I think that this lecture was one of Sam’s best this semester. As an American we don’t see all that is happening in the war and what the politicians have in mind for the future in Iraq. All we see is what is put into the media, which is both good and bad. However, we have never looked at the war in this perspective before. I always thought that all the people becoming martyrs and suicide bombers we doing it because they were bad people and fighting for the side that the United States is trying to eliminate. Never did I think in the perspective of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and how we look to them.
After this lecture I had to seriously stop and think about what I would think of the Unites States and their soldiers if I was an Arab Muslim person living in the Middle East. I can completely understand now why the look at us as bad people, trying to take their resources. While many soldiers in the war are caring, wonderful people serving their county there are a select few that reflect poorly on the United States, and unfortunately that is what the people in the Middle East believe us to be like since that is what’s posted in their media. We are invaders, on their land to take their oil and with it their money. It is horrible to think that we have been in this war and so many lives have been taken just so that we can control the oil that flows under the lands in Iraq. I know that based on the lecture and the side that they would be seeing this information form, I would absolutely think that the US were bad guys and I would not welcome them into my country. Their kindness and gifts could just be bribes to keep us happy and make us think that they are there for all the right reasons, when in reality they are just trying to take our oil.
When lecture first started and Sam said “Christian Invaders” I had no idea what he was talking about. Was this going to be a lecture about how he though Christian religion was bad? When he showed us how the Unites States government looks to Arab Muslims and the terrible things that they have said about the reasons for this war and the people living in Iraq it was heart breaking. And on top of that they are all Christians expressing these opinions. I would definitely think that these soldiers in my country were “Christian Invaders” coming for our oil, and I would be scared. In the end I can completely understand why Arab Muslims feel the way they do about US soldiers and why they would join a group that tries to harm them. I understand their viewpoint and it gives me a completely different perspective of those people suffering in Iraq, the soldiers and most importantly the underlying reason for this entire war.

I think that the issue Sam brought up in lecture is very interesting and full of different viewpoints. I find that most guys find the topic disgusting and gross and they refuse to talk about it. Women on the other hand are not disturbed by the topic and I find that they can talk about it openly. I live with three other girls and we complain about cramps and periods all the time. But bring out best guy friends over and mention the word period they freak out and yell about how inappropriate it is.
I have to agree with Sam when he says that if this was not a man’s world that it would not be viewed as so gross, that it would be accepted as a natural body function and
people would accept it. Boys would tolerate what happens to girls every month and realize that it’s a cycle that is necessary for life. So in order for them to have children in their later years they need women to get their periods!
I was talking with my roommates about Tuesdays lecture and we all agree that today’s society would be much different if women ran it. Like Sam said, there would be heating pads in all bathrooms and planes and couches everywhere. We also decided that people would understand that some women get cramps to the point where they can’t get out of bed and that would be an acceptable excuse in the real world. If I were to email my professor and say that I couldn’t come to class because of cramps I would never get away with it. All other women have to suffer through it, so why would I be an exception.
I think that because this is a “man’s” world that we have things we can and can’t talk about and we learn it from a young age. I know that when I was little I learned that “bathroom talk” was for the bathroom only and you are never supposed to talk about it in public. Periods are something that we take care of in the bathroom, so that applies to the “bathroom talk” rule. But like I said, I think that it is something much more and is something special that, if you think about it, every boy needs to have happen in order to have children.
I think that this video was awesome and Laurie really gets to say what many women face in the real world. EVERY woman goes through this cycle and has a period once a month. We face challenges with out own bodies, let alone having to worry about what a man will think about it and if he will judge what is happening. In the end I think that men need to accept the face that women get their period once a month and that they will never meet a woman who doesn’t. So suck it up and deal, it’s really not that terrible to accept.

I agree with this student about the white people being called out for being rude and the colored people are not corrected at all. In many cases I have seen this happen, especially in classrooms and at parties. I think that this is because most of the time white people say things that are rude and people have no problem calling them out on it. When colored people are rude I think people hesitate to correct them because they want to be politically correct and not offend the person they are confronting about the issue. To go along with this, I thought that when Sam was talking about white people being in a situation dealing with race it is better for them to just stay out of it and not “dig themselves into a deeper hole”. Why can color people get away with calling people out and white people shouldn’t defend themselves they should just apologize and avoid confrontation. Is that really fair? Why shouldn’t white people be able to defend themselves if they truly didn’t mean for the other person to take it a certain way. I know that I have faced this, because my best friend is black. I have been in a couple situations that I felt comfortable talking and sharing my thoughts because I don’t see skin color and they are just as much a person as I am. However, sometimes I feel like they judge me for being so comfortable and willing to talk, like I am being racist for being myself, and not someone who is timid and afraid of saying the wrong thing.
When it comes to class however, what if it was that colored people posting rude things trying to make the white people look bad? Could they be doing this to see the reactions they would be getting if they too has white skin and were to make comments like that? I don’t understand why people of any color feel the need to make rude comment about others and why it matters by their skin color if they will be corrected or not. We are all human beings in the end and all deserve the same respect as well as the same consequences. Skin color should not determine if and how someone is corrected, if it’s rude and disrespectful something should be said. I know that in the past I have run into people that have said rude things about white people and how they handle themselves. And I was proud to find that a few people stood up to that person and told them they were in the wrong. Just because they have an opinion doesn’t mean that it needs to be shared to the people around them. Sometimes opinions should be kept to yourself or monitored by others if something offensive is said. Bottom line, no one should have guidelines set for them just because of their race/ color of their skin.

I have to agree with both students in these videos. The whole display done by the ABC network was very moving and makes you think a lot about what these people go through. In this country everyone sees the “Arab” people as bad or terrorists, when in reality they might not even be the same race or ethnic background as the people we call terrorists. I can’t even begin to think about all the people on campus I have seen look at a peer in disgust because they look different and clearly have a different background. Or in public the people who wear head covering are given looks like they might blow the building up. Numerous times I have head people mutter “ninja” under their breath when they walk past them.

I think that what the people in the bakery who stood up for the woman are heroes and deserve to be recognizes. No person deserves to be treated in that way regardless of what they look like. In that situation I think that I would be one of the thirteen to say something to the jerk behind the counter. Everyone deserves fair treatment in a country that is all about freedom.

In the videos my peers talk about how you should stand up for people regardless of the situation and to not be passive. I agree and that if you are present you have a place in the situation and should say something. I definitely would walk out of the store and say something to the clerk. I will never support any organization that discriminates. You only live once and you should live it with an open mind and a strong heart. Stand up for what you believe in and despite how your parents raise you, you should always do the right thing to help someone else in need.

I think the acceptance rate of lesbians vs. gay men is a very interesting subject. I think that today it is more difficult to tell the gay people from those that are straight. I mean if you see two guys holding hands that might be a sign they are more then just friends. However, for girls I think that it is very difficult to tell which are lesbians and which aren’t. Women are just more affectionate towards other people and they are comfortable being loving in public as well. My friends and I always walk linking arms and sometimes holding hands. We say I love you when we get off the phone and kiss cheeks when we say goodbye, but none of us are lesbians. With straight girls acting like that how could you pick out the couples that are actually couples?

I think there is a difference in who notices the gay couples as well. I feel like most women are not as phased by two men holding hands as guys would. They are supposed to be masculine and tough and supporting that could make other people view them as “gay”. I know that I have plenty of gay friends and being around them and their partner is not weird at all. They act just as normal as any couple and are some of the greatest friends.

As far as lesbian couples go, it makes me think how people would react differently about them if they looked how they wanted. What I mean is that many people think of lesbians as boyish and “dikes”. But what about all the girls that are gorgeous and sexually appealing to men, like Tila Tequila or girls they watch on porn. They are okay with them being lesbians so why is it not okay for it to be two normal girls? Because they aren’t hot enough? And why wasn't everyone freaking out when MTV aired a show about lesbians. Is it okay for the famous people to be out and gay but not someone like you or me?

So I guess I am stuck on why people get so hung up on people being gay and how wrong it is. Everyone should have the chance to be in love and it shouldn’t matter who that other person is. We need to give up on saying how being gay is so wrong. If its what they feel is right then who are you to challenge that. If you were in their situation you would want support as well.

When I first read this article it made me sad to think that we are slowly losing languages that have been around for years because the last living ancestor has passed away. Hearing the woman in the video speaking the Bo language was interesting and saddening all at the same times because no one will ever hear that language again.

Except then I though about it mentioning the linguist recording her singing and telling stories. Doesn’t that mean that Anvita Abbi knows the Bo language and how to understand it if she is translating it in order for the old woman to share her stories. Plus, she is pictured a few times surrounded by other people that she looks like she is interacting with. Doesn’t that mean she is communicating with them in some way and they understand her? I think that maybe part of the language is dead, but there have to be some people in the world that can speak and understand some of it if they are able to translate it for a video.

When they were talking about the last people who speak a specific “dying” language you have to feel some-what bad for them. If they truly only speak that language I can understand them being lonely and having no one to talk to. But then it goes right back to the communication part. If they can have someone quote them for saying they are lonely with no one to talk to then clearly there is a problem. Either one is fluent in the language or the lonely sole knows another language he can communicate in, which wouldn’t make him lonely at all.

Maybe I am reading into this too much and they are just trying to say the last people to rely on these certain languages are now dead and have taken their fluency with them. Take Latin for example, which is considered a dead language, but it is taught in schools and they hold conventions for people who can speak it all the time. It is called a dead language, but people use it all the time. I just think the term dead language is very misleading and many people could take it the wrong way, possibly like I did.

I have to admit that I have seen Avatar twice and I thought it was the most amazing movie and love story that I have seen in a long time. The “good” guy who was working with the white man destroying the beautiful planet of Pandora turns against them and becomes engulfed in saving the people he has fallen in love with. As he learns the ways of the tribe the “bad guys” are getting closer and closer to ruining the lives of thousands of native Navi people. Of course, in the end he saves the day and gains the trust of all the Navi once again and helps them to come together and save their race. Not to mention that in the end he becomes one of the Navi, just like a fairytale ending.
I never thought about the white man always being the hero until this article. If you look back on all the movies where there is a clear “hero” he usually is a white man. I was wondering why the white people are seen as the bad guys sometimes as well. I guess it could be that if the white guy is going to be the hero and save all the people in need then the bad guys can be white as well. Because in the end good always conquers evil so who cares what skin color they are. Along with this, people may be offended if they always have the bad guy as someone of a different race, causing harm to people and always causing trouble. If you think about history the white man usually is the bad guy. Columbus conquered the natives of the West Indies, the English settlers took over the Native Americans, the Germans fueled the Holocaust etc. In so many stories the white people are the bad guys, movies just try and over come that with the hero being white as well.
In the case of Avatar I really don’t think that the writers meant it to be like the typical white man hero story. However, I do think that the Pocahontas comparison was very interesting and brings you to think that this movie is just like any other love story. The fact that they can just cross out and replace one word with another from the Pocahontas story to Avatar is a bit odd and makes me feel like Avatar isn’t as original as everyone thinks that it is. Did the writer plan this or is it just a big coincidence?
In the end I do agree with the white man as the hero, and how it is very rare to see a black or brown person as a hero at all, and if he is there is sure to be a white man around there somewhere to get some credit. In Avatar’s case I saw Jake to be a part of the Navi in the end and not as the white guy hero but as a “blue guy”. He pushed his race away and made the right decision to save the people who belong there. He was no longer a white military man, he was the hunter and warrior that they taught him to be and in the end was a native hero.

When I think about Europe one of the first things that come to mind is soccer. Those people are as passionate if more about soccer then Americans are about football in the Unites States. With the start of the video being a clip of fans waving a swastika flag around I was interested to see what the video was going to be about.
After watching it I am appalled to think that fans so in love with a team could scream racial slurs at their own players. It is evident all over the world that racism is still an ongoing issue, however I have never thought of it to exist in a sports complex. Spain’s club soccer goalie Kameni, from the West African country of Cameroon, knows this act all too well. Fans in his own stadium chant racial phrases and throw bananas onto the field during games all the time. He is one of the best player and part of one of the strongest teams in the whole world. To be treated like that in your own city when you are so talented is demeaning and hurtful. I don’t think that I would be able to enter that stadium and take the criticism during every game.
Many times the players who face these problems are emotionally harmed and do not even want to continue playing the game they love. One of Sicily’s start players, Zoro, played for three years until he had enough. His teammates and the home team had to beg him to stay on the field and tried to get the fans to stop chanting. Clearly this affects more then just the players being threatened with slurs, it affects all the players and ruins the love for the game. Barcelona’s striker also endured the same type of abuse in their game in Spain where the fans are said to be some of the most racist people in the entire country and chanted “monkey” every time he touched the ball. The fans may win with the distraction, but they are tearing apart the fun and passion the players put into every game. You would think that being a part of winning the world cup would show that despite their skin color they are talented human beings and they deserve to take a spot on the field at every game.
I am very impressed by the ad that the abused soccer players created in Europe. It shows that their love for soccer is being tampered with and they want it to stop. They are humans and fantastic athletes and they deserve to be treated with as much respect as the native players. I think that the new rules that FIFA has set are harsh, however extremely necessary. They are no longer willing to tolerate the racism present in today’s soccer stadiums, so they must give penalties to teams who can’t keep their fans under control. If they compromise the team’s standing based on their behavior maybe they will learn to support their player despite the color of their skin and focus on the raw talent that is so obvious every time that player steps foot onto the field.

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If there had not been a picture to accompany the picture I may have found these statements very offensive. However, based on his age I am not surprised by his choice of words. To Harry Reid these are acceptable words and I am sure he didn’t even think twice before saying it. Being around my Grandma all the time I have heard that word used more then once by her regarding “colored” people. When she was growing up that was an acceptable word to use when you were talking about black or brown people, and it was probably the same way for Harry Reid. The only problem with this is that he is a senator and is supposed to be unbiased in his opinions especially about the president of the United States. Regardless, people are making a much bigger deal out of the situation then there needs to be especially if he did not mean to offend anyone with his choice of words.
If anything people should be saying that he was “politically incorrect” and not racist. In today’s world there are many other things that could have been said that are much worse. In regards to his comment about Obama being “light skinned” it seems to be true. He is very well spoken and highly educated and he is a lighter skinned black man. There is nothing wrong with this, it is just that facts.
In Harry Reid’s defense, along with him being older and using words from his time, he does have the freedom of speech according to the United States’ Constitution. He is allowed to speak his mind about issues that come up in his life and he was just taking advantage of that. I think that in the future, when he speaks his mind, he needs to be careful about what words he chooses and how they come across to the public since he is in a higher position in the government.
If in the future he makes another comment about something like this people may not be so understanding. As a senator he needs to be mindful and respectful to the president and what he says about him.