I fully believe that the way a child is raised and the people and places that they are exposed to greatly determines a large percentage of the person they become. I also believe that there are certain biological and genetic traits that cause a certain desire or curiosity regarding homosexuality, and I also believe that the person must make a choice to go down that path. These concepts all work in harmony together, and it is very difficult to point at one that is more important than the others.

If someone was simply born with it but grew up in a strict, heterosexual household where they are raised by parents who monitor their activities and the media and people that they are exposed to, then I find it quite possible that they would have a great conflict in their mind, and maybe they would even live their life as a heterosexual person because they were never exposed to more liberal, gay people or things, and therefore they never had the ability to understand or comprehend it. People also learn, grow, and adapt based on their environment and the thiings around them. It also cannot purely be a choice. There has to be some biological trait that allows for that level of acceptance when it comes time to choose, because many people are against or even repulsed by the idea of being homosexual. For these people, it could not simply be a choice where they decide being gay is something they should do, despite the fact that they have absolutely no biological or natural trait that allows them to desire or even accept it.

I think that this is a great question, and I definitely think the environment a person is exposed to and grows up in has a major effect on many things about them, including their sexual orientation. As a heterosexual, I am a little bit out of my element in attempting to see things from a homosexual's perspective; however, a person's environment is so extremely critical, and it determines so much about that person, how they develop, and who they develop into. For example, I believe growing up being raised by gay parents could likely increase one's likelihood of becoming gay, or at least possibly lead them to explore their sexuality as opposed to someone raised in a household more typical of the "standard American family": father, mother, 2 kids. I feel like there are many other factors as well. A person's friends or role models can have a massive impact on the person they are. Also, depending on what state the person is from, the legal system may view homosexuality quite differently than another state. I struggle buying into either the staunch "born with" argument or the staunch "choice" argument. I believe it has to be a combination.

My point is this: I don't know what happened that night, and neither does anyone who was not there. If Zimmerman was not attacked, then it's murder and wrong, and I hope they find him guilty. But there's a lesson here: we've talked all semester about how NOW, after this class, we're going to take in ALL the information, not just what we want to hear. Can we all honestly say that we've done that here??

He was walking through the yards and properties of homes in a gated community where he did not reside at night in the rain. For those of you who don't understand, "gated community" means trespassing is illegal. As far as the Skittles go, Trayvon Martin had his hand in his waistband, and Zimmerman expressed his discomfort with not knowing what was in his hand...and get this...he did this before he knew Martin's race. When it comes to the shooting, Florida laws say that you may, with a permit, which Zimmerman had, carry a concealled weapon. Florida laws ALSO state that when attacked, you may shoot someone in self-defense. This is where the whole issue lies: was Zimmerman attacked or not?? He had cuts and bruises all over him, but we don't know if that was from him attacking or being attacked.

Then, only 5 months later, all it takes is a 911 call and a family's anger, and we're condemning a man before he's put through the legal system??? I believe in what Sam always preaches and we all CLAIM to do ourselves: taking in ALL of the information, and doing my best not to judge until I know everything. Since we all know the reasons for why many believe it IS a racial situation, I will provide the evidence that points against it. First of all, many people are stuck on the "these people always get away" comment. Everyone is convinced this is a racial comment?? Seriously? This is an affluent, gated community which has had major issues with black AND white trespassers recently, and I strongly believe that he is referring to the kids who are always trespassing (white OR black OR any other race). Is it possible he meant black people? Absolutely it's possible, but this is in NO way solid evidence of racial bias. Next, I've seen comments of how Trayvon Martin was "simply walking down the street with some Skittles". Let's get this straight.

I find this question very interesting, and I may not be as quick to judge or play God as some others might. First of all, the story is tragic. A young, 17-year-old boy dying is never, ever something positive or okay by any stretch of the imagination. However, we all are in a class where we CONSTANTLY preach how important it is to take in ALL of the facts, not just the ones we want to hear, and I feel like the simple-minded idea of hearing a racial slur on a 911 call and using that to condemn a man we know nothing about with murder is falling short of taking in all that we know. Or perhaps the guy who asked this question simply knew only that much. Either way, I find anyone who proclaims to know EXACTLY what happened and why it happened to be extremely quick to judge and naive. I believe the appropriate answer to this person's question is that people with intelligence are doing their best not to be drawn into the polarizing nature of the situation like so many others. We sit here and slam the media for how they portray Penn State after our darkest hour, and talk about how the media simply wants a story and they don't really have all of the facts of what they're reporting.

If so, that's great, but if not, then it's not an issue!! If you want a guy out there who appreciates you and cares for you for the person that you are as well as your looks, then you shouldn't be interested in pleasing those guys that NEED you to dress up! Because you don't want them anyway! This is what a lot of guys like me think about, and this is where the "lack of respect for herself" comes from. Like I said, this does not apply for all clothing that may be more revealing, just the clothes where it is really obvious you're trying (you know what I'm talking about). Anyway, the stereotypes are that whenever a woman dresses a certain way, she is desperately looking for attention, and on the flip side, the stereotype is that a woman MUST dress a certain way to get noticed. We all have to understand that in many cases, this is not true.

I can't speak on behalf of all men, but I feel very strongly that most guys share my views on this. These reasons cause me to lose respect for her and to feel like she might not have a lot of respect for herself. As guys, let's face it: we love women. They're the reason we get up in the morning (at least me), but it kind of bothers me when I hear women saying "the only way a guy will pay attention to me is if I'm dressed like this". Yes, there are a lot of guys out there who that applies to, but there are a lot of guys who will notice you regardless of what you wear. As guys, we know what we want, and a hoodie and sweatpants are not going to hide a beautiful woman from us. I admit there are many guys out there who will NOT notice you, but my question then would be: is that really the kind of guy you want??? You want a guy who you HAVE to dress up for and reveal more for and do your hair all the time etc, etc....??

I feel like women walk a very fine line between being proud or confident of themselves and portraying themselves in a way that will cause others to respect them less. First off, I feel like wearing a bikini (in most cases) does not portray a woman as "revealing too much" or "looking for attention". There are certainly some articles of clothing that WILL have this effect, however. Certain clothes reveal a woman's body to the extent to which it is very close to revealing certain parts of her body. When a piece of clothing comes within a centimeter of showing everything, and most people (men and women) are able to identify when clothing reaches this stage, it begins to portray the girl or woman as desperately seeking attention. As a guy, if I see a girl dressed in this way, who is seeking attention, I immediately begin to think less of her. My guess is that she is either insecure or very interested in landing the next guy she meets, neither of which is attractive or impressive.