach to have enough credibility to have an influence on the kids their are coaching, the players need to trust their coach. Coaches needed to have a thorough understanding of the sport obtained through experience, both acquired through coaching as well as playing the sport.
I really do understand why it can be unpopular to have a female coach. Although a female may be just as smart as a male coach and I do not have any doubt in a female's ability to coach, I do think that as a coach, a female will not be able to relate to the players as well as a male. A male coach can be in the locker room with his players before and after the game, while I'm not sure that the female coach will be able to do this. In addition, players often feel comfortable with discussing their personal problems with their coaches. However, players may be hesitant to discuss personal problems with a female coach. However, I could be wrong. Male basketball coaches have been very successful in coaching girls.
I really do hope that this school district hired Natalie Randolph due to her credentials and not the fact that she is a woman. I feel like this could have been either the school district wanting to make a statement to its students or wanting publicity. I just hope that they did this because they believe Randolph will be a good coach.

If you were to try and argue that there is no racism in court rooms, you might as well be trying to argue that racism, as a whole, does not exist. Racism is unavoidable and i am sure it has been a contributor to many court sentences but i do not believe it is the major aspect Sam's statistics were trying to show in class. If you are looking at the sentencing percentages you need to take into consideration a wider range of variables that would influence a judge's decision, other than blindly assuming it was a result of racism. Income is certainly one the most major aspect to the sentence someone would face in a court room. Income establishes a strong social identity, one which a judge could quickly use to profile the type of person someone is. Let's say a judge has two men in front of him, one wearing a nice tailored suit along side his family lawyer, the other dressed in an old suit which looks like it was made for someone else, along with their court appointed lawyer, and they were both changed with possession/intent to sell narcotics. A judge could quickly pick up on the well better off man a deduce that since he comes from a good amount of money is less reliant on the sale of drugs so he is a lot less likely to recommit the crime, whereas the poorer man probably relies on the sale of narcotics as his primary source of income so he is more prone to a criminal path.
Its easy to mistake racism as the leading persuasion in court sentencing, but if you think about the wealth per capita of different races then it becomes clear that income is much more influential. For example, African Americans make up a large population of urban areas where crime is very familiar in the everyday. People in these areas are not born into families with lots of money so committing crimes becomes a necessity to survive. Judges from urban areas such as Brooklyn or Queens understand that once someone is released from prison there is very little stopping them from resuming their life of crime. So its clear that geography also plays a significant role, but geography can also be derived back to a families income. A wealthier family would not be found in an apartment in downtown Newark or South Philly.
Once in a courtroom the greatest influence on your fate is the person sitting next to you, your lawyer. If you can afford a good lawyer you can turn a 6 year sentence into 60 hours of community service. The cost of a lawyer is often a reflection of how much you can get away with. If your paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for a lawyer you will find yourself getting away with a lot more, like in Johnny Cochran's case you could even get away with murder. its a messed up system where the rich never have to worry about seeing the inside of a prison cell where the poorer are all too familiar.

I think that this is one of the best blogs of the year and am excited to comment on this. I am not at all religious and don't even make it to church on Christmas. I find it despicable how people hold the church and the Bible in such high esteem. The Bible is nothing but a book, it is not holy, and it cannot tell you how to live your life. There are plenty of people who have lived a life unguided by the Bible who are some of the nicest and best people you will ever meet.
As far as the church goes, it is nothing but a business. Why do churches always ask for money? Because they are a money making business, it is as simple as that. Ministers of large churches have six digit salaries and live in luxurious houses as members of upper middle class society. They might as well be mid level business executives. If they were true ministers, they would live lives of rejection similar to Buddhist monks who actually practice their religion to the fullest extent. They would not extort money out of their members, but would live simple lives. I am not saying that they should live in complete rejection; they should own cars and live normal lives, but they cannot live luxuriously and justify their religious devotion. Unfortunately, oblivious church members who are blinded by their faith and the Bible cannot see through this smoke screen and pay large donations. I wonder how much you must pay to get into heaven.
With that said I have a lot to say about and to the people who live "pure" lives and their ridiculous antics. I am fascinated how parents are appalled if their children hear a curse word. For example, after Chase Utley proclaimed that the Phillies were "World Fucking Champions" parents almost had heart attacks. Many parents interviewed on the Philadelphia News proclaimed that their children would have to find a new role model because Utley's comments were so offensive. Another example is in this years Olympics when the viewing audience twice heard the word "fuck" during the snowboarding halfpipe final. The announce apologized for members of the U.S. men's snowboarding teams language and the fact that this was aired. The next day, bloggers blasted NBC. I mean come on, can you not hand a curse word? This is sad. Are these parents living by the purity that is the Bible? Well, if so maybe they should read the Bible, and then find a new religion. It is ridiculous. Do parents not realize that their children will go to school and hear curse words every day? All they are doing is setting their children up for a sheltered life that leads to failure.

It is very true that most people discussing race emphasize white and black relations. I agree with Laurie Mulvey's statement that the Civil Rights Movement is an important factor when exploring why black and white relations seem to be a topic that never loses steam. I'm sure as we move farther away from the movement, the black, white topic well quell. I do, however, believe that the memory of slavery has played a role in race discussions. I do not believe that either of these reasons are the true reasons behind the black and white debate. I think that the media and public figures have provided the fuel for the black and white struggle. The underlying factor explaining a black white debate as opposed to a black, brown or white, brown struggle is the fact that brown people do not struggle to the extent of black people.
The media dictates public debate topics and to some extent, influences public opinion. Many media outlets continue to point out how whites exploit or give blacks the short end of the stick. When people are bombarded with with constant black white debate, the topic becomes ingrained in peoples' minds and they are somewhat encouraged to continue the debate. They media encourages the public to form opinions and take sides. When two people debate debate, viewers take sides and form opinions accordingly. I believe that Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton cause black and white issues to surge. Although they may think that they are assisting blacks, they only provide additional tension and hate. Sharpton and Jackson attack white people and point out their faults. They rarely compliment white people and do not speak up when people do something positive for blacks, they only comment on the negative. I believe that this has greatly hindered the advancement of black and white relations. When prominent black figures are seen as bullies who attack white people, white people start to develop negative views of black people. Unfortunately Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton present themselves as the voice of black people. They, however, represent the views of more extreme black people. Many blacks, whether it be regular citizens or celebrities, such as rappers, have denounced Jackson and Sharpton's comments and views. If people begin to recognize the fact that Sharpton and Jackson are extremists and represent the minority's opinions, we can make advances in relations between black and white people. The media is not the only defining factor in the black and white struggle.
The plight of the black man is another fact that explains the ongoing black and white debate. Black people have typically struggled to succeed in typical office jobs in the United States and, on average, have a much lower income than whites. Brown people, meanwhile, have succeeded in the United States and typically make a very good living for themselves. Thus, when people look to explain why they earn less they link it to white people due to their length history with them. If black people had a high average salary, they would have probably established a more individual identity and not constantly be linked to white people.

What i found most interesting about David Brook's comment was how he did not mention once how the protagonist of the film was physically handicapped. Brook's has made these claims about the theme of the film based on a very closed minded view of the main elements of the theme. His perspective of the film is completely different from what message James Cameron was trying to portray. James Cameron exemplified the physical handicap of the antagonist throughout the film through derogatory statements he endured from his fellow soldiers, as well as dealing with the incessant torment of being brought out of his avatar state, and back to his paraplegic body.
James was not trying to make it seem that because was white he naturally posses generic traits greater than that of any of the members of their tribe. It is because of the protagonist's handicap that he was able to acquire a new perspective of his life and became more spiritual. His enlightenment allowed him to excel in the alien society quicker than their most elite.
Being a soldier, the protagonist's physical condition is of the greatest importance and even though he was paralyzed from the waist down he still believed he could do what everyone told him he could not. The fact that he was white was not what accelerated him through the tribe ranks, but it was his zealous and courageous spirit. These are qualities which can be found within any gender, race, or age. I will agree with Brook's in saying this did have a "messiah" based theme but it was not due to the protagonists ethnicity.
Brook was able to make a point about how people need to see situations from other peoples perspectives. Our country is founded on Christian beliefs and you can find no greater collection of messiah stories than that in the bible. We have been conditioned to feel drawn to films with a "messiah" theme as it similar to the stories many kids have grown up with. It is true that messiah themed films are often showing the white man as the one who rises to greatness within another foreign society, but it is rare that you ever see it going in the opposite direction. But after all, it is a Hollywood film trying to appeal to its viewers by putting the protagonist in a position the viewer can most likely characterize themselves with.
Brook's perspective of the messiah theme portrayed in the film has been skewed into a negative light but actually demonstrates a more positive message then he believes. The message Avatar tries to communicate is how ethnicity does NOT matter, and anyone can lead and achieve greatness. Avatar was trying to appeal to a larger majority by having the film viewed from the perspective similar to that of the protagonist.