I think this is a ridiculous story. The fact that South Park makes fun of people is such an old story, everybody has stopped caring what they say. At this point, the makers of South Park should not be subject to any more criticism. They should be allowed to say whatever they want about anybody, it’s a little thing we call freedom of speech.
Over the years, South Park has made fun of many different types of people. They have said things such as “Fucking Jew” and “People who are annoying…Niggers!” I mean these are some pretty ridiculous things to say on a cable television show, but South Park has been doing this for over 10 years. The general public should understand what this show is and how they are going to write the show. You don’t hear about the Jewish community complaining anymore about the derogatory comments they make about Jews. And you don’t hear about black people threatening the producer of South Park do you?
So why does the Muslim community feel like they have the right to threaten South Park for making fun of Muhammad? Is Muhammad such a sacred figure that they feel the need to protect him more than Jewish people need to protect themselves? I don’t get this at all. The Muslim community needs to suck it up and not get really mad about situations like this. People watch South Park because they like the show and they think it is hilarious. That’s why the show is still on the air. The producers of this show get paid to do make people laugh, and they are very good at what they do.
There is no way that South Park should even concern themselves with apologizing to anybody for this incident. They have worked out of worse situations than this one, and there is no reason this should be any different. I mean what are the Muslims going to do to the producers, murder them. There is no way these people are going to be killed over a cartoon episode. What has this world that we live in come to when people are being threatened over a cartoon show?
What I find interesting is that also on the episode, South Park made fun of all of the other major religions in some way. Why hasn’t the Christian community come out and threatened the producers for making fun of Jesus? Why does the Muslim community have to be so radical and intense in everything that they do. Maybe it would be okay if they said they were upset with the way Muhammad was depicted in the episode in a professional way. But they threatened the producers physically? That’s ridiculous.

You ask a very intriguing question, and to tell you the truth whatever I say in this blog probably won't even come near to what Sam wants us to take away from this class. I feel like it is a different scenario for each individual. There are definitely some people that came into the class as partially racist and even and the progress they make compared to someone who comes into the class in a higher stage is not the same ending just having a better understanding and awareness of race is a good goal for the class. Personally I came into the class already decently aware of some of these problems and know how to respect another race and how to be socially acceptable with them. Here at Penn State I am a freshman and I live in Pennypacker Halls which is basically the minority dorm so I have a ton of friends from different races and backgrounds and have had in depth discussions with them about the topics covered in class, just from hearing their side of the story and how they feel about these issues has given me a much better understanding how other races feel. Now back to the question that was asked in the video, I think the class objective is to promote thinking and raise awareness. I think it is also supposed to make people want to make a difference and contribute in a positive way; but just for people that are already comfortable with these controversial issues who can make a difference. Personally I think at the end of the class I'll end up somewhere in between those lines, but my mine objective is to try to blind my self to race as much as possible. Even though right now I think I do a pretty good job of not judging people just based on the color of their skin, there is no doubt that I still have a long way to go. The one thing I have learned from being around people of color more then I have in any other time of my life is how we oddly feel the same way about the tension between white people and people of color; it's silly. With all of my friends we understand the magnitude of what is going on but instead of continuing to cry about the problems we just have fun with it and joke around. I think racial issues have become so series that that is one of the main problems with dealing with it. I think other people should adapt the same mentality me and my friends have, if you look past the color of peoples skin you will definitely realize the absolute silliness (for lack of a better word) of the whole controversy.

This is a great question, during the end of the last class I had a lot of questions about affirmative action and nepotism. I think the question that is being raised here is "should affirmative action and nepotism be banned in certain fields where the quality of the employer is so detrimental?" And personally I can't really pick one side or the other in that argument. If I had to pick one side I think I would lean more towards banning them in intense fields. Hiring people through affirmative action and nepotism in a field like health care sounds extremely scary to me, especially if it is through nepotism. At least in affirmative action the person who is seeking a job has almost or the same amount of qualifications as the person they are up against. In nepotism it is solely based on knowing the person and like Sam said "As long as you are not a schmuck in the interview you pretty much get the job." This is a really touchy subject of deciding when affirmative action and nepotism are needed and when they should not apply. Regarding health care I think that affirmative action should still apply and that nepotism should either be banned or be given more guidelines.

On another note, before classes this week classes I had no respect when I heard white people complaining about affirmative action and how they got denied from a college because of it or got screwed over in another way, and in the classes this week about how affirmative action only affects about 10% of people and that it almost just helps out white people really ticked me off. I completely understand that minorities are at an extreme disadvantage, especially in the work world, and I still believe that they need laws to protect their well being. Everyone that wants equality in this world needs to feel the same way because no matter what people say it is definitely not equal. While we can contribute black people's low income to other reasons, I think not having an effective rule for helping them succeed is part of the problem and needs to be addressed. And nepotism goes hand and hand with this as well. If a lot of minorities are in financial problems that obviously don't have the advantages of having family and friends at major companies that can just hand them a job on a platter. I grew up in a middle class family and feel that I have done a lot to be at where I am today, to think about how others have gotten to the same place that I am at with soooo many less opportunities seems unfair. I just want it all to be equal so when I achieve goals in my lifetime I can say that I beat out others that tried just as hard.

Just as Prof. Richards was talking about in class on how we live in a male dominated if men went through the same menstrual cycles as women endure there is no doubt in my mind that there would be an endless amount of special treatment in favor of them. For example, in the workplace a men could be picked over an equally qualified women because she has to deal with her monthly cycle and because she could possibly get pregnant and be out of commission for an extended period of time. Even as a man who happens to get the advantage of these situations I feel it is extremely wrong. Even though every is weary of what women have to go through, I think the public partially ignores it and does that purposefully for the most part. We all know what goes on, and we all know that there are many times when it is just not possible for a women to go to work, or take care of other errands. I feel like as a society we need to understand the hardship of what women go through and give them proper absentees to help them. I understand that I am making this look like an easy solution to a problem that is fair beyond trial, but I believe we can come up with a reasonable way to handle this circumstance instead of acting completely oblivious to what is going on. It also still baffles me how men are still disgusted and irritated by these human function, maybe it is because I grew up with an older sister and a mother who was very open with me but I see this cycle as a very celebrated action, instead it is frowned upon and women frequently hide and go to great lengths to hide there cycle when it rolls around.

Back to the question that was presented on what if men menstruated. If we did I think it would not be anything like it is today, I believe we would be much more open to everything that comes with it. On the other side I think it would cause a lot of chaos, I think to solve a problem like this we just need to raise awareness for it being a normal function and not thinking about what would happen if men had the same cycles. I know that women are definitely not the most fun people to be around when they are going through their period but all men need to respect what they go through and help them go through what can be a extremely difficult time for a women. Don’t get me wrong there are many men who do support their significant others but not nearly enough and I think that is something that needs to happen in this male dominated society.

I was going through this same question in my group discussion the other day. I found it very interesting that when white people texted something that was offensive or racist there was a lot of buzz and tension around the room, but when black people retaliated with the same kind of texts there really wasn’t any acknowledgement throughout the class. I really have not done any research in this topic but I have my own opinion on why this happens.

Because white people are the majority in our nation and here at Penn State white people almost feel as though since we have most of life’s advantages in our favor that we should never question the minority. I think this also factors into white people taking the back seat in a ‘racist issues’ discussion. From what I have seen I think white people believe that since minorities have many disadvantages in life that somehow letting them rip on us without responding back in any kind of way is a means of making up for those difficulties. Along those lines it seems as though that we are venturing into white guilt in social situations a great deal. On the other hand I think minorities, especially black people, feel the same way at the opposite end of the spectrum, they feel as if they deserve to poke fun at the minorities (even in a racist way) and they don’t feel any guilt about it what so ever. Although this is a very weird and awkward way of looking at these things I think it makes sense. But even though I think it makes sense I feel as though it pushes us farther away from ever getting over racism as a society. How can we overcome racism if it is still normal and accepted in these kinds of circumstances? I don’t think we can. If we ever want to begin to start confronting racism as a whole, matter like these needs to be put in the rearview mirror for us to move on.

Now to go off topic and rant a bit on how I understand racism and the stupidity of it. My father is Colombian and my mom is American, I was born in the United States but I still practice Latino culture with my family and feel I am very in touch with the part of my background. While I have more white friends than black and brown friends I have experienced both social screens and have come to a conclusion about racism. We are the same people! Each group talks about how different we are from each other but I really don’t see it. There are slight differences between the two but it is definitely not enough to warrant racism and the division between us. I think both sides need to realize how racism is only as big as how we make it and get over it.

Even though Mr. Lewis is trying to present his idea as only a business opportunity, just the thought of what his motives are racist in themselves. Secluding a sport to only white Americans is extremely racist; do any other countries have any kind of leagues like that? Not that I know of. I am against this idea of an all white basketball league and I understand why people are reacting in a very negative manner, but I also believe there are much more serious circumstances of racism that we need to address before this. I remember blogging on a previous post about extremely high levels of racism in European soccer. Mr. Lewis's idea of an all white league is a small though that I think will never happen for a number of reasons. Racism and discrimination is not welcomed in sports but guys small idea really isn't going to affect anyone. I think one of the major parts of sports is bringing white people and people of color together to achieve one common goal, to have all races work and play cohesively in a fun environment, this is league would be a step in the wrong direction.

Although at the end of the video above it says that this guy Don "Moose" Lewis is supporting other sporting events that include athletes of color, the reasons why he can up with this "white league" makes me believe that he is indeed racist. Minorities, especially Africans Americans and Africans, have slowly but surely ingrained their presence in America's three major sports, basketball, baseball, and football. I think Mr. Lewis feels threatened that these minorities have basically dominated and taken over these sports and feels the need to reinstate white supremacy. Personally I have the absolute opposite opinion, minorities have brought a great deal to sports in the United States. They have given these sports global attention; specifically in the NBA there are superstars from all over the world. Yao Ming and Dirk Nowitzki are prime examples of this, Germany and China have both adapted basketball as a sport of interest. Minorities have also raised the level of competition to new heights in those three major sports.

First off, this guy is absolutely insane in thinking that there is a "niche" for an all white league in the Unitized States. The National Basketball Association (NBA) thrives on athletes that can make amazing plays, like dunking and blocking and a number of other athletic talents that the NBA displays on a nightly basis. If he actually decides to build an all white league I am also pretty sure that players shown above like David Lee and Kevin Love would definitely stay put in the NBA instead of leaving for a miniature league that could be considered racist league.

First off I would like to say that these weeks lectures were the must eye opening of all of Prof. Richards controversial classes. I think most people agree that there is definitely discrimination in the workplace that is obviously not needed. There are many laws that protect minorities from discrimination, but when there's a white man who is the "King of the Hill" at the top, the few times when these issues reach the point of legal decision they are shot down instantly to keep the world in order. It really bothers me when white people complain about affirmative action. Even before Prof. Sam Richards told us about how affirmative action is only 10% of how we get to our career opposed to 90%, which benefits white people. White people just have no idea how many advantages they have over minorities that they don't even understand. When talking with my black friends and a couple of black students in my discussion class they talk about how they feel out of place all the time and feel as if everyone is looking at them. I also was told that one of the main reasons some black people come to Penn State is to get used to being around tons of white people; in other words, getting ready for the work world. Personally, my father is Colombian and my mother is American, so I am a mix and have never really had any problem like that. But for some reason I feel like I partially know what they're feeling. The fact that they have to work harder to get to the same position I would be with the normal amount of work make me sympathize with them. Sam Richards talked about how people in hiring positions that are not racist still pick white people self consciously which makes me believe that the only way to eliminate this problem would to make this issue aware throughout education. Before these classes I know that there was discrimination in the work place and beyond, but not to this dramatic level. We are all human beings and all deserve the right to compete fairly for the jobs that we desire, even if I was affected by discrimination in a way that benefited me I would be disgusted for the reasons I have gone over.

The video we saw in class that was made by ABC News also bothered me immensely. Post 9/11 discrimination against Muslims has sky rocketed and I'm sure that also trickles down to the work place and choosing qualified applicants. I hate how American citizens judge an entire race just upon an act made by terrorists. Ever since that horrid day discrimination against muslins have increased every day. What about all the horrible things white people have done? Do we become prejudice against them? Of course we don’t. I just hope I experience the day in my lifetime when we all understand each other, but for some reason I doubt that will happen.

I really don't see a difference between the two. I know that there are a lot of gay and lesbian couples that want a child more than anything in the world, and I think it is a great way to find homes for tons of abandoned children. For couples that can't not have kids, whether it be because of the same gender or because of a medical condition are usually the perfect suitors of these unfortunate children. A couple that cannot have children for whatever reason will love their children and give them attention like no others. Before the lectures this week by Prof. Samuel Richards about LGBT I wasn't completely convinced of my opinions, but then when Sam told us that there is no greater chance that the gay or lesbian's offspring will turn out to be LGBT, which made my argument complete.

It really bewilders me how there are still a good amount of people who oppose this great alternative, as well as gay marriage. I know a handful of gay or lesbian couples and they happen to be some of the most nicest and caring people I know. Our country already has massive problems involving race, do we really need something new to come up with something new to segregate ourselves even further? Like one of my fellow classmates said in class, I think the only reason gay marriage isn't completely legal yet is because it won't help people in power get reelected, right now as Sam showed in class over half of the public believe in gay marriage, and the numbers increase when you call their matrimony something other than marriage. Once the rest of the public comes to terms that gay marriage is a good thing and should be in favor of it, then I think full actions with be taken to make it legal.

Back to my belief that LGBT people are mostly good people. The stereotype that LGBT people are unable to form lasting relationships is blasphemy! They are extremely loyal to their mates and are devoted partners. They are very civil people that have strong values, one of those being a strong emphasis in family life. That means they love each other and can contribute in a positive way to their communities. So why can't they bond in holy matrimony? Because people think it's weird, or they don't feel comfortable being around people that classify themselves as LBGT? Both are horrible arguments to prevent gay marriage.

The other day while discussing this topic with some friends of mine I heard that people that are married share taxes and have many more benefits than people marked as single. How unfair is that? If I was part of that community I can't even imagine the pain I would feel towards society. It's about time we get used to seeing two men walking down a street holding hands, its 2010!!!