en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/760647 Comments by sourpatchkid14 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment70680661 This letter was definitely my favorite post put up on this blog. Although I heard Sam and Laurie mention about their visits with the inmates a few times in class, it is still only an outsider’s perspective. Being able to listen to this man’s feelings and thoughts through his own words really provides a better inside look into what some of these men are truly like. I really don’t understand how so many people are shocked by the fact that this man can be compassionate and caring. Crimes are committed for a variety of reasons, and all are not committed out of pure malice for the entire human race. Even if it is committed based on malice towards one person, there is most likely a very long and deep story that goes along with it that most people would not be able to understand. People get into fights at bars, and getting angry towards people for no real reason. Men are stereotypically known to handle arguments with fights, but this doesn’t make them uncompassionate or bad people. I think the best example is the story that Sam told one day in class. He was talking about the man who got into a fight with someone at a bar, and the other man happened to fall and his hit head. Since the internal bleeding in his brain was so excessive, it caused him to die. Now, honestly, a situation like this could happen to at least half of the men in State College. Many people have gotten into fights at bars, and although most walk away with some minor bumps and bruises, I guarantee that when the two people are fighting, they aren’t thinking to themselves “oh, well I’ll just punch him on this side of his face because otherwise I could possible rupture an artery and kill the man.” Although I do feel that when a person commits murder the most just thing to do is to sentence them life in prison, I still feel remorse for many of those people. It is sad to me that the person did not think enough about their actions at the time to realize that killing a person would severely impact the rest of their life, as well as their family. Later on, no matter how much remorse or guilt they feel about the crime that was committed, their actions affected a lot of people who’s loved one was killed. Unfortunately, it is sad that actions can’t be taken back, but that is why people have to think before they do things, even though it might be hard with testosterone running through someone’s body. Getting back to the man’s letter, I think that it is nice that lifers at least have each other for emotional support. Although they have been ripped away from their families and the people they love due to their actions, it is nice that they can still confide in others. I think that once people eventually come to the realization that they will never get out of prison, it will allow them to move forward and create a life in the situation that they are in. I believe that lifers can be happy just like everyone else, but I feel that it would take a lot of time for people to be fully happy. I also feel that for many lifers that realization will never come, and they will be unhappy until the day that they finally die. Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:59:21 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/letter-from-an-inmate__trashed/#IDComment70680661 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/the-tyranny-of-radical-muslims__trashed/#IDComment69032117 I think that this girl brings up a very good point that people need to really think about. I feel that too often people assume that a few minority extremists are the majority, when in actuality- they aren’t. I think this doesn’t just go for Americans thinking about Muslim extremists, but people in other countries judging the Christian extremists from America who go on mission trips to try to convert others. From our point of view, it is easy to know that people who stand outside and preach about their Christian views and how all other people will go to hell, are in the minority. I know many Christians who get angry and extremely heated when they see people trying to forcefully convert others, and demean everyone else’s religions because they feel like they get grouped into that category of Christian extremists. Even for Christians, it is not really that bad because the worst that many extremists do is try to “save” others from going to Hell. However, Muslim people go through an entirely different story. The actions of Muslim extremists happen to cause many casualties and the death of so many innocent families. The world trade center suicide flights will obviously cause more commotion and controversy than a Christian extremist trying to press their views on others. Even when looking at the video of the Christian soldiers in Iraq running over the civilian’s car and damaging their property because they were stealing, it wasn’t killing a person, it was just damaging their property. In no way am I saying that this is okay by any means, but nobody can deny the fact that the happenings on 9-11 are going to create much larger of a response from more people, than what Christian extremists or American soldiers have done in the past. I have a lot of really close friends that are Muslim, and having heard their perspectives in the past, it is similar to that of the girl’s Husband who posted this video. I know a lot of them don’t really think it is fair that they get eyed at a local gas station just because they are darker skinned and follow Islam. Even though they are in no way paired to the bombings (in fact many of them could have been as equally as affected as everyone else), they were still ridiculed a lot during that time and looked down upon. I feel that this is so unfair, because many of them are Americans just like us. They are faithful to their country, yet they are looked down upon simply because of their beliefs. I think what people need to start doing is to stop jumping to conclusions and become more educated on topics before they formulate opinions about others. I know the majority of people who think all Muslims are extremists know nothing about the religion. Even people who don’t think all Muslims are extremists, but still show some resentment to people who follow Allah in general, I think need to actually pick a book up on the religion and understand it better. Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:37:32 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/the-tyranny-of-radical-muslims__trashed/#IDComment69032117 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68593793 I think that the lecture on Thursday really helped me to put myself in the shoes of Muslim people in the Middle East. I thought that the points that Sam made were very strong, and the videos that he showed were also very striking. I think that it is difficult for people to see things from another point of view if we are not forced to do so. I think the war that we are fighting is really killing a lot of innocent people’s lives and it isn’t really fair. I was extremely shocked by the American soldiers’ running over the civilian’s car because they had been stealing. I honestly think that doing things like that really make the situation worse. People begin to get angry, and it is no longer a war over oil, but a war of spite and anger. The worst problem is that military officials really have no ways of controlling it. There will always be some soldiers out there that will want to cause harm to innocent people because they are frustrated with their own situation. Just like Sam said, the minority may be causing the problems, but for Muslim people in the Middle East, that may be all they see. Whether it is in a newspaper article, or on the internet, the minority is blown up into the majority. I think Sam made a good parallel when he compared it to Muslim extremists. All Muslim people are not terrorists. However, many of the suicide bombers and terrorists lately happen to be a few Muslim extremists who support Jihad, and causing harm to others who go against Islam (all for the sake of God). Therefore, many Americans see these people as the majority and automatically dub all Muslims as terrorists and people who are out to kill. I think that this is extremely unfortunate, and so sad. However, other than educating more people I don’t really understand how it is avoidable. If more people learned about the religion of Islam, and met more Muslim people, they would realize that they are not all extremists. It is the same with any other religion. I have many friends who are Christian who are embarrassed to see people advocating Jesus Christ and the bible, and acting like they are saving people and saying that all other people will go to Hell. However, because I have many Christian friends who do not push their religion on others, and talk bad about other people, I would never make the assumption that all Christians are “invaders”, and trying to push their religion on others. However, for Muslim people in the Middle East who see short news viewings and postings on the internet about the “Christian Invaders”, it makes sense for why they would think that. As far as Sam asking the question if we would rise up and kill American soldiers if we were Muslims in the Middle East, I completely agree. It is certainly not fair that we are over invading their country, for a natural substance just so that they don’t rise in power. I think that is extremely selfish, and we are killing innocent civilians who have no choice in the matter. Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:05:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68593793 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68593747 I think that the lecture on Thursday really helped me to put myself in the shoes of Muslim people in the Middle East. I thought that the points that Sam made were very strong, and the videos that he showed were also very striking. I think that it is difficult for people to see things from another point of view if we are not forced to do so. I think the war that we are fighting is really killing a lot of innocent people’s lives and it isn’t really fair. I was extremely shocked by the American soldiers’ running over the civilian’s car because they had been stealing. I honestly think that doing things like that really make the situation worse. People begin to get angry, and it is no longer a war over oil, but a war of spite and anger. The worst problem is that military officials really have no ways of controlling it. There will always be some soldiers out there that will want to cause harm to innocent people because they are frustrated with their own situation. Just like Sam said, the minority may be causing the problems, but for Muslim people in the Middle East, that may be all they see. Whether it is in a newspaper article, or on the internet, the minority is blown up into the majority. I think Sam made a good parallel when he compared it to Muslim extremists. All Muslim people are not terrorists. However, many of the suicide bombers and terrorists lately happen to be a few Muslim extremists who support Jihad, and causing harm to others who go against Islam (all for the sake of God). Therefore, many Americans see these people as the majority and automatically dub all Muslims as terrorists and people who are out to kill. I think that this is extremely unfortunate, and so sad. However, other than educating more people I don’t really understand how it is avoidable. If more people learned about the religion of Islam, and met more Muslim people, they would realize that they are not all extremists. It is the same with any other religion. I have many friends who are Christian who are embarrassed to see people advocating Jesus Christ and the bible, and acting like they are saving people and saying that all other people will go to Hell. However, because I have many Christian friends who do not push their religion on others, and talk bad about other people, I would never make the assumption that all Christians are “invaders”, and trying to push their religion on others. However, for Muslim people in the Middle East who see short news viewings and postings on the internet about the “Christian Invaders”, it makes sense for why they would think that. As far as Sam asking the question if we would rise up and kill American soldiers if we were Muslims in the Middle East, I completely agree. It is certainly not fair that we are over invading their country, for a natural substance just so that they don’t rise in power. I think that is extremely selfish, and we are killing innocent civilians who have no choice in the matter. Sat, 17 Apr 2010 21:05:23 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/christian-invaders-the-turnaround__trashed/#IDComment68593747 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66093555 It is pretty apparent that the United States would never allow a game like this to be produced. However, through the computer, many people are getting a hold of these games regardless of where they are being made, so I think that it is important to understand why these games have been produced in the first place in order to attack the problem. Yes, I think that these video games are really inappropriate and promoting sexual violence. However, like the two individuals from the video, I can see how people don’t really see how it is a big deal. Even looking at video games where graphic human deaths are involved, most people feel that they are okay because people can make the distinction between reality and virtual reality. However, even though some people can do this, many younger impressionable minds aren’t so easily convinced, and the distinction between reality and video games might not be so clear to them. This concept can also be applied to depicting rape in video games. Especially since rape is specifically targeted towards women, and very demeaning towards them, I feel it is an even bigger issue. I think one of the most disturbing things from the video was that women were depicted as being in pain as they were being raped. The graphics in video games are becoming so life-like that I think it is getting harder to distinguish between characters in video games and people in real life. The fact that this video game was created in Japan, really doesn’t surprise me. It reminds me of the brothels in Thailand that are having a huge problem with prostitution becoming such a mainstream part of society. I think part of the community acceptance of these video games is due to the fact that women are viewed as subordinate to men in many Eastern countries. However, the fact that the Japanese government is not speaking to CNN indicates that they know there is some underlying issue, and that there is in fact a problem with these rape video games. Hopefully it is just a matter of time that they address the issue and realize that these games are accepting violence towards females, and it is so bad for humanity. Honestly, the ultimate thing to look at is that there is absolutely no need for people to have these video games. There is no benefit at all, and therefore, they should be done away with. There is a point where being inappropriate surpasses entertainment, and this is one case where it does. Unfortunately, the Japanese Government may have falsely told CNN that they realize there is a problem just to get them to go away. Truly, we will never really know if the problem is being looked into, or if it is just another way to make money (similar to the brothels). There needs to be a way that these video games will no longer be profitable- until then, it may be difficult for them to be eradicated for good. Mon, 5 Apr 2010 20:08:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/this-is-totally-off-the-hook__trashed/#IDComment66093555 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64352024 Sam was definitely right when he said this would be one of the most shocking videos that we watched in class. When such a high majority of the children picked the white doll I was really surprised. I thought that it would be at least closer to fifty-fifty. However, then I started to think about possible reasons that the children would pick the white doll. The dolls that most kids have would be white, so I feel like as a child, everyone wants to be like everyone else. Nobody is really looking for individuality when they are younger. When one of the girl’s in class was talking about how she would pick a white doll over an Asian Barbie. I completely understand her point. There is usually only one ethnic Barbie per race, and most of the time she is dressed in an outfit that you don’t like, or she doesn’t really look that pretty. Ultimately, there are more white people in this country than any other race. Therefore, Barbie needs to cater to the majority of the population. You can’t really come out with many different ethnic Barbies because most people won’t by them. It isn’t practical. Although some of the children may have picked the white doll for this reason, when the one girl said that the white one was nicer and prettier, I thought it was so sad. The worst part was when the older girl asked the little girl which one looked most like her. She had just stated the black doll was bad, and then she hesitated, and with such sadness on her face she picked up the black doll. I’m not sure if it is parents or friends that are putting such ideas in these kids’ heads. However, I feel like this can be so traumatizing to their children, and cause them to have really low self-esteem. Being non-white myself, I understand what it is like to have the idea of white beauty being drilled into people’s heads. Ever since a young age, adults put the idea of lighter skin being beautiful into the minds of their children. Honestly, kids look up to their parents and elders, and when they are saying that other people are beautiful, it is really going to take a toll on their kids and make them feel unwanted and unattractive. I think this is probably the worst thing that parents could do to their children. When the one girl spoke up in class and said how her one friend said “you’re pretty for a dark-skinner girl”, it really hit hard for me. I think it is awful that in so many cultures, true beauty has been depicted as having lighter skin. I’m really not sure where this idea came from, but I think one way to change that is for parents to talk to their kids from a very young age. I think it is important for parents to enlighten their kids on racism. Specifically that people in the world are of different colors, but no one color is more beautiful than another. I think that if kids are brought up having a high self-esteem, then the idea of beauty will shift. However, I think this will be really difficult because the parents that are teaching their kids need to put aside their own insecurities. I hope that parents can do this for the well-being of their own children. Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:11:47 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/those-damn-dolls__trashed/#IDComment64352024 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63344531 I think you made a very good point with this comment. I actually also observed this in class when the texts were being sent up on the screen. In response to the new texting response system in class, I don’t like it all. I think it is a huge waste of time, and I feel that we are all staring up onto a screen and watching the same short comments being thrown up into the screen, mixed in with a few rude, inappropriate comments. I think the system would be much better if everyone was linked to their specific comment with an anonymous user ID (like the blog responses), but that nobody would really know who anyone was. By doing this, the anonymity of the responses would still be there, but people would not have so much power to write whatever they please, including inappropriate comments to purposefully hurt other people’s feelings for no apparent reason. It is obvious that power can’t be given to the class because most of the students are unable to handle it. I am shocked that so many students would take advantage of the fact that these responses are completely anonymous and say rude things to other people. As Sam said in class, “if you can’t say the response to a person’s face, you shouldn’t be putting it up on the screen.” Also, even if a person could say such rude things to someone’s face, it’s a race relations class and people should be more respectful towards others. Specifically in response to the fact that everyone seems to laugh when someone makes fun of a white person, vs. someone making fun of a black person and people getting really offended, I think it has to do with history. Honestly, the ‘N’ word has really strong negative connotations for a lot of people. It was used in an extremely derogatory way towards many black people during a really tough time in their lives when they were race was strongly oppressed. If white people had similar words that were used against them, I feel that the reactions would be just the same. When people make fun of Penn state girls wearing “uggs” or a white “bench warmer”, the words are used in more of a light-hearted way and are just simply poking playful fun. I think another thing that people need to realize is that the majority of our class is white. Of course the majority of the class is going to feel comfortable within their skin and laugh at the things that they are being made fun of. However, when you are making fun of a minority group, or a smaller percentage of the class, it singles people out more. I remember the one comment stated in class: “loud ass black girls in the computer lab”. Honestly, who wouldn’t get offended by a comment like that? It is obviously meant to purposefully hurt someone’s feelings. Even if the comment was not directed towards black women, a person being extremely loud is not a phrase that has a good connotation tied to it. I hope that the texting response system improves a little bit during classes because right now I think they are a huge waste of time, and really taking away from class because people are not taking it seriously. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:04:19 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/does-this-rudeness-thing-cut-both-ways__trashed/#IDComment63344531 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62235252 After reading this article, I really started to think about what the school board is really going to accomplish here by cancelling the senior prom. Senior prom has been a tradition amongst American high schools for a long time, and giving an excuse as horrible as “distractions to the education process” is completely ridiculous. I’m sure a lot of the students at the high school in Mississippi are extremely angry at the board for cancelling such a memorable about for high school juniors and seniors. I feel bad for Constance because I’m sure most of the students are blaming this incidence on her, and possibly taking their anger and frustration out on her. However, they really should be supporting her choice to be a lesbian as fellow classmates, and work on the school board to re-initiate prom and allow her to come. However, in a small southern high school, if the school board was bold enough to cancel prom, I’m sure that many of the parents of the children at this high school have instilled anti-gay thoughts into their kid’s heads. I don’t see why there is a point in hiding homosexuality. Technically, both of these girls could have come to the prom together, walked in separately, and carried on as they were dates. As far as one of the girl’s wearing a tuxedo, I could maybe see if the school board was old fashioned and trying to keep the prom traditions (man wearing tuxedo, woman wearing dress) that they wouldn’t allow the girl to wear a tuxedo. However, this is obviously not their reasoning because they felt that the solution would be to cancel the tradition of prom altogether. Personally, I feel that wardrobe should be up to each individual as long as they are not purposefully trying to offend another person (slander). Men do not have a monopoly on long, baggy shorts, ties, or tuxedos for that matter. Today, ties are actually being incorporated into many female outfits as a sign of fashion. I think it is good that Ms McMillen has support from her family, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). People really need to stop living in the past, and come to terms with how much America has changed in terms of gay rights. It is necessary for all students to attend school. It is not like this girl is going to a church, and pushing her lesbianism against the beliefs of that church. It is very unfair for a school to discriminate against certain types of people, whether it is people of color, people with specific beliefs, or homosexuals. In the future, I think it should be a necessary requirement that people who are hired in high public positions (such as a school board) should be open-minded. Poor decisions like this should not being made and effecting innocent students. I hope that the pockets of anti-homosexuality are slowly eradicated throughout different parts of the United States, and I feel like they will be because in this case: the majority is ruling over minority. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:51:02 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/prom-or-no-prom-just-dont-let-the-queer-students-dance-together__trashed/#IDComment62235252 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf__trashed/#IDComment60261933 I am actually really shocked after listening to this story. I am not sure if it was mentioned in the video and I just missed it, but I am curious to see where this incident occurred. Originally I was thinking that the workers and manager at that particular store were just in a racist area. However, despite where the incident occurred, the corporate official is the person who actually came and investigated and fired the woman. I am just surprised that after she was hired and working there for a few weeks, the official came and fired her. I think that is a pretty bold move on their part. It is obvious that the statement made by Abercrombie & Fitch stating that they wanted to hire more diverse employees in order to understand the customers they were serving was solely for publicity‘s sake. I guess this video is just proof that despite how far we have come regarding discrimination and racism, it still exists today. I just feel like today the majority of racism is a little bit more hidden and less overt. However, everyone knows that it still exists. I just don’t understand how they could have given this young girl guidelines on which hijab’s to wear while she was working, and despite her following protocol, they fired her because she wore them. The fact that they fired her on account of her wardrobe not fitting “Abercrombie and Fitch’s look policy” is absolutely ridiculous. They can’t even make the argument that less people would buy their clothes because a muslim person is the salesperson. Many muslim women, along with other races wear clothes from Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch. I think that Abercrombie and Fitch is one of those stores that already has a stereotypical role as being a store that caters to young, rich preppy kids. The only thing I am not surprised about in this story is the store that displayed their racist attitudes. If I could think of any store that would have fired a Muslim woman based on her Hijab, it would be a store like Hollister or Abercrombie & Fitch. I feel that since it seems to target a specific audience, the corporate members felt that a Muslim woman with a headscarf would actually deter from their profits rather than enhance them. However, it is very selfish of the company to allow people of different religions to buy their clothes in order to make a profit, but they discriminate against who can work there. I would be interested in seeing if the company actually fired this woman because they are racist against Muslims, or if they actually feel that if she was working there they would lose money. When people go in to buy clothes at a store, especially one that already has an established name for itself, I doubt that anyone is looking at the people selling the clothes. I especially think it is sad that just because this woman is vocalizing her disparagement of the company and her unfair treatment, that she is facing death threats from people. I think that it was the right thing for Hani to file a complaint first before filing the law suit. I think she is working towards justice, and if people like her just sat around after they were treated unfairly, our society could not work towards eradicating the racism that still exists. Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:09:37 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/03/fired-for-a-scarf__trashed/#IDComment60261933 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/1880__trashed/#IDComment59110848 I never really thought much about the Native Americans that were unjustly thrown off their land until we discussed it many times in this class. I definitely think that it was unfair that so many innocent Native Americans were killed just to take over their land. I think that long ago, the white people that first came here really wanted to exploit others and flaunt their power. I don’t really understand how people could just kill others to take something that isn’t rightfully theirs and not feel guilty about it. That being said, I don’t feel like the descendents of these people should have to feel guilty for the mass genocide that their ancestors caused. Especially as a first generation American, and the fact that my parents came here a little over 20 years ago, I don’t feel any sort of responsibility or connection to this topic. However, there is a difference between feeling disconnected and not caring. I definitely care about this topic and feel for the Native Americans. Whether our ancestors lived in America or not, WE are all Americans, and we should all make it a priority to care for everyone who lives in this country and stand up for justice. We can’t do anything about the genocide that occurred in the past, but we can become more educated on the topic and help to try and compensate for their losses. I do think it’s great that the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation (who has long been impoverished) is now bringing in money from the oil wells that have been drilled on their land. It is also nice that that the Native Americans are now able to get jobs which they were previously struggling to get. I can only imagine how nice it must be for the families that are benefitting straight from the drilling by getting paid. I think that it is a nice reward for their ill treatment. However, I definitely don’t think it makes up for it, but at least they are rising a little bit out of poverty. Although the money is a benefit, I think that it is also very bittersweet for them due to the health risks that come along with the drilling. After reading that article, I am not sure if many of the families will feel like it is worth the money once their family members are falling ill and dying from the toxic fumes. However, based on their extreme poverty, maybe they would prefer to live a more lucrative life for a shorter amount of time, then having to struggle. Either way, I definitely agree with the article when it said that the world needs to reduce its necessity on non-renewable resources and put more effort into developing non-polluting alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and hydrogen. Once the non-renewable resources are depleted, if we haven’t worked on the maximizing the efficiency of other renewable resources, we will be in trouble when everyone will need to start using them. Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:30:50 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/1880__trashed/#IDComment59110848 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment57939966 I think that Yvrose’s hard work and drive is incredibly inspiring. Having only a fifth grade education, it is amazing how she has overcome adversity and made a life for herself. You would expect her to be a street vendor on the street. However, the fact that she is running her own micro business is really crazy. Not having the proper education to learn about the world of business and finance, I am curious as to where she gained the knowledge about foreign currency exchange, borrowing money from banks, as well as loans. She would really have to have a strong grasp on the concept because otherwise she would not be able to make a profit from this business. It is very sad to me that this brilliant woman did not have the opportunities in Haiti that so many children in America have and take for granted. Based on her quick learning capabilities, I also agree that she would probably have risen to the top very fast here in America. She wouldn’t have to be traveling so much, and carrying chicken heads in a bucket over her head. Although she is a smart woman with a seemingly well thought out business, she has to work so hard by herself in order to keep it alive. In America, CEO’s are the overseers and planners to make sure everything is running smoothly. However, Yvrose is not only the mastermind of the business, but she literally carries out the business as well. Just looking at the opportunities I have here in America in comparison to those in Haiti and other underdeveloped countries, I feel very privileged. I also can’t help but think how my life path would have been different if I had grown up in Haiti. I believe that innate wisdom can only get you so far. I think that without great opportunities, like being able to go to a good school, it is difficult to put that knowledge to full use. Therefore, I think stories such as this one should really put things in perspective for Americans and how privileged we are to be able to educate ourselves and do whatever we want with our lives. We have so many choices in different aspect of our lives, whereas so many people in these countries are presented with so few choices. It is so sad that the earthquake in Haiti has left Yvrose with un-paid loans from her businesses. I feel that so many other people also got hit hard financially by this earthquake, leaving them with nothing. I feel that the bank should not necessarily completely forget about the money that people like Yvrose borrowed. However, I do feel that they should give them a longer amount of time to pay it off. Natural disasters are not planned by anyone, and I don’t think it is fair for them to be struggling to pay off a loan while dealing with the destruction of their country, along with losses of close friends and family. Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:04:28 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/who-could-compete-with-this-woman-on-a-level-playing-field__trashed/#IDComment57939966 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/men-and-women-were-really-this-different__trashed/#IDComment56964047 I was extremely shocked after reading the article on Roxxxy. I understand that married couples may be having problems in the bedroom, but I feel that there are many other alternatives to putting the spark into a relationship. Although I also agree with some of the other posts, in that I feel that the male counterpart of Roxxxy (Rocky) would not show as many sales, I don’t think that many people will buy the female sex robot either. At first when I read that 4,000 people pre-ordered this robot, and 20,000 requested more information on the robot, I was really surprised. However, considering there are approximately 300 million people inhabiting the United States, 4,000 people pre-ordering this robot is not really that many in the big scheme of things if you really think about it. I completely agree with Ms. Shaulis’s (editor of Adult Video News) statement when she talked about their definitely being a market, but that it is a very small one. Strictly speaking from an economic point of view, I think that the overall demand for this robot could never meet the supply. The amount of time and money put into creating this robot to be, essentially a stand-in, live girlfriend or boyfriend, I think would exceed the number of people who would really want to buy this product. I also don’t really understand how this robot is targeted to men who are shy and awkward. If a man is really uncomfortable socially and doesn’t know how to interact with women, I think it would make their case worse if they bought this robot. I think most women would bolt right away if they met a man, and she found out that they had bought a $7,000 sex robot. I think socially awkward men would be more normal than a man who would buy a female robot to fulfill their sexual needs. I almost feel that the sex robot would be more useful in a marriage where the man and woman have different needs. However, I don’t really think that many women would agree to their husband paying so much for an object to have sex with. I think that the creation of Roxxxy definitely implies that human beings (specifically female), can be easily replaced by a man-made creation. The concept seems really demeaning towards women, and that they can’t fulfill the needs of men. The fact that the robot can snore, but “men can turn it off”, really gives men a sense of control over women. I think that they would take this power and treat women in real life similar to how they treat their bedroom robot. I have heard of robots that will clean, but ones that can provide sexual pleasure is a different story. I feel that the advancements of technology have taken a frightening turn, and this product is sickening. I am not sure why anyone would waste time and money creating such a robot. I feel that there are so many other things that people really need. he concept seems really demeaning towards women, and that they can’t fulfill the needs of men. Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:52:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/men-and-women-were-really-this-different__trashed/#IDComment56964047 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/negros-of-the-world-unite__trashed/#IDComment55637647 I think that it is good that the census bureau is making efforts to make changes in order to fit the liking of the people in the United States. I feel that since times are changing, it isn’t really necessary to include Negro on the census anymore. Although older black people may identify best with this term, I think that they should be directed to mark down a synonymous word that can be added to the census. I don’t really get how just because the term Negro is not on the census that they would just refuse to mark anything down. For example, if Asian/Pacific Islander is on the census and the person filling out the form is from India, even if they would rather identify themselves as Indian and not identify as “Asian”, they would still mark that box because it is technically what they are. Bottom line I feel that the term Negro is a little bit outdated, and removing it will only drive people to be a little more politically correct. I think that the Census Questionnaire’s given in the U.S. are extremely important due to the extensive amount of diversity in this country. In order to cater towards individuals it is important to know the distribution of races in different states and cities. Therefore, I don’t really understand why people are making such a big deal about not having the “correct term” on these questionnaires. However, I really like the fill in the blank idea so that the Bureau can get a better idea as to what people prefer to be identified as in order to create a good Questionnaire. It at least allows the majority of people to identify themselves as they wish to be known to the rest of the country. As with any decision that affects a large number of people, not everyone can be completely satisfied. As far as checking multiple boxes on the Census Questionnaire, I think that people should definitely be allowed to do that. In a century of many interracial relationships, it is difficult to tell the race of anyone anymore. Especially because most people nowadays are never just “Black” or “White”. It is difficult to find people who have pure blood and no mix of anything else. I think that for the questionnaire it is important to check what you truly are as well as what you personally identify as. Some people may be part Native American, but they might not identify with the culture at all. However, people might be more African American and have a small percent of Chinese blood and still identify more with the Chinese culture within their family. Since the purpose of these Questionnaires is to better cater to the people of the country, I think it is important to note both down. Sat, 6 Feb 2010 18:43:41 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/02/negros-of-the-world-unite__trashed/#IDComment55637647 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/the-enlightened-west-knows-best__trashed/#IDComment54670591 I know a little bit about Islamic religion, and know some of the traditions of Muslim people that go along with their religion. However, I am not really too familiar with the specific reasons as to why Muslim women wear the hijab, and if they have a choice in the matter. I have heard many misconceptions that Muslim men force these women to wear the hijab in public, sometimes revealing no skin except the part right around their eyes (just like the video shown). However, I researched this topic a little bit, and have some friends that do wear the hijab, but it is completely by choice. Muslim women feel that when they are completely covered, the people who look at them can’t judge them based on the appearance, but are forced to see the person underneath the hijab. A person can now only judge someone based on their personality, character and morals. It also provides these women with self-respect, as they are properly covered in public. I feel that this is actually a problem that many Americans face. I think that public nudity and wearing revealing clothing has become so commonplace that nobody thinks anything of it. However, I think that this allows many men to behave in very inappropriate ways, and I think many women don’t think twice before putting on a short skirt and low top because everyone is doing it. Although this may be true, I also know many women who get angry when they go out to a club in a short skirt and complain of men putting their hands on them. Even though men should not necessarily be touching women like this in public, wearing revealing clothing does not exactly help the matter. Getting back to the topic of hijab’s, I think that the reasoning for women to cover themselves from head to toe is pretty intuitive and remarkable. I feel that many people (both men and women) in America often feel that too much emphasis is placed on people’s looks. Everyone is guilty of this crime in one way or another. When the factor of appearance is available to us, it really is hard to look away and not judge. However, if a hijab is worn, it really takes away that factor and people can only judge others based on their inner qualities (which is what really matters). As far as the French government planning to ban burqas all together, I see valid points on both sides. I understand that for these women, this is the only culture they have ever known. I could imagine having myself covered for most of my life, and then suddenly having to wear regular clothes in public. It would be really uncomfortable. However, I also understand the point of the French government where burqas are not really socially acceptable. On the outside, people are identified by their faces. If a Muslim woman robs a bank wearing a burqa, then what will the government do? They have no means of identifying her. I think that women in France should still be able to wear burqas. However, when going into certain places where a means of identification is necessary, such as a bank, women should be required to reveal their faces. Sun, 31 Jan 2010 16:01:49 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/the-enlightened-west-knows-best__trashed/#IDComment54670591 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-r__trashed/#IDComment53867296 block Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:39:39 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/last-name-begins-with-r__trashed/#IDComment53867296 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment53816846 Having been to Europe and hearing the racist comments that are so casually thrown around on a daily basis, I already knew that the racism there was much worse than most parts of America. However, I sure did not realize how far the Europeans have taken it by chastising their own soccer players. Coming from such a tight-knit sports community such as Penn State, I could not imagine people in the stands of Beaver Stadium yelling our racial slurs against the opposite team let alone our own players! I honestly have to commend these strong players for taking the abuse and the hate while they are engaging in a sport that they love and supporting their countries. It must take so much will power and strength to be able to go out on the field every day and know that you will constantly be screamed at by thousands of people in the stands to get off the field. Their concentration must be solely focused on the game. However, most sport stars thrive off of the crowd and the support that they provide for them during the game. I can’t even imagine what these players must be going through. That being said, the video made it seem like these problems would be taken care of by the officials. However, if this nonsense is still continuing four years later, the problem was obviously not properly addressed. I think that the commercial done by one of the soccer players was very commendable, but in the long run, the only way to really stop the racism is to lay down the law. If these people are not forced to stop by the threatening of a punishment, they will still continue to verbally abuse these players. I haven’t really followed this issue, so I am not really sure of what more has been done over the past four years. I believe racism is all based on upbringing. If you were raised to be a racist and judge other people based on the color of their skin and their looks, than you will most likely continue to be that way unless your mind has been otherwise changed by a significant person in your life (friend or loved one). Although you can’t really help how people have been raised, you can help how people publicly treat others. People can say or do whatever they want in the privacy of their own homes, but I feel that we have come so far in the issue of racism throughout the years that we should not be condoning unnecessary public humiliation. Everyone should be considered equal. We are all the same, and to have people throwing peanuts and banana peels at other human beings makes me embarrassed to be one. It would be ideal for these racist acts to stop as soon as possible, but until then, I hope these players can stay strong enough to fight it. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:19:18 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/racism-looks-pretty-good-on-this-side-of-the-atlantic__trashed/#IDComment53816846 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/is-that-negro-or-negra-harry__trashed/#IDComment52724866 I honestly don’t really understand why Harry Reid’s comments are being scrutinized so heavily at this point in time. I feel like there is way too much going on in the world right now for people to be worried about such trivial comments. These comments can be analyzed by people now as much as they want. However the fact of the matter is that it really does not change anything. It is now 2010, and by general consensus, Barack Obama has been elected our president. When you run for a position in office, you are placing yourself up for scrutiny by everyone in the world. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and in the end as long as they don’t truly hurt anyone, it is just a personal opinion and should not be taken to hurt. The comments were directed towards Obama himself, and I am sure between the high pressing issues that are currently taking place in our world today, including Haiti and the wars our Americans are fighting, along with taking care of his own family, he doesn’t think twice about such comments. Evaluating the exact comments Harry Reid made, I don’t feel as if they were at all insensitive or demeaning in any way. He was just presenting his overall opinion on why the president could be elected. I mean, let us face the truth. Although our country has come a long way in accepting people of different racial backgrounds, there are still White, supremacist Americans who feel that people of color should not be in places of high position, let alone leading their country. Although Reid could have put his comments a little more tactfully and not used an outdated word such as ‘Negro’ (making it seem like he really is not up to date on his terminology), I think deep down there is truth to what he is saying. Ultimately, I think the majority of people feel most comfortable when they are around people who can relate to themselves. When people look and talk differently, for many people it is difficult to trust or feel comfortable with the person unless you can really get to know them. As the majority of people in this country are white, maybe it is more comforting for white people that Barack Obama has a more fair skin color and does not have a foreign accent. It allows people to break down the wall that they may have built in front of them, and let him into their sheltered lives. Having a lot of experience with people from a very small town secluded town, I know that many people in this country do not have a lot of experience with immigrants and people of different cultural backgrounds. After thinking about Reid’s comments, I stand strong on the fact that they should not really be given a second glance. I agree with the fact that he was just stating potential reasons of why Obama could win the election. People are just trying to find another trivial reason to point fingers when they should be focusing on more important current issues. Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:52:00 +0000 https://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/01/is-that-negro-or-negra-harry__trashed/#IDComment52724866