If your going to sit down and talk with these guys and see the issue from through their eyes and see their path you should also talk to their victims families and see the situation through their eyes and see their path before you make a one sided decision. It seems like everyone was really touched by this letter and stuff. I just wasn't because of the act that they committed and my compassion is with the families of their victims. I mean yes people change, but what they did doesn't change. The fact that the person they killed isn't going to get to enjoy the world and the wonders that are part of this world, than neither does the person that took it. I'm glad they are making good with their situation and that they are changing, but still it doesn't erase the fact that their victims won't enjoy the world so they shouldn't either it is that easy.

I don't get how you feel this guy should get a second chance because of one letter. Are you that naive. Because he felt compassion that now he is ready to come back to society with the rest of us. You keep saying that these people do have feelings, that they deserve another shot because they have feelings, because they show remorse. How can you feel this way is what I ask. These guys killed someone and because they are sorry all is forgiven. You have to be kidding me. Lets not even mention the victims or the family of the victim. I'm sure they'd completely agree with you that these guys should get a second chance because of a nice letter of compassion. My only question for you is if someone murdered your brother and then ten years later felt remorse for it and wrote a letter to you like this about feeling compassion, would you still have the same opinion that he should be given a second chance, because you did say everyone deserves a second chance.

So what are we supposed to feel after reading this? Sympathy for the "good" people in prison? I feel compassion for them, don't get me wrong, it would suck to be in prison for life. But seriously what are we supposed to get from this 1 letter that there are compassionate moments in prison. The thing that is killing me is how people are on here saying its too bad this guy can't get out he'd do great things in the world. How do you know that, because he wrote a letter about feeling and compassionate moments in prison. How seeing someone suffer touched his soul? He is obviously in there for murder so where was that touching moment in his soul when his victim suffered? Too many people are like awww I feel bad for these now good guys in prison. Talking about how they wish they could do something to help them out. Why not seek out the families of the victims and see if they need some help before the convicts. Sometimes Sam gets people to think so backwards in this class its unreal. Like feel bad for these guys instead of even talking about the victims families. So this guy picks compassion to talk about and tell everyone how there are real good people in jail. So why are these good people in jail for life, why did he pick compassion to write about and not the horror stories or things he may have done as well in prison. It's easy he wanted people to feel bad for lifers in which i won't do. If your guilty of murder and in jail for life and your being good in jail, well congrats to you sorry you didn't figure out that killing people was wrong before you went to jail, but I'm not going to feel bad for you when you took someones life before it was their time. I guess instead of writing a letter to students like me he should have talked about this subject with his understanding and compassionate cell mates. Yes I am also in support of the death penalty. I know Sam tried to change people's minds about how innocent people die and also his electric chair example. Yes it is not perfect and I think should only be used on people that are 100% proven guilty no doubt whatsoever. The one thing though that I was impressed was how well of a letter that man produced. I guess if I wasn't so cold his wording and stories would have had some affect on me like it seemed to have done for everyone else here, but the facts remain the same they murdered someone and are paying their dues. I feel compassion for the families, but not for them. I'm glad to see they can live civilized in prison and that they are making the best of a bad situation. Sometimes you learn the hard way I guess.

Well first of all of course you don't see any of the good that we are doing there because you are against war to begin with. Of course you say you'd join the extremist insurgency because that is what Sam was intending us all to say when he created this presentation. Do you think its an accident that he picked the videos that he did? Anyways if your going to say as a college student you would be joining the insurgency then you need to be experienced to all the facts. Sure we said we were after nuclear bombs. Sure we are probably still there for the most part for oil. But in the entire process we did do good for the country of Iraq. Something they like us for . We got rid of the tyrant Saddam Hussein that was terrorizing his own people. We are giving that country a brighter future because they don't have to live in fear of their ruler anymore. So whatever you want to say about peace this peace that the truth is there are bad people in this world terrorizing there country and others. Saying you would join the extremist is saying you would become a terrorist as well. Because if I recall it was Muslim extremists that crashed planes into the World Trade Center Buildings, the Pentagon, and field of Pennsylvania. we don't know what exactly is going on in the Middle Eastern countries and I am so tired of people assuming that they do. If you really want to know whats going on there ask a soldier and start supporting your troops.

Yes we are probably over there for oil. Let me ask you one thing though. If your playing the role of being a Muslim college student would you really fight the Americans? Why? You have to also remember that we went over there and took out there own home grown terroristic tyrant of Saddam Hussein. You can't say that you wouldn't fee l gratitude towards America for that. What else are they doing? They have men and women risking their lives to rid your country of Muslim extremist who are a threat to the United States seeing how we are majority Chrisitian and if you need more proof of why look at videos of 9/11 to see what Muslim extremists can do.

Alright first off this would be my second time listening to this exact same lecture. My friends last semester took this class, said Sam was real entertaining and apparently that this class was going to be the best as Sam would say every class. So when I sat through this lecture I knew exactly what was coming and I think it helps to hear it twice, you don't leave quite as confused as some seem. First Sam isn't saying that Christians are trying to take over the world. You need to understand that we were supposed to be Muslim college age students being exposed to video clips that the insurgency wants us to see. Mainly getting brainwashed. I did not say I would join the insurgency instead I said not at all. Yes there are some knuckleheads in the military that shames all the good our men and women in the military do. I honestly feel that this class Thursday disrespected them in a way. Yes if I was exposed to all that material I would feel an urge to join the insurgency. The thing is though that not all Muslims are exposed to that material. They say "we love America" and "America is good" and want American students to take a picture of them as a gift because they are thankful for what we did and are continuing to do. I am not saying we aren't there for oil because I honestly believe we are. But you can't say that while over there our troops aren't keeping people safe that may be living in fear of this same insurgency. They may be thankful and offering gifts because they know that we are after the people that they fear and trying to rid them of the same terrorists. If you tell me the war in Afghanistan is pointless though all I have to say is check out youtube videos of 9/11 and maybe that'll remind you why we are there. Although I do not agree with being in Iraq for oil, I do agree with helping rid them of these extremists because we have been attacked by Muslim extremist's and we shouldn't forget that because of this lecture. These extremists didn't just appear in Iraq because the Americans came over to "spread" Christianity. It takes years to get to that level of extremist where you resort to violence and to rid the world of those who speak ill on Islam. So I support our troops and the work that they do. We probably are there for oil but don't forget that in the process we are helping the citizens get rid of those that they fear as well. Overall interesting lecture.

I kind of feel the same way. I really wished that the children would have been asked why one doll was good and why one was bad. Because at this age honestly it could be for various reasons why one is good and not the other. It could be because they associate their decisions from a show they watch where there is a white good guy and black bad guy. Children are easily influenced the only part that was gut wrenching was you could see the inner struggle in the one boys eyes when he was asked which was good and which was bad. You could see how hard it was for him to pick.

Do you feel like it is really how you are raised or the society that we grow up in? I get what you mean that you would choose the white doll and not feel bad about it because you were raised associating with white people so that is what you are comfortable with. Thinking more into it your probably right that it has more to do with family life than society influence especially at that age. I guess there really isn't much you can do about it except continuing to try to change the image of what race is good and what race is bad.

I wouldn't keep using the word disturbing as the best way to describe this video, like everyone else has. The only way to describe it is that it is truely sad that young children are feeling this way. The most shocking part of the clip was when they chose the "nice" doll and the "bad" doll. To see the young black child pick the white doll as the nice one and the black doll as the bad one, was sort of gut wrenching. I have to admit at first I was pretty surprised. I was wondering immediately, why would he pick the white one it doesn't make any sense? Then I started wondering how these kids feel about themselves. Did that boy think he was a bad person because he too was black. That was probably the toughest thing to think about because no child should grow up assuming that they are bad based on their skin color. I could understand the little girls liking the white dolls more. I remember some pysch classes talking about this and how most children pick the dolls that they either see themselves as or want to be like. So taking this into consideration does that mean that the children in this video want to be white. That may be the case. That is sad because people should like who they are whether they are black, brown, or white. When i heard about this whole concept of black girls choosing the white doll in these types of experiments, before this class and video, I thought whats the big deal. They are choosing the one that they like. I felt like we were looking to much into things like usual. But now after this video I feel that there is something wrong with our society that children are growing up with these viewpoints. You can't blame the children for their views, but the society that forms their views. We need to continue to fix our societies views and the messages that we portray on young children so that one day we can run this experiment and they won't choose a bad doll or a good doll. This whole video was very eye opening to the inner pain some children have about there skin color and their race when in all actuality I feel everyone should be proud of their race and where they came from and where they are. There is so much culture that goes with every race its sad to see some people not being taught to appreciate it and learn it rather to hate themselves possibly because of their skin color. That is what I saw in this film especially the look in the little boys eyes when having to choose a good and bad doll. I saw the pain and inner struggle to do so. He seemed ashamed of being the race that he was and that was the hard part about this clip.

Are you surprised that homosexuals can be fired in 23 states or so? I mean think after the civil war it wasn't like racism was just magically gone. Just because some people agreed that racism was wrong doesn't mean everyone did and that prejudice just disappeared. Homosexuality has been an issue for awhile, but right now it is in the process of breaking through and being accepted by the majority in our generation. Everyone has been raised differently our parents were raised to think different things about homosexuality then we were and there parents the same. So yea it'll take time and thats why i'm not shocked by this article, although I do think it was wrong.