It's a little hard to understand the point that you are trying to make in this post. You clearly outlined many reasons why illegal immigrants deserve to hold the jobs that they have by comparing them to high schoolers who don't work hard, then you went on to say that you're angry that those high schoolers aren't getting those jobs? I think I know what your position is but I don't necessarily agree. On one hand, I can fully see how immigrant workers are harder workers. There are many examples that I've seen where illegal immigrants (these are only the ones that I know are illegal) work 3x as hard as the other staffers at their jobs. There is a particular restaurant in my hometown that has illegal immigrants working there, but they were busted and a few of them were sent back to their countries. The restaurant suffered and almost had to close because the legal replacement workers weren't as efficient. So one side shows that yes, they work hard, but they are also "cheating" the system because they accept jobs where they are paid "under-the-table" for less than minimum wage.

I think that the major flaw in the United States immigration system is that becoming "legal" in this country is incredibly difficult. Many immigrants that come to the US come here to escape poverty in their own countries or to start a new life in a "free" country. How can we expect to sustain our image (which is likely already tarnished) as free if we make it so unfair and difficult to accept new people? If the US were to make becoming a citizen easier, and less expensive, I think that everyone would benefit. Not only would we become a country that is more rich with other cultures, but we would essentially and hopefully eliminate the need to "illegally" immigrate. That would mean that immigrants would be paid the same as citizens (not below min. wage) and would create a competitive environment for everyone hoping to get a job, meaning that those who really deserve it would be the ones who get it. It would also mean that there wouldn't be as many illegal immigrants cheating the system and evading paying taxes, which would stimulate the economy. Obviously I'm not an expert on the subject but I think that it's up to the government to step up and recognize the flaws in the current immigration system.

In response to your comment about picking up illegal immigrants at 7-11s, I think that's just very ignorant. How do you know that every illegal immigrant takes the money that they earned and sends it out of the country? I work with an immigrant back home named Andrea who is a great woman. She came here from Port Au Prince, Haiti 5 years ago so that her and her family could start a new life. She too started out as illegal, but as she made money, she was able to obtain citizenship and help raise her family of 4 as a single mother (the father stayed in Haiti) She was not sending her money out of the country. She was putting it back into the economy and was only illegal because it was the only way that she could support her children. I can only imagine what would have happened if she had been kicked out of this country and sent home to Haiti and been in Port Au Prince during the earthquake.

What I'm trying to say is that I can understand your frustration with trying to find a job over the summer when you're competing with some who are "cheating the system". I just think that you need to open your mind a little bit and understand some of the reasons why someone would chose to live here illegally, rather than just thinking of them as people who are stealing your jobs and the struggles that come with trying to obtain citizenship in the US. What would you do if you were living in poverty in an underdeveloped country? Would you chose to live a better life in the US, even though it's illegal? Or would you risk living and raising your family in a dangerous, unhealthy, poor area just because it's "legal"? I know what I would do.

I actually had Sam for soc001 last year and he did a lecture very similar to this there. I think this one was way more powerful though. It really opened up my mind and made me think about how I would feel if I were put into someone else's shoes. Ethnocentrism has always been something that made me think and also kind of confused me. I try my hardest to not be ethnocentric- to not judge other cultures practices, to not think that someone else's way of thinking is "wrong" or "weird". It's very difficult though. How could anyone truly ever be completely un-ethnocentric?
Anyway, I know that I am not very knowledgeable on things that are happening in the Middle East, or things dealing with the Iraq war. I do, however, know that this war is very much over resources, specifically oil. Sam's example/idea of the Chinese coming to Pennsylvania to take our coal and say that it's theirs was my eye opener in the lecture. I never thought about it that way. I actually used to think that because the US was so powerful and because we depend so heavily on oil from the middle east, it was okay that we controlled it there. I've changed my way of thinking, obviously, because that is unfair and ridiculous. The really devastating part is the amount of casualties, whether it was an American soldier or an Iraqi civilian, is unforgivable and in many ways outrageous. The fact that the US allowed so many to die, and still is allowing so many deaths, really does make us seem like "Christian Invaders".
I am in no-way a religious person, and in fact I am an Atheist, but I think that Christian missionary groups and other religious missionaries have the potential to do a lot of good for this world. One of my good friends spends his life traveling America doing community service and helping build communities, he does also spread "the word of god" as he likes to say. He has never "converted" anyone, but instead has given people who have problems hope through the words of the bible, and despite our religious differences, I respect that. I think that if religious missionaries all worked that way, the world would be a much better place. Instead we often see people pressing their beliefs on others and using religion and "spreading god" as an excuse for unspeakable things, such as the war in Iraq. Sometimes I think that people, such as Sarah Palin, use God as a way to escape actually explaining why something is done. If we are in Iraq for oil, just say it, don't try to cover it up by saying that you're on a "mission" from God.

I agree with the guy in the video. I think that affirmative action has the potential to be a problem if we let it get out of control. The whole reason that it "works" right now is because it's mostly for colleges and universities, somewhere where it isn't dangerous, as opposed to, as he said, hospitals or clinics. I also think that it's the responsibility of the people hiring employees and the people being hired to make sure that they fulfill the right qualifications. If, for example, a white person and a black person apply for the same job with the exact same qualifications, it would make the most sense for the company to use that as an opportunity to put affirmative action into effect and create a more diverse working environment. If it comes to a point, however, when people of color (or women too) are being employed without the correct qualifications, then we have a problem.
As far as nepotism goes, I have yet to experience it from the end where I am the one out of a job because the other person had connections. I am almost like Sam in the way that most of what I have today, with the exception of my high school job, has been a result of nepotism. Even my entrance into main campus at penn state was partly based because my father is an alumnus. Because nepotism has had a positive effect on me, it's hard for me to see the other side of the bargain, and really understand those who are being effected negatively by maybe not getting into a school or even not getting a job that they deserve. I think that nepotism has the potential to be a problem in the way that under-qualified people are being hired to perform tasks that they aren't put up for. I would hope that the person hiring has enough control and sense to not hire let's say, a surgeon, just because it's his nephew. I also know that when nepotism has affected me - say being allowed entrance into penn state - I've used it as motivation to get my act together. I'm not sure if I would have been accepted into Penn State without my dad being alumni, but I am sure that once I arrived here and saw people who really worked really hard to be here (my good friend came from a poor family and is working almost full time to pay off the tuition) I had more motivation to prove I deserve a spot. So I could say that nepotism really helped me out, because without it I may be slacking off at a worse school, instead of working to prove that I deserve to have my spot at Penn State.

I understand where this girl is coming from, it's hard to assume responsibility for something that was so long ago that you weren't involved in. But I think that if eventually white and black and all different colors of people are going to be on the same level we need to all understand our pasts and differences. Yes, the genocide against native americans was an awful thing but none of our generation was involved in it. So I think what the woman in the video is asking is how we can assume responsibility and move past it even though we aren't directly connected to the genocide against native americans.
I, as a white person, find myself to be totally not biased when it comes to race. I have many friends of many different races and I don't think that I discriminate against any other types of people. But I know and I recognize that my ancestors may have been slave owners. My ancestors might have been the ones that drove the native americans out of their land. Does that mean that I should assume responsibility? I wasn't around then, and if I had been, I doubt that I would have been a part of the genocide. I think that we, as a people, need to acknowledge that the genocide happened. That's the biggest problem with native americans trying to incorporate themselves into society today. I'll admit that before this sociology class I had no idea about the extent of this genocide. I may have even been in denial. Growing up I was taught that Chris Columbus discovered the new world and learned to work WITH the "indians" that were there. Although I knew that wasn't the whole story, it seemed like the American education system was trying to ignore the genocide of native americans and pretend like it never happened, even though Sam has repeatedly mentioned that it was the most extensive genocide in history. It seems like all of America is trying to ignore it.
If we are all ever going to move on and make living better for native americans who are still living in tribes, we need to acknowledge this tragedy. We need to know that it happened, and make programs or take governmental strides to make sure that living conditions become safer and better for native americans all over the united states. The videos in this class really made me emotional and were almost even hard to watch. Their lives are so much worse than anyone I know, and the extent of their poverty is unbelievable.
Coming back to the main point, and to the girl in this video's question, I think that although black people who have descended from slaves may have not been directly involved in the genocide (just as I wasn't), we all need to work together to bring attention to this problem and move past it.

If this is how most men think, or if most men would be okay with having a 7000 dollar robotic sex woman, then YES, men and women are really that different. This whole comment is based primarily on what I've observed with myself and my friends, and doesn't necessarily represent all women. After talking to a few of my girl friends, absolutely none of them said that if they had 7000 to spare, they would be comfortable and would enjoy a male sex doll. It's been proven over and over again that women look for more than just physical attractiveness in a relationship. Speaking for myself, I'm more interested in having a relationship with real emotions and real love. (even though the robotic woman can apparently converse with its owner) I think that the fact that some single men are interested in buying one of these robots is crazy! Is it really that hard to find a woman who you want to be with and speak to? Are these things just being invented because some men are too lazy to put the effort into a relationship?
I think there are plenty of reasons that these dolls are being developed. They could just purely be a sex toy for horny single men, but if they are becoming replacements for having real relationships with real women, then I think we have a serious problem on our hands. Men and women need to learn how to have healthy relationships rather than find solutions, such as 7000 dollar sex dolls, to the real thing.
As far as men and women's sexual intimacy needs go, I think men definitely have a bigger sex drive. A good example is guys going out on the weekend and trying to "hook up" . Based on me and my girl friends, when we go to parties on the weekend, the first thing on our minds is not who we are going to hook up with at the end of it, it's having a fun time and getting away from the stress of the week. My male friends have told me though that their main reason for going out on the weekends and their main goal is to find a woman to bring home. Keeping that in mind, maybe I can understand why a robot like this was developed. Maybe men like the inventor needed something to fulfill their needs that women don't have, and hey, if you have the time and the money I guess you might as well go all out. I'm just glad that they've settled for a robot rather than forcing women into doing things they are uncomfortable with or do not want to do. So I guess I can see the positive side of the whole thing.

I think this is actually rather devastating and upsetting to think about. I wish that it were possible to preserve things such as culture and language forever, but it is inevitable. These things are bound to die out, and eventually end entirely disappear from culture. I think one of the saddest things happening right now is that less and less people are speaking latin. If we think about it logically, most languages are derived at some point from latin, yet it is barely ever spoken anymore. Most high schools aren't giving it as a language option to learn, and some colleges are eliminating it as a major. Knowing latin is very helpful for learning other languages, especially english. It helps show people where words come from and what the words mean.
On another note the fact that over 3500 languages will probably be dead by the time I die is outrageous. The man that just passed away who was the only speaker of his language left on earth couldn't have taught it to someone else? That whole concept is hard to understand. I think it would be easy to say "I'm the last person on earth that speaks this language fluently, is there anyone who be able to learn it and conserve my culture?" I just can't imagine any language that over 1000 people speak, let alone 1,000,000 being about to die out completely, and that people would just let that happen.
As devastated as I am that languages are bound to die out, I think it's really cool that the world is evolving that quickly. So quickly that in less than a hundred years, over 3500 languages can be completely gone. Even though that's a bad thing, it shows that we have the ability to change things for the better too. Maybe as 3500 languages are dying out, more people will learn to speak one of the remaining languages better. Maybe humans will become bilingual or trilingual. Communication could take a turn for the better throughout this whole process.
As far as Sam's last sentence, "And maybe I’m too sentimental…and maybe I’m just feeling the effects of living in a time of rapid social, economic, and environmental transformation." I think that part of it is sentiment, but a lot of it is the effects of living in a time of transformation. Things are changing quickly in every area, in most parts of the world. Power is shifting, wars are getting worse or getting better, and communication its self is completely different and revolutionary. We are in a time today where someone can "know someone" and "speak with someone" without ever meeting them in purpose. We are in a time where I can type in one language into google and immediately translate that to send to a friend who doesn't speak english. And I think that's pretty cool.

When I first saw Avatar all that I could think about was its connections to Pochahantas. It seems like the entirety of the base plot is exactly the same. And in pochahantas, I noticed that not only is the white man saving the brown people like you said, but he's also the one destroying their way of life. Yeah, the white person is often portrayed as the savior, but I find that white people are also often portrayed as the destroyers. Is this side of the story not seen? In Avatar, the whole reason that the natives even had to be saved is because white people decided they wanted the blue people's valuable mineral, so they basically declared war and took it by force. Also, even though the avatars are animated characters, they are played by black people. Does that hold any significance? Is that James Cameron's way of telling us that white people are still ruining things for black and brown people? It's hard to tell. He could have also just thought that those actresses and actors that were cast were good for their role.
Another thing is that apparently James Cameron's whole reason for doing the movie was to show Americans how much they don't respect their earth, and how they are destroying it. It seems like we are going to ultimately lose though. The end of the movie is a mess, tons of innocent people/avatars died. And the whole tree thing that they were going for was destroyed anyway. Is Avatar predicting the future? That maybe there is no hope? I think that the movie is trying to warn us, but the writers and producers of Avatar are still negative. They want to warn us about destroying the environment, but they also have little hope themselves.
Back to the race issue though. Sam mentioned in his video blog that some peoples reactions to the article were that they didn't notice because they were white themselves. I don't know how something like that could just pass you by just because you're white. I don't think white people fully understand white people. Just because I'm white, I would never compare myself to the white people in Avatar. I, actually, think I'm closer to the Avatar side. Only because I care a lot about the environment and am a pacifist. Am I not allowed to be on that side because I'm white? And why was it so shocking in the movie when a few of the characters decided to live in the Avatar world? The whole concept of this movie having a bigger meaning is very hard for me to grasp, obviously. I just cant seem to understand how James Cameron took Pochohantas, made the people blue instead of native american, added some special effects and a crappier plot, then had it be the highest grossing 3D movie ever made AND had all of America talking about its "deeper meaning".

I just asked my Jewish friend to explain to me what exactly a tefillin is. Apparently it's a black prayer box men wrap it around their head and arms a number of times to represent the number mitzvot in the Torah. Some men, or some highly religious men apparently use it every time that they pray. I can totally understand why someone would pray when getting onto a US airways flight too. Many people pray before flying, no matter what religion. Anyway, I think that it is understandable to be concerned when seeing that if you don't know what it is. It took me a long time just talking to my friend to figure out exactly what it does and why Jewish men wear it. I do, however, think that the flight attendant made the wrong decision to land the entire plane. She should have asked around to figure out exactly what the device was before making such a rash decision.
As far as Jewish person's reactions to the story, I can imagine that if I were Jewish I wouldn't be too upset. I think that they are well aware of how people are very uninformed about their religious practices and they are understanding of it. When I asked my friend, she said, "She's pretty ignorant, and she could have just asked someone. It's not like he was strapping on a bomb. It's not a quick process to wrap the tefillin and she could have easily questioned it." There are so many things that people do that could be mistaken just like the tefillin incident, but no one is landing planes for them. This is very embarrassing for US air, and I think that they should really spend some time investing in airline employees who are more cultured. It's also very scary for the 17-year-old who was assumed to be a terrorist. The poor kid must have been scared out of his mind when greeted by bomb sniffing dogs and police in Philadelphia. And even he was really understanding of being freakin' stopped and emergency landed in Philly.
The Huffington post wrote, "'Therefore, in the interest of everyone's safety, the crew decided to land in Philadelphia, where a more complete investigation and follow-up with authorities would be possible,' the statement said." This is the only part of the story that I can sympathize with. I think that if all the crew members are convinced that there could possibly be a bomb on the plane, you better follow the old cliche, better safe than sorry. I do, however, think that the crew should have taken more steps to make sure that the boy was a real threat before landing an entire plane and wasting a lot of time and money. Overall, I think that I could make a better decision on how I feel about it if I were there. My whole mindset might change if I were sitting next to the man.

alligator

My father's boss owned a company and lived in Haiti for 20 years, and although he's been living in the US for the last ten years, he still has very good friends and family back there. He got an email the other day from a friend who belonged to his church that he had been trying to contact since the quake---here are some quotes...

"Tuesday evening seems like eons ago. Yesterday we were all walking around functioning but still in shock. The earthquake was a terrifying experience and it has made us all jumpy. The tremors/aftershocks continue quite regularly and it's hard not to continue in fear. I've been praying myself and claiming Philippians 4:6-7, but I still find myself not completely at rest and not completely without fear."

"Yesterday, Wednesday, our campus filled up even more. All our yards have become like one big campground. The men say we probably have about 2000 here now (if not more). Have you thot about where those 2000 are going to the bathroom? That's right...in our yards. We could have a real medical problem here real soon. Need to get some holes dug or something."

"As the people have been digging out in the neighborhood, they carry those they find onto the campus. So, we have the dead along with those who are injured. I've seen some horrible sights and they are in a lot of pain, but handling it as best they can since there is no sense in taking them to a hospital. Some hospitals are down, others overflowing and there's really limited help. We have 2 doctors living on the campus and they've been doing all they can. They've used up all our peroxide, gauze, and stuff like that doing what they could to help those who are injured. They wished we had had supplies for doing stitches. Yesterday I walked around giving out Tylenol - about the only help we can give right now - and any comfort I could."

"We have not succeeded in digging out the 2 students. It is assumed they are dead.
We are tired, there's a lot of stress with all this, a lot we don't know what to do about, and lots to do. Thanks for your concern, love, prayers and encouragement of us during this time."

Just some food for thought. It's interesting to hear that although the tragedy is overwhelming, he seems to find some peace and optimism in his prayer to help him get through things. Also, all of this is happening on a seminary campus in Haiti, which is interesting because a lot of the people being housed there who were not religious at all before are now participating in prayer regularly.