That is an interesting question because when I approached this video I thought it was going to be someone who has made an obviously racist comment and needed to know if it was really that bad. This comment, that you could help people in a developing country better than someone that lives in that area, I believe is not a racist comment. I think if you reword it and say I can do a better job because I am better than those people, it might because of the reasons you would say that. It might be because you have more money and can afford the necessary things to help them. Or is it because you see yourself with higher power then they have? Those are two separate questions and I think the reason you say you could do better determines if you are close to the racism boundary. Also I think in your situation where you have visited this country and actually have seen the country and its problems, it gives you a reason to think how you can help. Now I have only been thinking from the side of an U.S citizen but if I think about how I would feel if you said that to me and I was a person living in that country, I believe it might be a different story. If you said that to someone in the country they might think that you believe that they do not have any power to help their own country. They could feel that you think you are better than them not because you can help but possibly because you come from a developed country, the United States. This fine line of being racist and having an opinion is very hard to follow in our society. I feel like I find myself watching what I say about certain people because if I do not complement or agree with their views it could be seen as being racist. Or as you have come by, helping people could be taken as being racist because being racist sometimes includes thinking you are better than them. Once I found myself talking to one of my colored friends and it was so hard to find words that will not come off as racist. I was never trying to be racist but because I was watching my words I felt like I might say something wrong. A lot of things can be taken racism so it is hard to watch everything you say. Some people are going to take what you said racist but some will not. I do not know how this boundary of being racist and not will resolve or if it will ever be less sensitive but I guess we need to watch what we say around certain people.

After this week’s lecture and the skit put on in class, I got to really thinking about the way women are portrayed in the media and how us, as women in society need to fit each and every stereotype thrown at us. I think we all agree that all women are beautiful in their own way but then why is our society so focused on changing our appearance to a norm? There are millions of companies out in the United States to change our physical properties. We have tanning salons to make our skin darker but we still do not wish to have black skin. Why do we strive for dark skin but not the extreme? We also have plastic surgeons being paid millions of dollars to get rid of our cellulite or our wide noses. I think it is funny that we all agree that we are all beautiful with our special characteristics but then why do we look at other women and comment on her different features. If we think that these features are what makes each other beautiful then why do we judge. In society we look at models in magazines and find ourselves wishing for the legs that go for a mile or the flat stomach. I believe those women are not the real women we should be looking at and idealizing. We should be looking up to the women who change people’s lives based on their activities and actions. A woman’s looks can only get you so far in life. There is always something we would change about ourselves if we had the money or opportunity. In class we talked about how women judge other women on their appearance and we also talked about how we judge ourselves. I think we are the biggest judges on our appearance because we see the little things no one else might see. We also see everyone else around us and the clothes they are wearing. In society it is all about buying the cute clothes, having the best haircut and obtaining the best physical features. We spend our whole life’s conforming to our society by looking at people on TV, in magazines and also by looking at women around us at school or work. If we did not conform then we would be judged so we have to keep up to the styles to keep us in society. I am not saying I refuse to conform, I think everyone has conformed in some way either by our clothes, makeup or physical features. There is so much out there to conform to the ideal women. The stores that give us that opportunity are in the best business because everyone wants to change something about their physical appearance.

I think this is a good question and I am definitely going to read other response to this but I just want to write about what I have taken from this class. Personally this class has sometimes opened up my mind to think differently and ask more questions. I do not think that anything is going to change drastically in my life because of this class but it will definitely make me think more about what I say when I am around other races or when I am put into different situations. I do not know if I am on the low end of the class that is not getting anything to change their lives but I am not saying this class was useless. The lectures are interesting and when I go to class it does make me think but when I leave class nothing really changes what I do.
I think if Sam reads these posts he is really looking for this class to change how people think about things. He has said all this semester that if he makes you ask more questions and find things that he talks about interesting, he has done his job. I do not believe that he thinks everyone’s lives are going to change after this class. There are going to be people who walk away with absolutely nothing from this class except just a couple credits towards their major but then there will be people who walk away and get more involved in these issues. Sam gives so many opportunities to reach out and learn more and I think he does that so he can say he gave everyone the opportunity to open their minds and think outside the box.
For me, I think I have thought differently about some of the topics he has brought up. Some things I agree with him on and some I do not but this class is all about your opinion. To really gain some insight in this class I believe just asking yourself questions and challenging your own beliefs proves that this class has opened up your mind and made you realize some things. This is not a normal class where you sit for a lecture and gain book knowledge, it is a class you sit and soak in the reality of our world. Some things might be a surprise to you while some things might not but as long as you’re listening to Sam’s and other student’s opinions you are participating in class. Sometimes I find myself having a conversation with my friends and a subject that we have discussed in class comes up and I am able to share information with my friends that can open their minds too.

When Sam put on this video and said that this would be the most disturbing video we will see, I was like yeah okay Sam that is what you always so but after I was like, okay you were right. Just the point of the experiment was very interesting. I would always think that the black or colored children would pick the colored doll to pay with and the white children would always pick the white doll. When all the children picked the white doll to play with I was so surprised. Wouldn’t the colored children want to play with people of the same color? But what was more surprising was that when they were asked witch doll was the “bad” doll most of them picked the colored doll. I have a feeling that maybe their society or the people they were living with sorta put this stereotype on them. It also interesting that the colored children then said they were like the colored dolls.

I really tried to think why these children picked the dolls they picked but I am completely flustered. It definitely has to deal with the society because they are so young. When you are that young you’re not thinking about being politically correct or afraid of being a racist. You just know what people tell you when you’re that age. Also I think it has to do a lot about the definition of beauty in the society. Most of the ads on TV or in magazines are young white women that have perfect features. I feel that a young girl or boy would like to be friends or play with the most “beautiful” doll. They do not see the colored features as beautiful so they do not pick that doll to play with. Also maybe because they say the white doll is the good doll, they only want to play with the good doll; there is no reason to want to play with the bad doll. I think this video is so scary and really is good resemblance of our society because it is younger children. I think that because the experiment was done on children show that the results are not influenced by their thoughts but the thoughts that they have grown up with in our society. It is also interesting that years later the same results are seen. Shouldn’t we have moved more towards having beauty that includes all difference races or not have a good and bad race? Those stereotypes were being held onto and passed from generation to generation where they should have been change a long time ago. Being white this makes me realize how our race makes other people put us and the other races into categories.

I was actually thinking the same thing during class. I did not see a reason why there was uproar when white people made rude comments but people just laughed when black people made rude comments. I think it is because the race issues stem from black verses white and how white people were racist towards black people. Now a days most white people try and be politically correct so things do not bother colored people. Now I question whether black people try and be politically correct? Sometimes I feel like they do not. I have witnessed many black people make fun of white people but it comes off as a joke not racism. Black people do not need to watch what they say half the time because I think they believe that they were the victims and now have a right to say anything now. This is also the reason white people can not say anything they want. White people used to be the racists and to prove we have started to unite we have to make sure we do not revert back to racism. I think in class it was a big deal when white people made rude comments because most people did not expect that to happen. Most people probably expected white people to be politically correct but also state how they felt. In addition I think a lot of black people felt like if a white person would say that up on the board without showing who they were they would never say it in public. I think that it was also funny when Sam brought up to the black people that they want the white people to say how they feel but if anything is rude or racist they hate the person who said it. For white people it is not an even playing field; you can either hide your views about other races and have everyone like you or tell how you feel to the other races and be hated and treated like a racist. This was evident on the board where some people decided to hold back their feelings with comments like “I don’t know,” or “it’s just a skin color.” On the other hand some people decided to tell people how they felt about the subject but then got bad feedback from the rest of the class. I think though with the texting exercises more people will actually open up and say how they feel because they could not be pointed out as racist. Hopefully more and more people will find that saying your views allows for more opening and realization about our sociality today and how much work we need to do to unite.

I think this is a great opportunity to move forward. Football is usually considered a men’s sport but you can tell by looking at this situation, she does not believe this. Maybe this could change the outlook on the sport and push more women to try out for football teams or any other sport that is male dominated. It is crazy also how most people are supportive of this occurrence. I would have thought a lot of fathers of the players would be upset by the decision to make a woman the coach. It shows that people are willing to change the normal society.
It is funny to think about her personality because in the interview she does come off as a nice innocent woman but I guarantee on the football field she is not. In order for her to do well in this sport, because it is a male dominated sport, she needed to have the energy and strength of a man. Also I think she has some tough skin. I think many girls that wanted to try playing football did not because they were scared of being make fun of. Many girls that try out for “boyish” sports will get made fun of by other teammates for their lack or strength or by other girls for being like a boy. This opportunity could push more women to go out and play the sport they want to.
I think this is a good decision for the community and the United States because it shows change toward unity. This is a big headline in the news because men and women are not looked at equally all the time. With football, I believe most men think that football is not a sport for women to be playing or coaching. For whatever reason, they might think that women are too nice and sweet for the game. Let me tell you looking at this women, even though she seems nice there is another side to her once she is on the playing field. In addition, most guys in high school do not want to be coached by a woman. They think the same things as their fathers and their grandfathers. If our country was already united this would not be a big deal. It really should not either. This woman has played football in high school because she loved the sport. Took time off in college to find another path but then ended up back at football playing for the divas. She played for a pro-football team. I do not see any difference from most high school and college coaches except she is a girl. I am happy that so far the community has accepted the coach but I hope it continues.

I have mixed feelings about the situation that was presented in the video in class. I agree with the people that did not say anything but do disagree about the reason why they might not have had said anything. In certain situations I think it might be better not to say anything, not necessarily for respect but because sometimes it is not your place and it could make it even worse. On the other hand, like the girl said, if you’re not saying anything because you do not want to be disrespectful to people but there is something happening that you think is disrespectful you should be able to say anything. If something is occurring that you do not believe should be going on, then say something. Times where I would not say anything would have to be when I really do not have all the information about the situation. Sometimes putting your input on a situation where you do not have all the facts can cause more of a problem between people. In addition, you do not know who this “racist” person is. They could be a very racist person that could rely on violence. In the video, I admit I would have been the person to just walk out. I do not think I would have bought anything but I would not have said anything either. I know it probably is not the right thing to do but I am also looking out for myself too. I guess that is what everyone else was doing when they walked out. Instead of risking their feelings and well being they left, not thinking about that woman that was being criticized. Maybe next time I am in that situation, I might think twice about who is being hurt and help with a choice of words. It was also fascinating to see people’s reactions to the situation. I do not believe that people would side with the cashier and say he was a real American. What is that? This just shows how many different people and views there are in the United States. You could be a good American by either supporting racism or standing up for it. Also after watching this, I could think of a couple instances where I have seen this happen. I mean they were not as dramatic or out in the open but I have seen instances where different cultures have been the point of interest for racism. This video showed there are different people in the world. There are the people that are considered racists, the people receiving the racism and the spectators. These people can be divided into people doing something to help alleviate racism or walk away.

During the LGBT class, I thought Sam made a good point with the cartoon that showed the different marriages. Our country acknowledges marriages between star for publicity that last a week, marriages between two people who knew each other for a night but the United States does not allow a marriage between two people who love each other because they are the same sex. If two people are in love and acknowledge each other as a partner they deserve every treatment and benefits as a married couple. I do not care if you want to call their union a marriage but they do not deserve to be told they are not allowed to have the rights that two married people do. In this instance in the video it is a disgrace to see that the United State takes away this mother. First off she has not one but two sons that she cares for everyday. She has a partner that she loves dearly and has a life with this person. This does not sound any different than my household or any other family I know. There is one difference though; the partner is of the same sex. But that is not wrong. The only thing she is doing wrong or is a reason for being deported is because she is not a legal American citizen but that is only because they do not recognize their same sex marriage. If only the United State would recognize this union then there is no reason for her deportation. I also feel that the United States are taking into account she is living in a household that has parents of the same sex and this adds to their reason to deport her. I think the United States should instead realize there are two kids that are being raised by loving parents even if they are of the same sex.
This deportation also has a great effect on the two children. In the video when the one son was re encountering his mother’s deportation, he could barley talk. If the kids are constantly being exposed to their mom being put in handcuffs, this could affect the well being of the children. This is a big problem that I believe the United State is not thinking about. First you are exposing these kids to their mother being taken away by the police. Then second, you are leaving these kids with a single parent. I thought the United States was all for families lead with two parents? The United States contradict themselves in this situation. The United States needs to decide whether they care more about forbidding same sex marriages or keeping a family together. Most people can decide on which is better.

Why does it come down to black and white? I really think these are the two major groups in the world and yeah there is some history between these groups but there are other factors involved. When I think about these two groups, I think many people in both races have feelings about one another. White and Black people consider themselves the most different and I think that’s why it always comes up. In my discussion group class, we do not have many different cultures and sometimes I believe that our discussions would be influenced in certain ways if there were more different people in our group. For example more black people could either cause a better discussion or actually tone down our thoughts. There could be intense conversations about the differences of color and culture where as because we do not have too much diversity we do not have many of these controversial conversations. When we think about the ghettos or lower poverty areas most people automatically go to the one group that is of vast majority in those areas, the black people. I know this is because of our culture but then the reason it’s always black and white is because of our culture. Today we separate these groups with certain qualities and if one discussion comes up about a quality that separates race we automatically go to black verses white. I think a lot of it has to do with our stereotypes and how most people think blacks and whites are very very different. This is why the conversation is never whites or blacks and Asians or Italians.
Another part that makes a big impact on how we talk about race topics is what we have learned since grade school: the Civil Rights Movement. We have been taught about this fight for black equality many times throughout history classes and so on. It is only in our nature to think about the differences that caused blacks to become slaves and why they weren’t equal back then. Whenever topics of inequality are brought up in discussion, we think about the biggest fight of inequality ever in the United States. I am a follower of this trend too. I do not consider the differences between other cultures. When a race related discussion comes up between friends or family members I think I just consider the black people. Unfortunately it should not be this way because if we think only black people are only affected by inequality and judgment we are narrow minded. There are many different cultures that should be considered in our conversations. I think in our discussion groups we should divert away from the black and white conversations and try to involve different social problems that include different cultures.

I think that class on Tuesday stirred a lot of people’s thoughts about how people make their own choices or how they are socially forced a certain way. On that subject, I believe that most of the reasons why people do not succeed it because they do not make the right decisions. They say it is the social forces on themselves but in a way they have always had a decision to make. For instance like the examples that Sam said in class, a lot of times when people are asked why they were not able to succeed they say it was because some external factors. Whatever the circumstance I believe most of the time people have the opportunity to get around these obstacles and actually do whatever they think it unattainable. On the other hand, sometimes these obstacles are out of one’s hands. I agree with the examples of SAT scores and the parent’s income as a specific situation. In addition it was so surprising and actually eye opening when Sam showed us the Opera special on the two schools in the same state. It was crazy to see how happy the kids from the underprivileged school reacted when they got to see a nice and upscale school. I believe that those kids did not have the same opportunities as the children at the upscale school and I definitely think that they would have lower SAT scores. Also when these kids now go to college, like the one girl said, she will probably be behind and have a harder time then most of the college students.
Like someone said on here, I go to class motivated also. Every class motivates me to think about everyone else in the room, not just me, and their feeling about the subject in class. It also makes me think about how everyone has different opinions even if they are in the same social class. This is a think to keep in mind so you do not judge anyone in the class and you can really understand the difference between people. This class shows how our society just assumes things about certain people and we give into these rules. Last class made me think about how people, most of the time, have the deciding factor in their life. Therefore we also have the decision to sort people in different categories or not and make assumptions about people or get to know their opinions first. I cannot wait to go to class everyday and realize something our society is assuming. We can take everything we learn in class and apply it to our everyday life and the people communicate with. In conclusion, I think this class is great so far and it is very useful and eye opening.