Muslims especially fundamentalist take their religion very seriously. When a TV show from the Western world pokes fun at it in any way of course they are going to be angry. South Park is known to make fun of various groups such as Catholics, homosexuals and various others. In the United States most of us are open minded about it because we know that it’s not serious and they are just trying to get a laugh. People from the Middle East don’t see it like that and take it personally. I’m not surprised if it creates such controversy especially since the United States is already hated over there.

This might not be the same at other prisons but at least it is somewhere. I believe in the death penalty even though most people in the class don’t. It is a huge ethical debate that is always discussed. If a person commits such a horrible crime that they are put in that position they don’t deserve forgiveness especially if they take an innocent persons life. Something that Sam said in class about prisoners who were convicted but later proven innocent really intrigues me. I was at a Pearl Jam concert a few summers ago and they brought people who were wrongfully accused on stage. It really opened my mind into America’s judicial system and the problems it has. The prison system in America is full of people like this and their stories need to be told. This letter really opened my eyes.

I never visited a prison before but I would like to after hearing Sam’s experience and reading this letter. I don’t know anyone in prison serving any amount of time and I have never served time myself so I might not have the best insight on this subject. I think it’s easy for me to say how I feel without having any feelings for criminals. If I ever committed a serious crime and was put in prison I would not expect any forgiveness from people outside prison. I think it’s great that Sam and his wife spend time with these inmates and get to know them. Prisoners should have some outlet to the outside world and have their thoughts and opinions shared. In the letter he speaks of the bonds prisoners share and human feelings they have.

This letter really opened my eyes. It gave me a rare insight into an inmate’s everyday life and true feeling after realizing he is never getting out of prison. I don’t feel bad for these lifers who are born again after serving time but at least I now understand what it’s like to have your life taken away from you. I’m sure families and individuals who have been affected by criminals don’t feel forgiving even after reading a letter like this and they have the right to. These criminals are serving life in prison for a reason. At one point in their life they made a bad decision and now they have to pay for it. It is a good thing that they realize what they did was wrong and are reflecting on it, that’s what prison is for. I think students should visit these prisoners and get to know them as real people not animals locked up. These people have feelings just like us and want to share it.

I’m sure I’m with the majority on this one who believe this game is disturbing. The fact that someone would create such a game is beyond me. How someone could play this game and enjoy themselves shows me how much the world is changing. I’m glad that this game has been taken off the shelves. There is no way you could compare this type of game to shooting games. I know that people say that they promote violence but raping a girl on a train in my opinion is tad bit more offensive. I never heard of this game to now and I hope that children in the United States never play it.

When I grew up I also was surrounded by a lot of people from different ethnicities and culture. It definitely helped me learn more about them since I was so young and innocent. As I grew up and went to high school and college I met a lot of people who didn’t have the experience I had and seemed not as up to beat as I was when it came to different cultures and people. I don’t know if it was because I was at a young age and had different experiences then others but it seemed to help me meet others who were different than me.

I guess you could say you have the best of both words. You are basically playing on two teams when it comes to race. I believe it is up to you and how you feel about your race. If you feel more Hispanic since that is they way you were raised you should feel Hispanic. Just because you have some white in you doesn’t mean you have to relate to it unless you want to. I have European heritage in both sides of my family and I look white all around so it’s a lot easier for me to choose a side. It’s not a bad situation your in, just relate to whatever race you feel more confident with.

I am not surprised at all that whites will soon be the minority in this country. The influx of Hispanics among other ethnicities into this country over the past twenty or so years has changed the makeup of this country. The racial divide that some whites might feel is an interesting topic to think about. It will also be fun to see what this country will look like a hundred years from now if this trend continues.

Overall I do not feel uneasy about whites being the minority in this country. I doubt the United States will change tremendously its hierarchy of whites holding positions in politics and in the media. Barrack Obama has become the first minority president and more minorities are holding higher positions but if anything it is improving the United States image around the world. On that note I believe the United States will always be considered a “white” country no matter what race has the majority of the population.

Something the article brings up is how older Americans who are mostly white will react to the climbing population of Hispanics and Asians. Will they change their support for schools or programs just because it is helping a culturally different group of people? For me I will always support the youth of America no matter how different it is. I also believe my parents and those older than me for the most part will not change. Even though whites will soon be a minority they are still a part of this country.

I am sure some whites are afraid of the future in this country. They were always the dominant race population speaking in this country. Not everyone likes change especially if it may cause such dramatic changes. Will whites be able to see benefits they never saw before since they are a minority? Will whites think more about race then ever before? Only time will tell.

Right now the United States is still a white country and we are not a dying race. There are so many people in our country that being a minority doesn’t mean you are part of a small group. When you look across the world whites are still just as prominent as others. To answer Sam’s question I do not feel any concern. I doubt Hispanics are formulating plans on taking over the country and putting down whites who have been the majority for so long. As I said before I’m sure other whites do not feel the same way as me and take this as a threat. To be honest I see this as a good change and something that will benefit our country. Hopefully whites will learn to accept the change and learn about other cultures in the process.

This video was pretty disturbing to me. It’s sad that these children have these feelings about their own race. I am not too surprised though since in today’s culture whites are plastered all over popular media. It’s also important how these kids are being raised. Their parents are most likely the ones feeding them these thoughts. If they were raised in a household that promoted their own culture it might be different. When we watched the video about the two white girls who sang songs with pro white sentiments it was their parents who raised them that way. I think this will only get worse unless kids are taught about race relations at a younger age.

The reason guys don’t want to discuss menstruation is because as natural as it is its still a private thing. It’s not that its disgusting to us its just kind of awkward to talk about. The only aspect that is talked about is the way girls act when they are on their period. Once in awhile when a girl is acting angry or annoyed I always here the “she must be on her period” comment. You can educate guys all you want but it’s still something that should be private. You can say I’m being closed-minded but I doubt a lot of girls want it to be a topic of conversation all the time.