en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2449696 Comments by mtm5278 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment141073853 I agree with Ernso on this subject, I do not think that it is a good idea to use pictures of poor people in foreign countries as kind of a selling point. I do not think that it is right to go into other peoples country and take pictures of them to try to get our help and support. Like Ernso said, the people in Haiti are a proud nation. They are not looking to be handed anything or expect us to just give them tons of money and everything will be ok. They are looking for a way to get out of poverty and rebuild their nation by themselves. I think that these pictures are degrading and are not being used for the right purpose. The people in Haiti want to be helped, not pictured as poor starving people living in misery. I feel that this question can go hand in hand with a lot of other organizations that we see on tv and in the media today. It seems as if we as Americans show the worst case scenario when dealing with anyone or anything in need. You always see on tv the dog commercials with sad music and they are trying to get viewers to feel pity for them. I think what Ernso was trying to say is that we should not feel pity towards these people and show pictures of poor children but rather help the nation. Taking pictures of poor children is being used as propaganda to try to get us to donate money to their country and that is not what the people want at all. We need to start taking a different approach that will help the people rather than just show the condition they are in. Yes most of the people of Haiti are in poor condition right now and need help but we need to help them, not feel pity for them. How would you feel if people came into the United States and took pictures of you to use as propaganda? I do not see any part that is positive with taking pictures of poor children. I feel that the people in Haiti do not want their poverty stricken nation broadcasted all over the American media and all over the world. There is already enough going on in Haiti as it is, they do not need to be pictured like this and felt sorry for. This is not how the Haitians want people to view their country. I simple commercial informing people of the problems going on in Haiti and what conditions are like over there I think is good enough. This leaves people with an open mind and helping in the way that they feel works best. Fri, 8 Apr 2011 19:52:38 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment141073853 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139190919 I have never felt uncomfortable in a situation where two or more people were speaking another language. I have been on many vacations where I walk into a store and it is very common to talk to people who are speaking a different language than I understand. To me this is not uncomfortable but extremely fascinating. I feel that different languages are one of the most interesting things in our world today. It is very cool knowing that people all over the world are having conversations in which I cannot understand and I am having conversations with my friends that they do not understand. I am very big into traveling and seeing that world and I cannot get enough of other cultures. When I encounter a conversation in another language I always try to figure out what they are saying by the gestures they are making or the way that they are acting. I feel that everyone needs to have an open mind when it comes to them being put in situations with different languages. It should not be weird or uncomfortable but fascinating knowing how many different languages and cultures are out there today. When I went over to Europe for soccer I encountered many people speaking in French and had to do my best to get my point across or understand what they are saying. I think that people today are too focused on their language or race becoming a minority instead of embracing the vast variety of cultures and things that these cultures have to offer. Our world would be a very boring place if everyone spoke the same language, had the same views, and had the same culture. Diversity is what makes the world go round. I do not see why some people feel uncomfortable in situations where other languages are involved. They are people just like you and I, just speaking in another language. How do you think people from other countries feel about being around people speaking English? I feel that other countries are more open minded then we are as American’s. Problems in society start to arise when people do not accept or embrace other cultures. This is the point where cultures are forced on other people. If everyone was accepting the world would be a lot more peaceful of a place. Until we learn how to accept other people for who they are and other cultures for what they have to offer there is always going to be a great deal of tension in the world. Languages are something that have always fascinated me the most. One of my main goals in life is to travel to every country and embrace their language and culture. I feel that this makes people more well-rounded and willing to accept any situation they are put in. Fri, 1 Apr 2011 20:27:03 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/29/do-you-ever-feel-uncomfortable-around-two-or-more-people-speaking-another-language-119-blog/#IDComment139190919 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137807462 I feel that interracial relationships are just like any other relationship that people of the same race have. It really says something about you if you do not support interracial relationships. You are basically saying that you are racist. We are all humans and only 0.1 different between each of us. I have never understood by a lot of parents disapprove of interracial relationships. The whole point in having a relationship is finding someone who cares about you and likes you for who you are, not what you look like or what race you are from. People who do not believe in interracial relationships need to re-think the way that they think about relationships in general. I know many people who date outside of their race and are completely fine with it. It is pretty sad that in society today some people even have to hide the fact that they are dating someone outside their race or just not tell anyone in general. You should never have to hide something so simple as this. People are always saying that we have made a huge improvement in not discriminating and treating everyone as equal but I for one feel that this is not true. If we have truly made a breakthrough in the race topic and about people being racist then why does this dating discrimination still happen? Society has a long way to come before a major breakthrough actually happens. We can’t just look at the big picture with things such as slavery and public discrimination but also at a smaller level such as interracial relationships. I am embarrassed for mankind when I see an interracial couple and then hear people talking poorly about them or making negative comments. I cannot understand why people can’t see that everyone is the same and that we were all created the same way and are all humans. No one has the right to think that they are better than someone else for any reason. Interracial relationships are the same as any other relationship around today and should be acknowledged as such. I know that my parents would have no problem with me dating a girl outside of my race. If society is going to change it needs to start with the way that parents teach their kids as they are growing up. If parents are racist then that will only reflect on the kids and the kids will grow up to be racist. There is nothing wrong with interracial relationships and people in today’s world need to stop thinking that it is such a bad thing or that it cannot happen. I know this is not something that can change overnight but with time it is something that can change and better society as a whole. Sun, 27 Mar 2011 00:27:47 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/24/how-have-you-acted-when-involved-in-racist-or-discriminating-events-119-blog/#IDComment137807462 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135937138 The diversity of Penn State is a lot more than I thought it would be coming into school. I guess I just had this idea because of the town I came from and the schools I have attended. Since pre-school, every school I have been in has mostly been all white catholic schools. I never really got a chance to experience school with people of different races and never really got the chance to meet people of other races until high school. Even though my high school was mostly white it still had some diversity in it. This opened up my world and I was finally able to branch out and make friends with people of other races. Penn State is a whole different experience than high school. There are people from every race and nationality and a lot of diversity located right within the dorm buildings and floors. I feel that the diversity at Penn State is great. I was able to walk around the floor and had a chance to meet people from other countries which I felt was awesome. I love hearing about the background of people and how much different life is around the world. Some of my best friends on my floor are from different countries such as India and Russia. I find different cultures and lifestyles very interesting and fascinating. It is cool to be at Penn State and have the opportunity to learn firsthand about those cultures and how people live. I have always been interested in things going on around the world and meeting people. I feel that this very diverse campus helps everyone here who is willing to open up be a more well-rounded person in the end. Without the diversity here I would have never met some of my best friends and I am very grateful for this. I think that Penn State is the perfect campus for this. Almost every person I have met is willing to branch out and meet people of difference races. Penn State is a very friendly campus and I think that this gives people a chance to express their cultures and ideas without being judged for it by everyone. Too many places around the United States look down upon people of different races and are too quick to judge when they know nothing about who the people actually are. Penn State is the complete opposite. I have asked people before if they are ever judged here because of their race or the way they dress and I always get the same response saying people here are different then people in other cities. People here are accepting and willing to look at people for who they are and aren’t quick to judge by the way they look or the way they dress. I feel that the diversity here is perfect and this is one of the best campuses around in terms of treating everyone equal. Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:50:21 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/18/what-do-you-think-of-the-diversity-at-penn-state-119-blog/#IDComment135937138 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment134462328 I do not think it is selfish for people in poverty to have more kids if they are doing this for the right reason. If these people are having more kids so that they can receive for welfare or help from the government then I think this is extremely selfish and wrong. I think that most of the people in poverty that have a lot of kids aren’t doing this to be selfish but to ultimately help their family out as a whole in the long run. With more kids this gives more jobs throughout the family and a higher income to help the family meet ends meet. These are the people who are having children in poverty for a positive effect on the family and willing to do whatever they can to make it in today’s society. On the other hand I personally feel that it is wrong to have children just to receive more welfare. These are the people who are too lazy to work hard or figure out a plan where their family can make a big enough income to help them succeed. I feel that they never had a drive to work or make it on their own by themselves and are now taking the easy way out of things to make money. I understand it is very difficult for the government to distinguish between these two different groups of people but something needs to be done to encourage people to find work and get jobs and not rely their entire life on the welfare system to meet ends meet. There is also a different way of looking at this situation. Even if it is beneficial for the family to have more children to help their income it also seems that it is still wrong no matter way they are doing it. If the family does not have enough income to make it in society then having children for any reason could seem selfish. If they are struggling in supporting their own lives how are they supposed to give their children a proper upbringing? If I had to choose if it was selfish or not I would have to know the background life of each individual family to determine my position. On one hand it could be a good thing for the family to have more children and on the other it could be a selfish thing to do. This is a hard situation to grasp when looking at the picture from all angles. I think the best thing to do is to trust each and every one of those families are doing the right thing to make them better off without taking advantage of government policies. Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:42:50 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/is-it-selfish-for-people-in-poverty-to-have-more-kids-because-of-their-lower-income-119-blog/#IDComment134462328 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment129020570 I do and do not feel that success is the result of hard work. It is in a way and other times people have no control over their situation. I feel that if most people work hard enough they can pull themselves out of any hole that they are in. We are always told over and over that if you work hard things are going to end up paying off in life. This is the mindset that most children get at a young age. With more and more education I think people believe that success is the result of hard work because of all the hard work they have endured to get to where they are in life now. People don’t just wake up one day and become a doctor or a lawyer. This takes years and years of hard work and determination to be able to be in a field like this. I bet if most doctors were asked if they believe success is brought mostly hard work they would all agree. Success is not something that is just given to someone, well at least not in most cases. Success is something that one must want to achieve. All of us have a goal to become successful in life but all of us also have different definitions of success. For me I believe success is when I reach my ultimate goal, to become a surgeon. I also believe success is having a good lifestyle with a family. This is not necessarily every person’s goal of success. Success can mean a lot of different things to people. All in all I think people with more years of college and schooling definitely think that success is the result of this. Why would people go to ten years of college to become a surgeon if they did not think that it would ultimately pay off in the long run? I feel like this is what motivates people to go to extra schooling is to become successful. Not everyone has a goal to become a surgeon but that does not mean that they aren’t successful. Again this goes back to the fact that everyone has their own opinion of success. No child wants to be unsuccessful in life. But sometimes people cannot control their situation that they are put in. If people are brought up in a house where the parents never went to college or didn’t even graduate high school it may give their children a mindset that that is what their life is going to be like and follow their parents. I still think that even in this situation children could turn their life around and become whatever they want if they really put their mind to it. Sat, 19 Feb 2011 03:44:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/16/why-with-more-education-do-people-believe-that-success-is-mostly-a-result-of-hard-work-119-blog/#IDComment129020570 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124445980 In the current social world political correctness is the standard in conversation. While not always the most practical way to convey ideas, it has unfortunately become a necessity. Self-branding is very important to being successful and being politically incorrect can not only hurt your image, but that of those you associate with. Is it necessary to agree with political correctness? No, however those are the rules of the game of life, socially that it. The answer to why this has come to be is the mindset of the time. This can be seen through many historical examples. Prohibition for example, became a law because of a mindset, not health issues or any other excuse that lawmakers of the time were proposing. The same thing can be said about today’s drinking age, “going green” and Jersey Shore. All of these things are in place or popular due to the mindset of the time and the same can be said about being politically correct in social situations. Political correctness is in the majority of conversations about politics, religion and social issues. These topics are very touchy in social conversations and can cause arguments and even conflict. Therefore a system has been set up to protect one’s self from causing an issue when conversing with different people. This system is what we call political correctness. While everyone at one point uses political correctness for themselves, companies are the real benefactors of political correctness. If a company decides to make a statement about their market or even their competition and ends up offending someone, it becomes a public relations nightmare. Therefore they keep very politically correct and protect themselves from legal and fiscal problems. This can be seen especially in the more powerful corporations that have more to lose if they slip up in front of the public. Everyone must succumb to political correctness. So as one can see, political correctness can be seen as a protector and a barrier. While some see political correctness as a bad thing, not being able to speak their mind, and want to see an end to it; others understand the other side of being politically correct. My recommendation to those who want to stop being politically correct, try being politically incorrect in front of some future employers or even your family and see what happens. That being said I also personally believe that political correctness with be the death of the country in taking on the major issues, however I can understand why politicians are so politically correct. Understanding is different than supporting it. Political correctness is a necessary inconvenience, one that all of us today must abide by. Hopefully one day we can speak completely open without the unfortunate repercussions. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 01:08:37 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124445980 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/14/why-dont-we-know/#IDComment122886787 I also think that this is a very interesting question and subject that he is presenting here. I think that most people know that the products that they buy come from sweatshops but we kind of turn a shoulder on the subject. Most people have the belief that it is not happening in the United States and it is not affecting us so why change it. I feel that most people on content on how things are going and don’t want things to change. Products made in sweatshops in other countries can be made cheaper and therefore sold to the American public cheaper. I think that most Americans have the mindset that everything cheaper is better no matter where it comes from which is a very sad reality. We are the wealthiest nation in the world; I don’t see why we feel the need to buy products made in sweatshops overseas. The only reason why these products are cheaper is because they are pretty much being made illegally with the use of slaves. We always here in the news about sweatshops and how slaves are being used to make the products but nothing is ever done to do something about it. A war on slavery was fought in the United States in the past and now it’s almost as if we are supporting slavery by purchasing these products from sweatshops in foreign countries. It is our responsibility to fight against slavery in other countries as well. No matter where you are from, slavery is never ok. No one person has the right to own another man or woman. To me, I think we as the American public need to take a stand against this and support opening shops in America where everything can be made. This would stop the use of sweatshops and also help the American economy by offering more jobs for people who may have lost theirs in recent years. Of course at the beginning prices would be higher on the things that we are used to buying at low prices, but eventually over time with more and more of these American factories being opened and more products being purchased the prices would fall and level off. I think it is a sacrifice that must be made to help the common good of all people. We as the American population need to voice our opinion on subjects like this and start somewhat of a movement towards change. Change is ultimately brought about by a unanimous decision from the entire population. Sweatshops are something that we cannot and must not overlook. This problem should be handled just as a war between two countries should be handled. We need to do everything in our power to fight this immoral problem. Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:49:42 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/14/why-dont-we-know/#IDComment122886787 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cm%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122613918 Soc 119 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:39:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cm%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment122613918