This is a very interesting question. I was watching the second part of the episode and one of my friends told me that they are censoring the parts with Muhammad. He also told me the censorship is due to threats South Park producers have received from a Muslim group that felt disrespected. I was shocked by that explanation. South Park is a show with a reputation of making smears and jokes about everything and anything possible. I have seen many episodes of South Park that makes fun of religions and God. Jesus was part of this controversial episode and I didn’t hear anyone complaining or threatening anybody. I know a lot of young Americans take religion softly and do not feel the need to be upset if someone makes fun of their religion while in some countries, religion is your life and everything you do is based on the rules and guidelines set for you. If we take the Koran as an example, Muslims look at the holy book as the ultimate guide for their life. People eat, work, fast, bank by the Koran. Investors go as far as not getting any interest in their loans as it is forbidden by the sharia law. Muslim countries that follow the Sharia law take religion seriously and have the mentality that nothing is above their beliefs. It is out of their imagination that people will even consider making fun of a prophet that they respect and mimic every day. In the other hand, Americans especially our generation inherited their beliefs from their parents and don’t really practice it outside of their parents house. Freedom of speech is always going to be a factor as well since many will defend their constitutional rights. As we know, it’s very common for people to make fun of the President or anybody in power while in some countries, it is unthinkable. So the controversial episode comes down to the respect Muslims have for the prophet and the offense they feel when they see a comedian from the western world mocking their faith. In my perspective, if the US wants to improve their relations with Arab counties as a strategy against terrorism, episodes like this one cannot be aired. I also see a double standard as far South Park making fun of Jesus and other religions but taking an episode about Muhammad off air. Although religion is private in this country, many people consider it to be the vital piece in their life.

Sam's lecture was by far the best lecture of the semester so far. I think that Sam showed us all why he is such a reputable professor by conducting the lecture the way he did. The energy that Sam was radiating affected most of the people in the lecture, both positively and negatively. I lived in Ethiopia for 15 years before coming to Penn State, and also, i was raised a muslim, so I could relate to whatever Sam was saying. I know that it is difficult to put yourself in forto other people's shoes very easily, but if anyone can make you do it, then it has to be Sam. It was always going to be an interesting lecture because of it's topic, but I never expected it to be so exciting. I read some of the comments above, and I see that some people took offense to whatever that Sam said, but that is always the case - there are always people who do not agree with him. I think that those people need to start opening their minds up and look at the world a little differently. Because the people who thought that Sam was trying to get at Christians and Christianity by talking like that totally missed the point of the lecture, and to me, who can relate to what Sam was actually saying, is very saddening. Sam explained the whole issue better than most people can to an audience of such size, such varying opinions and lifestyles. It was really heartening to see that a lot of people liked the lecture and that the lecture helped them understand the whole issue better, and that they would be better able to relate to this topic in the future. I believe that a lot of people in the States have a fair idea of what the general feeling is in the Middle East about the USA and the war etc, but a lot of the times, they fail to take notice of the details, and the smaller issues, which actually turn out to be bigger problems than the main issues. Many Americans rlate Islam to terrorism without understanding the values of the followers. islam is a peaceful releginand doesnt push peple towars violence. Theones that decide to be violent have a strongg feelings against America and its increasing power in the World. He made most students think for a secong before they categorize pople as terrorists or just assume Muslims are not god citizens This lecture was definitely the most entertaining, informative and thought-invoking, as far as I am concerned, even though I know how a lot of the people in the Middle East feel.

This is a very interesting question/comment. I understand why some people take offense in a lot of the things that Sam says or talks about in the class. But in the end, like Sam said, if you still take offense in anything that he says, then that means that you still haven't gone past all the stages. I believe that you "win" when you can listen to stuff, even the most extreme stuff about things, and not be offended by it - I believe that that is what Sam is trying to teach us. He is trying to get us to get past all the stages. I, personally, enjoy his class a lot and take no offense in anything that he says. Sure, his ways can be a little awkward and can catch people off guard sometimes, but I'm very sure that Sam knows exactly what he is talking about. So basically, if you still take offense in anything that he says, then you're definitely not past all the stages yet. I believe that it is absolutely wrong to stereotype people, or a certain race, because everyone is not the same. It's wrong to label people of a certain race with certain things, like their clothing or profession etc. The picture he showed of a black guy wearing a coat and jeans was very interesting, because it brought up a whole lot of different reactions from everyone. I heard a lot of people that the picture was "wrong", because black people don't dress like that - I found those comments to be the most shocking (and funny). This is one more instance where people stereotyped a certain race, or a person of that certain race, because really, anyone can wear anything they want, and I've seen people wear totally opposite type of clothing than what their stereotypes are supposed to wear. Also, as shown on the screen, when you type "beauty" in google, you get a whole lot of pictures of white women, which is again a stereotype, that beauty is associated with white people. But in truth, some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen are women of color. People just have to stop seeing other people as members of a certain race etc, and start seeing each and every person as an individual. And also, people have to start getting over things that others say that offend them, the girl in the video asked us when we win, I believe that we win when we can talk about anything and everything without having to fear the consequences or when we can learn to move on and get past all the stages that Sam talked about.

Personally, I ask myself these questions every single day. I feel like as time continues, our government keeps making irrational decisions and we just follow them. How could any society live in a world biased based upon skin color? It doesn’t make sense to me and it angers me because people just followed it. This has been the way it is for centuries. The government makes some stupid decision, that falls back on everyone regardless whether they agree or not, and we take the brink of it. I’m not saying that the government doesn’t make any good decisions, I know they do. Also, I know America is probably one of the safest countries to live in, etc. I feel like most people go through this cycle for the first 20-25 years of their lives, or maybe longer, where they just follow everything that is socially acceptable. Now, obviously people rebel many times too, but this is where they begin to realize that they shouldn’t have to follow everything the all powerful all mighty government says. But even so, we still continue to not break the rules, in fear of jail.
Everything I am saying is obvious, and I’m probably just ranting, but it’s frustrating. Everyone in the country, especially those in power, claim that they know what is good for the people. Bull shit. How can they know what is good for the people when the people who supported slavery believed that they knew too? And yeah it was different times, whatever. It doesn’t matter; it never should have been the case that humans were worth any sort of profit and then forced into labor like animals. And if those people “knew” back then what was right for the country, and the majority followed, then how can we be for sure that it’s not happening today? Yes, more people stand up for what they believe in and fight back, but a lot of people watch the screen and whatever the politicians have to say, they just agree with, even though 80% of it is complete lies. You could be saying that slavery was much too long ago to compare it to today. Okay, well what about issues like segregation in the 1900’s?
And I agree with the whole menstruation cycle deal. Why does it matter? It shouldn’t matter. It’s a part of living.

This is a very interesting article as well as a very interesting concept. As I initially approached the thought of losing a language, I immediately wondered if that meant that all of the human beings belonging to that certain culture had died. It was as if BBC and others cared more about spurring thoughts about losing a language rather than spurring thoughts about why all of these people were dying off. I quickly came to realize that I was mistaken in my thoughts and that, in fact, these people were living to very old ages. Why then were they the last person to speak the language? Did they not have children? Grandchildren? This also did not seem to be the case. What I then realized was that these losses of languages were a direct result of the extreme globalization of human beings over the past 10-15 years. Being 22 years old and growing up alongside of the internet, I do not really know how the world used to operate. I do know, though, that at any time throughout the day I can communicate with people from China, Africa, or even Iraq thanks to the far reaching hand of the world wide web. Thinking of the world in this way really makes you wonder how truly surprising it is that languages are dying off. Languages, although beautifully tied into the rich essence of culture, are mechanisms that were utilized to communicate and survive. Many of these “dead” languages were never spoken outside of small villages or communities. If descendents of these villages are now integrated into communities where English, Spanish, Mandarin, or any other mainstream language are used by the majority, then their need for the language of their ancestors is very little. As the need for these languages diminish, as does the amount of people who regularly speak it. As Johnny Hill, Jr of the Chemehuevi tribe said, “There's nobody left to talk to, all the elders have passed on, so I talk to myself... that's just how it is." Aside from being very sad, this quote really sums it all up. If the need for the language is gone, it is inevitably going to fizzle away.
One thing I want you to remember is that I find this situation to be very sad and unfortunate. As is the situation of technology and complete globalization which, in a way, inevitably strips human beings of their culture and identity. With globalization and the rapid advancement of technology, humans are no longer reliant on one-on-one contact with other humans, which to me is the real tragedy. The loss of languages is simply a small, early side effect.

This article was very interesting and it gave me a new point of view about how words can change through time and have different meanings. The word "negro" was a socially acceptable normal word back few decades ago and now it has a completely different connotation. People get offended when they hear the word; some might even start a fight out of frustration and anger. It is very clear the Census is using this word to make sure everyone identifies themselves and the data is as accurate as it can be. Black or African Americans that have lived through the generation where negro was a common ward will not have any problems identifying themselves in that manner. It is not in anyway offensive and if the word is not available, they will not pick an ethnicity. Taking about and African Americans, it has always intrigued me that blacks and African Americans are interchangeable terms. In my perspective if people of color are born in the United States and have parent that were born in America, these people have no connection to Africa other than ancestry and should not be classified as African Americans. If we are going to categorize and call blacks African Americans, Whites should also have specification as Irish Americans and Italian Americans available. I was born in Africa specifically in an eastern part of Africa in a country called Ethiopia and once i become a citizen of the Unites States, people can refer me as African American. I strongly disagree that Blacks are refereed as African Americans since most blacks have no idea about Africa and what it is about. As long as we keep changing as a society and words are born and dead in history, i am very confident that words such as African Americans, negro and caucasians will no longer be in use. I also found a very interesting idea in this article that made me stop and think for a second. It has been shown through the census in the last decades that the terms they use to categorize people affect how race and ethnicity is perceived through the population.If the census can make an influence in how people look at others that are not categorized in the same race as them, i definitely think that the census should be used as a tool to eliminate race tensions, stereotypes and offensive racial terms.

This clip was very intriguing and gave me a perspective i did not have about European soccer. i have been a fan of the game since i was six years old and follow the sport closely. although i know racism exists in every part of the world, the severity in europe in a stadiums where the most beautiful sport is being showcased is far more serious than racism we see in the United States of America. People no matter fans, players, or coaches would not be tolerated in any way for any racist comments they make about the colored players. Many will be very upset and actions will be taken immediately to address the issue. This might be because the majority of the athletes in professional sports are minorities in particular black. The players have more voice and power in the media as well as members of the organization to resist these acts and accept the bigotry. In Europe small amount of the players are black and i can definitely see the issue being overlooked by FIFA. one thing i noticed in the video is that fans taunted their own team's black players and i could not understand what the purpose was. As passionate as European fans are it is foolish to act against your own team and jeopardize your clubs level of competition and outcome. Players such as Henry and Eto in the Video are world class athletes that have accomplished so much for their respective clubs, one would think that they wont be attacked in this fashion. Throwing bananas and chanting monkeys is a very aggressive and open racism techniques that these players should feel threatened. For Example Zoro tried to walked out of the game as the fans chanted racist words aimed at him and i did not think that was the best option. Instead of walking out and leaving the game and letting the racist fans win, he can use his voice in the media and also organize with other players to start a movement in bringing the issue to life and finding a solution. In the same note, few weeks ago the Togo national team's bus that has elite players such as Emanuel Adebayor was gunned down in Angola while the team was trying to participate in the African Football Cup. This incident indicates that hatred and racism doesn't just come from white people towards Blacks and other colored races. Some African are racist in their own way against other african countries. Sometimes it goes to the extent that people from the same african country kill and torture their own country men because of tribe differences. Over all racism is something that has to be taken seriously all over the world and people should not be afraid to bring the issue to a discussion. Problems are not going to get fixed by the silence of society rather by constructive arguments and debates. As FIFA commissioner stated something is wrong with society if they cannot change their perspectives after all the education given and the consequences bolded.

Jesus

Laurie's original post was very interesting and i agree with her perspective about how God did not plan to punish the Haitians. I also like her view about Jesus crucifixions and sacrifices and how his sufferings should not be a reason for many to believe that he died for the sake of all human beings. I grew up in a family that followed two religions, worshiped two different Gods and celebrated different holidays. My dad was a serious Muslim and my mom was a religious Orthodox Christian. To get acceptance from their families my parents had two weddings, one at each respective side of their families. They went as far as changing their names on their wedding cards to cover up their nationally unaccepted marriage. A christian getting married to a Muslim was not a normal thing and many were not happy with their decisions. The purpose of the two wedding was to cover up their religions by giving my dad a christian name when my moms parents were at the ceremony and have another ceremony where my mom changed her name to a muslin name so my dad side of the family accepted her. Growing up, we never had any conflicts about religions. My mom did her thing and so is my dad and they never pressured us to follow one or the other. Although it looked weird from the outside, i grew up a happy kid while receiving gifts in each sides holiday. i also noticed my parents commitment to God or Allah. They were worshiping the same ultimate power but with different rules and different rituals. My dad went to mosque on Fridays and my mom went to church on Sundays. They were both sure what they followed was the right God and all their troubles will go away with the power of God. Actually there are millions of people in Ethiopia that will skip days and weeks of work because God doesn't want them to work on those days or they cant do laundry on Sundays or some other philosophies. Now we know why the country is one of the oldest in history but perhaps one of the poorest in the world today. People used religion as an excuse and waited for their problems to get fixed rather than going out and doing something about it. Haiti was a poor third world country to start with and if God is gracious and caring as all of his followers seem, why would he let a catastrophic earthquake to happen to these people that cannot even feed themselves. Why punish people that have already been punished? So is the explanation that Haiti had a deal with the Devil and this is how God punishing them. I asked both my parents to explain what was happening using their religious views and they cannot come up with anything blog worthy. As the Palestinians and Israelis keep killing and bombing each other and as others continue to blame their problems on religion, the ones that concentrate on advancing themselves through education and hard work are going to prosper. God bless America..lol