I thought the lecture last Thursday was really intense and eye opening. I can honestly say it was the best lecture I have ever attended here at Penn State. I wish all of my friends and family could have watched this lecture and see where the Arab Muslims are coming from and understand what they are going through and thinking. I never thought that they would see us as Christian invaders. I guess it makes sense but I have a hard seeing it that way. I guess I always assumed they see us as just Americans o evil Americans if you’re a terrorist. I am a Political Science major and I have taken many classes about American foreign policy and international relations of the Middle East but never have I learned this twist on the whole war. We mostly study theory and try to put it in a historical context but I never thought about the war from this angle. It made me really sad to think that these people are suffering because we need their oil, but at the same time I feel we need to be over there to protect our country from terrorists that have attacked our country and killed thousands of our people. Something needed to be done about the terrorists living in Afghanistan and Sadam Hussein and his dictatorship. The first video we watched about Jihads and terrorist wanted to kill Americans scared the hell out of me. That video was s disturbing to me and made me sick it was so scary. I think it is so scary because it real and true. Some of these people really think and feel we are a evil country and want us to seize to exist. After about thinking about that lecture from where is started to by the end of the lecture more than half the class sympathized with the insurgents and said if there was a similar situation going on here in our country then they would become an insurgent as well. That just blows my mind! Going from hating these people from understanding them is just crazy. It was a fantastic lecture because I know completely understand the situation of what is going on how these Arab Muslims feel. I do not think these is anyone else that can explain this whole war that well.
But in Afghanistan people still are not joining the insurgency and becoming terrorists. I want to know why. I know I would never join this group but I would understand why people would. These insurgents are evil and destroyed their country before we came in. I just hope this war ends soon and there will be no more suffering from anyone.

I think it is a great idea that public schools are starting to teach mandarin Chinese. I wish it had happened sooner when I was still in middle school or high school. Chinese is one of the most popular languages in the world. China’s economy is also booming and businesses are expanding all over the world. Depending upon your career goals, learning to speak Chinese would be very beneficial and make you stand out when applying for a job. Watching that video of the kid trying to teach one Chinese phrase in English was crazy. No matter how many times he said it I do not think I would have ever said it right. Chinese is such a difficult language and completely different from English! If schools are going to teach a language and actually want it to stick with us through our entire life I think schools need to start at soon as elementary schools or sooner. The only people that I know speak another language other than English, the know it fluently because their parents speak it and starting their children at a very young age. I took Spanish in high school and I barely remember any of if. When I came to college I wanted to have a second major in Italian and hopefully be able to speak it fluently one day. I do not think that would ever happen unless I was speaking Italian constantly every single day. That would have been impossible. If I truly wanted to learn the language and speak it fluently I would have had to move to Italy for a couple years. People claim that Americans do not speak more than one language because we are lazy. I think that is completely false. American is not lazy we are geographically challenged. Europeans are always surrounded by people who speak other languages so it is a lot easier for them to learn the language and keep learning outside the classroom unlike Americans. Everyone for the most part speaks English and is only surrounded by English speaking people. We do not have the convenience like Europeans and other countries do. Europeans also probably start a younger age than Americans do as well. I am sure if I moved away for a couple of years to Italy or China and was forced to only speak that language I would come back fluent or at least semi fluent. I see in the article pictures of young children learning to speak Chinese and I think that is great. They are not going to regret it and it will be so much easier for them to get a job in the future. That is such a great advantage they will have over other people.

When Sam showed us this video in class about black children picking the white doll over the black doll and then saying because the white doll is nicer or better than the black doll it really upset me. It is so disturbing and it breaks my heart that at such a young age black children are very much aware of race and that they believe their race is the “bad” or inferior race. I had no idea how much this whole white is beautiful belief is in our subconscious. How are children at such a young age coming to this conclusion that that white people are nice and more beautiful and black people are mean and bad and ugly. That is the part I really do not get at all. How is this message being given to young children? Where does it come from? Is it the media, friends, family, teachers or what? Maybe because I am white and I am not attuned to these types of things so therefore I do not see this message being spread to everyone. I grew outside of Harrisburg and in my community and school district there were few black people. There were maybe 20 in my graduating class and I was not close with any of them. So I grew up in a predominantly white area, which is probably why I am not aware of these things. I have never been forced to think about what it is like to be black or the minority until this class and I have never been ashamed or felt guilty about my white skin until now. I can not imagine that this is how a black child feels everyday and lives with this feeling everyday. It is really sad to think about. I could not imagine what it would be like to live day in and day out with this feeling my skin makes me bad or ugly and to be so ashamed of something no one can help or change.
Sam said kids are aware of race differences at much younger ages than white people. But where do they get the idea that race is not as good or nice as white people. I am really having a hard time understanding where this comes from and how it can be stopped so these children can grow about and not be ashamed of themselves and their race. In conclusion, I wish there was some way to change this message this is being instilled in young black children. Just because their skin is black does not make them worse or ugly people. I do not know how this can be changed but I know for any racism to be stopped everyone must become more aware and more knowledgeable about racism.

I think it is terrible that anyone would use these signs or protest such hateful things. Neither party can say that followers in each party do not do it. Whether the issue is about war, health care, abortion, or civil rights both parties are guilty of protesting and demonstrating hateful idea. Democrats and Republicans both do it. I think these people are only a few bad apples. Clearly not everyone believes such hateful things but I think these types of protests stem from something else. People in this country have believes and want these believes to be represented in our President and Congress. There are issues that people believe enough in to march to Washington to stand outside a protest all day. My question is why would anyone do that? There are so many other things I know I would rather be doing. I think people only protest such radical ideas because they feel that the President or Congress is not representing them well or not listening and following their own agenda. These people feel the only way they will be hear is to protest such radical ideas. These people just want attention and to be heard by the President and their representative. People these days because of the huge Health care bill that has just been passed are frustrated and feel they are not being listened and the only way they feel they will be given attention to be to protest radical or hateful idea. The best way to understand this I think is to compare protestors to children who want something they are not getting. Children act this way when their parents do not listen to them or are ignoring them and they only way they think they will get their way or just be heard is to scream or cry louder. Since protestors feel they are not being heard or given attention to they feel the only ammo they have left is to yell or scream louder or say something ridiculous. I could be completely wrong but I know when I am arguing with someone and I feel I am not being heard I tend to talk louder and say things I truly do not mean. I also think that these issues such as health really touch people and have great affects on their lives so naturally if they disagree with it they are going to be angry. These people are going to be want to be heard and I believe the President and Congress are not listening to the people they are supposed to be representing. But I sincerely believe that not everyone is so hateful and these are just a few bad apples that actually believe these hateful and radical ideas.

I think it is great that the school hired her as to be the head football coach. She really must be very qualified and good at what she does if she was hired to coach a guys high school football team. It seems from the way she was talking that she was given no grief about being a woman and being hired to do a job that has always been a man’s job. I am sure there are many people that are upset or concerned about it but probably do not want to voice their opinion about it. I think she is down playing that and she has gotten more grief about it than she wants to say. I know because she is woman she will most likely be watched more closely than a male coach. Her every move will be scrutinized and some people will be waiting for her to mess up something then try to blame it on the fact that she is a women. There will be some men out there waiting for her to fail. But I do not think all men think that, just some concerned parents because this is new and it is very out of the norm to have a female football coach. Hopefully someday this will be more normal to have more women coaching football. I think is will also motivate more women to play football and start more teams! Who knows! Someday maybe it will be normal for high schools to have girl football teams!
But I think is so great the school took a risk and hired her! It seems to me that she is very qualified and she will do a great job! I know there are some men that probably think she will not do a great job because she is a woman. They are probably afraid she will crack under pressure and cry or something of that nature. But I do not think men know when it comes to sports women can be very tough. I grew up playing sports my whole life and I have never break down in a middle of a game, cried or something. I was usually the toughest one out there. I think she will have to work extra hard to gain the respect of the school and community. I wonder what some of the players thought. Are they going to take her seriously as a coach? I am sure they are going to try hard to push her buttons and try to make her crack but if she does not after awhile I am sure the team will learn to respect her as their coach but it will take more time than if the new coach was a male.

I never really thought about how everyone on this show tends to be all the same race. But she is right everyone is the same race for the most part and it does not represent the racial diversity of this county.
I think part of it is the lack of racial diversity is because the bachelor or bachelorette are white and that individual has some say in who makes it onto the show and that person also is probably more attached to people of the same race so therefore all the people competing for the bachelor or bachelorette are going to be the same race.
I think another part of lack of racial diversity on the show is the ratings. Would the ratings for the show be just as high if all the people on the show were black, Hispanic, Latino, or Asian? Would as many people watch the show if everyone was a different race other than white? Something tells me the show would probably not be quite as popular if everyone was not white. I do not know why. Would white people watch it anymore? Do people of other races watch the show even though everyone on the show is white? Would the show or network receive any criticism from black people or white people for having a season of people of a different race? I think someone would make some sort of big deal about it and complain that the show is racist.
It would be interesting to see if in any future seasons of the show would any of the bachelor or bachelorettes be another race and if there are I would guess that all of the people competing are going to be the same race. This is simply because people tend to be more attracted to people of there own race. I know I am definitely open to dating or marrying someone from another race, but at the same time I have not dated anymore outside my race because I have not anyone I was really attracted enough to date. The show also probably receives higher rating if the couples in the end, end up staying together or get married. Couples that are biracial do not have as great of a chance as staying together as couples that are not biracial. It seems that all the network cares about is ratings and does not matter whether this show is right or wrong. If they think rating would drop if the show would mix up the races more then I extremely doubt they would enough try it. This is really holding back our society for accepting more races if most shows are dominantly white people, but it does not to be changing soon.

This is a very sad video and a horrible situation for this family to be in. It really is a shame that their family will be separated and I hope that it all works out for their family in the end. I can not see why a case like this will not be overturned or thrown out. I can not believe that there are 36,000 other families dealing with similar situations. That really surprises me! I had no idea that this law is affecting so many families in the Unites States.
Even though they are a gay couple their family seems completely normal and full of love. I think that this is where a lot of the misunderstanding and prejustice against gay couples comes from. Just because they are a gay couple with children does not mean that they are not a normal functioning family. I know usually when I do not understand someone I am not comfortable with it. If our society had more understanding about gay couples and were more aware of these things I think things in our society would be different. I think our society has a long way to go when it comes to understanding and respecting the gay community. In order to do that I believe stories like these need to be portrayed by the media more often to help our society understand the gay community better and help spread the awareness of such problems and situations with in the gay community.
This story of this family’s situation shows that not only do people individually have a problem with accepting the gay community but politically as well. In time I believe that laws in every state will be passed will accept gay unions. Again in order for this to happen I think people are not aware at all that situations like these are happening and need to become aware in order to actions to be taken in passes laws that include gay unions to be protected under the law. The media I think needs to do a better job of showing these types of stories. I watch the news a lot and I never see stories like these. If people saw stories like these more action would be taken to help pass these laws that affect the gay community
Overall, this video has opened up my eyes and has made it clear that as a society we have a long way to go when it comes to tolerance and acceptance of the gay community. I that some day soon gay families will not have to deal with situations like these anymore and our society will be more understanding and tolerant of the gay community.

I really cannot believe someone would pay seven thousand dollars for this sex toy. It is really hard to believe that men and women would pay for this. This would not be a good investment especially since I really don’t think it is possible for something like this to be able to satisfy all guy’s sexual needs. So is it worth the seven thousand dollars if it could never fully replace a real person? As a woman, I am kind of offended that guys would actually buy this toy. I almost feel replaced and worthless as a woman. It is sending the messages that that is all women are good for, sex and nothing else. If a toy someone can simply buy off the internet, to satisfy there needs then what is the point of dating or having a relationship, having children, all the great things that come from having a real relationship with a live person of the opposite sex. I could definitely see people getting so addicted to these things that they forget to go out and meet a real person to have sex with. I think it really takes out all the fun in life. Maybe it is just me, but I also love the chase and actually being with someone. Nothing can replace that. It makes me think that men are too lazy to go out and meet someone and have something real. Instead they chose to this plastic doll.
I know men and women’s sexual needs are different, but it also varies for individuals. Some women are more sexual than guys. I still just do not understand how this will help satisfy someone’s sexual needs. It is so creepy!
I am really surprised the inventor of this is actually capable of being married and having a real relationship.
I agree with sstraub25, this could be a good thing for sexual offenders or predators. If this will keep them from harming or raping any women or children, then great! Before you know it there will be a demand for children sex dolls like this! That is just absolutely sick to think about there being a market for such a thing.
I know I am being very biased about this, but I really just do not understand this phenomenon. I honestly believe there is no possible way, toy, machine, or anything out there that can replace and actual human being when it comes to sex. There is so much more to sex then getting off! Just thinking would something like that every replace someone real to me the answer is no way! I am very disappointed in what our society has come to that we need sex toys like this to replace each other.

This is a very fascinating article. I never knew there are 7,000 languages spoken around the world. Usually when I think of different languages, I only think of the most popular ones like English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and so on. It is so sad to think that this ancient language in India's Andaman Islands is gone forever, because this last woman passed away. It is so weird to think this language will possibly never be spoken again or her culture or way of life might never be practiced again. I wonder why this language wasn’t written down or why she did not teach it to other people around her. Did no one not want to learn the language or keep the culture alive. I do not understand why anyone else would not want to learn this language. It seems odd to me. It reminds me of my grandfather whose parents were from Italy. Why did they not teach him Italian? I wish they would have so then he could pass down to his children and grandchildren. I think as a family it would have made us a lot closer and more appreciative of our culture and our differences and everyone else’s differences around us. Right there a part of a culture and our family was lost forever. Even though Italian is far from being an extinct language and culture, it is still a lost part of our family and culture as a family.
It is even sadder to think that more languages in the future are going to disappear over the years. The words are not only going to be lost, but cultures, stories, and ways of life go with the passing of the last elders that spoke this language.
I wonder if it is possible that one day everyone is going to speak the same one language. So many cultures will be lost and gone forever. They will become apart of history or simply a story to be told and passed down through generations and eventually the story will be forgotten. I do not think it is in the world’s best interest to be speaking the same language. We are all so different, but that is what makes us so special. I think people tend to forget that sometimes. It is a good thing to be different and have different cultures, backgrounds, and speak different languages. If this is true then why is race such a problem? This story of the old Indian woman who was the last speaker of her tribe’s language passed away should be a lesson for everyone to embrace each other’s differences and keep this cultures, languages, and differences alive and not let them die out.

When the movie Avatar first hit the theaters, I did not have much of a desire to see it even though it had received many great reviews and everyone who I know that saw it said it was a great movie. All I mostly hear about from others were how great the effects were, not so much about that plot. Now after reading David Brook’s article about “The Messiah Complex” and how that ties in with the plot it makes me want to see the movie. David Brooks brings up many good points that makes me really think. “This Messiah complex” seems to really be embedded in our culture here in the United States and all over the world.
From what David Brooks describes, the plot of the movie does not make much sense once you really think about it. It does not make much sense to me that this main character, the white guy, in the film, could just find these people, want to be like them and apart of there culture or world, then automatically becomes of the “best” out of all of them. That just seems ridiculous to me. It would never happen in a modern setting I believe. My guess is because he is so different from him these other people would not be quite as accepting of him. It is also ridiculous that he becomes their leader and leads them in this fight against the enemy. From what I have read in this article, it seems that there are many stereotypes in this movie. Like how the white people are portrayed as bloodthirsty, rationalist, and technocratic people, while the natives are spiritual and athletic. This is a huge stereotype and not true
This “Messiah complex” is so embedded in our culture that unless you are looking for it you will not ever realize that this complex is in the underlying theme in this movie and many other. There is no way I would ever go to see this movie or any other movie and have this epiphany of how white people are being portrayed in movies, books, and other stories. Maybe it is just because I am white that I don’t realize this, but I’m not so sure people from other backgrounds, other parts of the world, or races would pick up on this either unless you were aware of it. I think our generation gets so wrapped up in being entertained that we don’t take a step back and look at the bigger picture. The fact that this movie is a huge global hit makes me think that there is no way the average person would pick up on this “Messiah complex.” I do not think the movie would nearly as popular all over the world if people know about this complex.