The inherent worth and dignity of every person. It is the first of ten principles that I was raised to follow in my church, a Unitarian Universalist church. It sounds like an incredibly simple motto but when you stop to think about it, it is not. We spent many hours discussing this single principle. It’s not so much the inherent worth and dignity part that held us up, but the idea of Every person. Everyone, as in everyone. Every single living being on this earth has a piece of goodness within. This includes mothers, teachers, liars, cheaters, rapists and murderers. And the discussions took weeks for the idea to sink in, but I do honestly believe that there is some good in every human being. I cannot believe, as many Christians do, that human beings are inherently evil. How can one say that we are all born equally evil? No new born babe can recognize what evil is, so how can we label it as such? It needs to be given a chance. We may have evil parts, but we all deserve a chance to be good.

This letter really strengthens my belief in the idea of inherent goodness. The act of murder is morally wrong, and those who commit it deserve to pay the price or punishment that is given to them. Certain people bury themselves in evil and refuse to resurface, but the majority of them, like this letter writer, still are in touch with humanity. Good people can do bad things. Very bad things, but they are still human.

Reading this letter I finally understand what Sam and his wife were talking about when they said how profound their visits to jail are. I think back to a time when I made a mistake in life. How it hurts at first, but eventually you heal and learn something from what you’ve done. From the words that were written in this letter, I feel almost as though the act that this person committed was so large it caused an equally extraordinary realization. It’s like Newton’s third law, everything has an equal and opposite reaction. Not that we should all go out and murder someone to draw ourselves closer to nirvana. That’s not at all what I am saying. But we can learn a little bit about humanity from them.

I often find myself contemplating what would happen if we had total anarchy and there was no governing rule. I’m sure it would at first be utter chaos, but if humanity survived, and no one seized power, I believe that eventually we would all be at peace. Humans are, or can be, compassionate. I simply cannot believe that there is no goodness in the world.

Out of all the lectures this semester, this one really hit home for me. Human perspective is subjective. What our brain processes and stores in the form of memory is rarely identical to what actually happened. Ironically, the media has taken this idea to a whole new level by controlling what knowledge is shared and kept. As an American, I’ve seen a lot of propaganda supporting the war that we’re currently fighting, and some coverage speaking out against the war, but not once did I ever look at it from a human perspective. Even in New Zealand, where the war was looked on unfavorable, it didn’t talk about the people.

Before I went abroad, I was told to act respectful, mature, and dignified because not only was I representing Penn State University, I was also representing the United States. Only now do I really see how important my image overseas was. Of course we as Americans are fully aware of some of the idiots and outrageous people that live here. But anyone who doesn’t live in America only sees those idiots on TV. MTV has made American women everywhere look sexually promiscuous and easy. A rule I learned very early on was don’t ever tell a guy at a bar that you’re an American. I’m digressing.

I get it. I get that Americans do not look nearly as good in the media as we make ourselves out to look. And I understand that people from the Middle East are in the same position that we are in when it comes to media coverage. It sucks.

As for “Christian invaders”, I’m probably equally as petrified by them as Muslims. It’s really upsetting because there are some amazing people out there who identify themselves a Christians and are doing amazing things for humanity. And then there are the radical fundamentalists who look down on anyone with a different religion and believe that they are doing “God’s work” in attempting to covert everyone to Christianity, by any means necessary. Anyone raised in PA who isn’t Christian knows where I’m coming from. Every year in school it would somehow get around that I did read the Bible at my church, and very earnest six through seventeen years olds would look me in the eyes and say, “If you don’t accept Jesus Christ as you savior, you’re going to go to hell”.

Diversity in its every form is not only beautiful but also necessary if we as a human species are ever going to understand each other. I don’t know to what extremes I would go to if put in the place of a Muslim currently in Iraq, but I would definitely do everything in my power to fight back for my own rights and freedoms.

My initial reaction towards these rape video games was pure disgust. It is completely degrading towards women and does nothing but promote violence and rape, which is a horrible crime and a huge issue in the world today. One in four college women will be raped before they graduate. That statistic is horrible.

But at second glance, how is it any different from the violent shoot-outs and mutilations of your ‘typical’ video games? Remember the new Wii game with the very gory beheadings? Both types of video games are promoting the stereotypical masculine characteristics of control and domination using weapons and/or force. The Japanese just found a way to capitalize on the falling of masculine dominance and the backlash of feminism. What is more disturbing is the fact that people are buying these video games. If they hadn’t sold to a large body of consumers, we wouldn’t even be hearing about the video games in the first place. It is the attitude that we as a society have that allows these rape games to be sold.

Don’t think that I’m excusing the content of the rape video game in any way. It’s a reinforcement of derogatory and sexist behaviors and attitudes toward woman. I can’t believe that a game like this was ever allowed to be placed in stores. I do believe that there needs to be some sort of regulation for the content of video games. Just the facial images of the anime females paints a picture of some of the very graphical content and disturbing behaviors that the ‘player’ can do. There is absolutely NOTHING acceptable about rape. It is psychologically and physically detrimental to women, and a giant flaw in the male species.

I don’t believe the video game sells based on the sex so much as it does the control given to the player. It’s like a more explicit, violent version of the very popular SIMS game. (Where players build families and manipulate the actions of the animated characters.)
I stand on the idea that rape has nothing to do with anything biological. It is a cultural way to exert dominance. With society opening up to equality for women and minorities, the foundation of white male dominance is beginning to crumble. A rapist has total control over his victim. Not to mention the fact that rape is not taken seriously enough in our culture. The majority of rape victims are blamed for what happened to them, or questioned as to whether or not they are telling the truth.

While the video game is absolutely crossing the line of what is acceptable, I think we need to be focusing on how that video game even came into production. What attitudes are there in society that allowed this to occur?

Based on these questions and what has been covered in class, I don’t really believe that there is any ‘win’ when it comes to race and race relations. The more I sit through Sam’s classes, the less I feel I understand what race relations are really about. Maybe that means I’m at the reversal stage and am just sick of talking about it. More honestly, I’m just annoyed at how much we talk about the topic of race but still seem to be getting nowhere. Granted, I am a type A personality and scientifically oriented so I like having clear-cut solutions. Race and culture get more complex the more we talk about them.

I got into some very heated debates with a friend about his very blatant racist views and pointed out that he in fact had two black friends. He response was, “but they don’t act black”. But they are black. This is similar to the black LLBean models Sam showed us in class. First: what makes actions and mannerisms ‘black’ or ‘white’? How we act is just as much influenced by our surroundings as our race and culture. Just because you act a certain way doesn’t erase your race. If you’re raised in an upper class suburban area, you’re going to have different mannerisms that someone who has been raised in an urban city area. Mix kids from both school districts and you can pick out who is from what school not based on race but on mannerisms. Second: How much does it really matter? Who says you have to stick with whatever culture you’ve been born with and fall into their stereotypical mannerisms. And this goes in numerous racial directions.
Leading nicely into our last discussion about affirmative action, Obama’s comment about how his girls should never benefit from affirmative actions supports my above point. We’re so obsessed with race; we’re missing some other huge social factors.

In High School there were many stereotypical niches that people tried to fit into. Goth, prep, theater geek, band nerd, jock, hick, etc. Hick is classically as a white, unsophisticated male who lives in a rural area. Can hick be defined as a race? A culture? Can we classify ‘black’ or ‘hispanic’ in the same category? In my gender psychology class we have talked about the idea of ‘doing gender’, based on the idea that gender is an idea created by society, and not necessarily biological. Can we ‘do race’ as well? I stopped wearing hoop earrings when I started working at the YWCA because I felt like I was stepping on the toes of people who were Hispanic. It doesn’t really make sense but I always got the impression they thought I was another white girl attempting to fit in.

Where is the line drawn and where is it blurred over? If there is no right answer, then why are there so many wrong ones?

I totally agree! I was one of the girls who raised my hand in class, and I was really surprised by how few women actually raised their hands to the question of whether they had their period or not! In a class that size, no way were just three girls menstruating. (And just a point to make, I was also one of the people who walked out of class at the beginning of the ‘period’ discussion, but it was because I had a meeting to go to, not because I was in any way uncomfortable by the topic.)

I was really surprised by the reaction the class had when Sam started talking about bleeding, most especially by all the women sitting around me who cringed and had comments like “ewww, that’s so gross, why are we talking about this, I hate periods!”…I was like really? Half the people on this planet menstruate, including the women who were freaking out about it. When you wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom, fuck and shit are some expected expressions. I highly doubt any reaction involves ‘wow my vagina is so gross.’ Why are we so afraid of talking about it? Men talk about blue balls and morning wood and boners all the time. If I have to listen to you talk about your penis, then you have to listen to me talk about my vagina.

So many male friends have told me how glad they are to not be women, and how much it must suck. That, to me, is extremely disrespectful. You don’t know what it is to be a woman unless you are a woman. It is exactly like what Sam was talking about with his box theory. You can look elsewhere; you can experience new things, but only ever in the form that you were given. I would love to change forms with someone to see what it feels like to be a man for a day, but I would never want to give up being a woman.

I personally love that I have a menstrual cycle. It’s a reminder that I am a woman, and that I have to ability to create life. It’s an incredibly empowering thought. It is part of the cycle of life. I know that the idea of bleeding is most likely what freaks people out, but it really shouldn’t because blood is one of the reason we’re alive. And yes there are the cramps, and the headaches that come with it, but right after your cycle, you get this amazing re-cleansing feeling. The world moves in cycles just like the female body moves in cycles. My period makes me feel in tune with the earth and Mother Nature. And honestly, I would be a lot more worried if I didn’t get my period every month. I know so many women who have problems with their cycle, and many of them will never be able to have children. And they are all heart broken by this fact.

I totally agree! I was one of the girls who raised my hand in class, and I was really surprised by how few women actually raised their hands to the question of whether they had their period or not! In a class that size, no way were just three girls menstruating. (And just a point to make, I was also one of the people who walked out of class at the beginning of the ‘period’ discussion, but it was because I had a meeting to go to, not because I was in any way uncomfortable by the topic.)

I was really surprised by the reaction the class had when Sam started talking about bleeding, most especially by all the women sitting around me who cringed and had comments like “ewww, that’s so gross, why are we talking about this, I hate periods!”…I was like really? Half the people on this planet menstruate, including the women who were freaking out about it. When you wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom, fuck and shit are some expected expressions. I highly doubt any reaction involves ‘wow my vagina is so gross.’ Why are we so afraid of talking about it? Men talk about blue balls and morning wood and boners all the time. If I have to listen to you talk about your penis, then you have to listen to me talk about my vagina.

So many male friends have told me how glad they are to not be women, and how much it must suck. That, to me, is extremely disrespectful. You don’t know what it is to be a woman unless you are a woman. It is exactly like what Sam was talking about with his box theory. You can look elsewhere; you can experience new things, but only ever in the form that you were given. I would love to change forms with someone to see what it feels like to be a man for a day, but I would never want to give up being a woman.

I personally love that I have a menstrual cycle. It’s a reminder that I am a woman, and that I have to ability to create life. It’s an incredibly empowering thought. It is part of the cycle of life. I know that the idea of bleeding is most likely what freaks people out, but it really shouldn’t because blood is one of the reason we’re alive. And yes there are the cramps, and the headaches that come with it, but right after your cycle, you get this amazing re-cleansing feeling. The world moves in cycles just like the female body moves in cycles. My period makes me feel in tune with the earth and Mother Nature. And honestly, I would be a lot more worried if I didn’t get my period every month. I know so many women who have problems with their cycle, and many of them will never be able to have children. And they are all heart broken by this fact.

I totally agree! I was one of the girls who raised my hand in class, and I was really surprised by how few women actually raised their hands to the question of whether they had their period or not! In a class that size, no way were just three girls menstruating. (And just a point to make, I was also one of the people who walked out of class at the beginning of the ‘period’ discussion, but it was because I had a meeting to go to, not because I was in any way uncomfortable by the topic.)

I was really surprised by the reaction the class had when Sam started talking about bleeding, most especially by all the women sitting around me who cringed and had comments like “ewww, that’s so gross, why are we talking about this, I hate periods!”…I was like really? Half the people on this planet menstruate, including the women who were freaking out about it. When you wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom, fuck and shit are some expected expressions. I highly doubt any reaction involves ‘wow my vagina is so gross.’ Why are we so afraid of talking about it? Men talk about blue balls and morning wood and boners all the time. If I have to listen to you talk about your penis, then you have to listen to me talk about my vagina.

So many male friends have told me how glad they are to not be women, and how much it must suck. That, to me, is extremely disrespectful. You don’t know what it is to be a woman unless you are a woman. It is exactly like what Sam was talking about with his box theory. You can look elsewhere; you can experience new things, but only ever in the form that you were given. I would love to change forms with someone to see what it feels like to be a man for a day, but I would never want to give up being a woman.

I personally love that I have a menstrual cycle. It’s a reminder that I am a woman, and that I have to ability to create life. It’s an incredibly empowering thought. It is part of the cycle of life. I know that the idea of bleeding is most likely what freaks people out, but it really shouldn’t because blood is one of the reason we’re alive. And yes there are the cramps, and the headaches that come with it, but right after your cycle, you get this amazing re-cleansing feeling. The world moves in cycles just like the female body moves in cycles. My period makes me feel in tune with the earth and Mother Nature. And honestly, I would be a lot more worried if I didn’t get my period every month. I know so many women who have problems with their cycle, and many of them will never be able to have children. And they are all heart broken by this fact.

Hey, I just wanted to say that I was one of the people who left the room early. But only because I had a meeting to be at in five minutes. SO don't assume that everyone who left did so because they were uncomfortable with the topic.

Ok I’m super pumped after reading this because it’s a topic that continually comes up when I’m talking to my friends, and I can’t seem to settle on one side or the other. This topic is not solely the topic of an all white basketball league, but the overall issue of the formation of minority-only groups compared to majority-only groups.

Focusing solely on this issue of an all-white league, it sounds completely racist. But that’s mainly because Moose insinuates that people of color are causing disturbances to the game and are unstable and unsound, but not white basketball players. This is a ridiculous overgeneralization. His justifications for forming the team are not politically correct. But as a general idea, I don’t necessarily see it as a bad thing. Looking at the overall picture, when it comes to professional basketball, white males are (for once) in the minority. So you could argue that in this circumstance it’s a minority league- giving the white man a chance to play basketball.

Is it ok to have all-black societies but not all-white societies? Isn’t any ‘members-only’ club a form of discrimination? At least LGBTA groups reserve a spot for ‘allies’.
It’s a double standard. You can’t allow certain groups to be exclusive and not other groups. Isn’t it all some form of inequality? But on the other hand I sort of get it too. The African American and Puerto Rican sororities and fraternities on campus were most likely created because all other sororities and fraternities are dominated by whites. But they’re not exclusively white.

Another example of minority verses majority-only groups is in exclusive gym memberships like Curves. This is a women’s only gym, yet it is illegal to have a men’s-only gym. Why is that? As a woman I hate even attempting to lift weights at the Penn State gyms because of all the muscle-head guys glaring at me and my 7 pound free weights. And they smell. But I’m sure the guys hate seeing women take up all the cardio machines and read Cosmo at the same time. Is that sexism? Are we not allowed to separate ourselves at all? And what about all the clicks in High School? Should administration force the cheerleaders and theater kids to eat lunch together? What makes dividing by interest different that dividing by culture or race? I don’t feel that these divisions are a forced thing.

Now with the all-white basketball league specifically stating that you MUST be Caucasian seems like it’s purposefully trying to keep people out. But if it wasn’t, would anyone else actually want to join in?
If someone started an all-black basketball league would it be causing this much of an issue?

This comment is great because I think it’s something a lot of people in class are struggling with. The main reason that I, personally, am shutting down every time Sam brings up the idea of blame is because I don’t know how to change what’s going on. There are a million issues and problems going on in the world today, and I wish they could be fixed, but how can we fix this? What can I personally do to change the injustices going on in the Native American cultures? That is what frustrated me the most during these lectures; the fact that we’re not given activities, ideas, actions that can be performed to change what’s going on.

I completely agree that the outcome of Native Americans throughout colonization was horrible, and wrong. There was a similar issue occurring in New Zealand not to long ago as the indigenous Maori population was being pushed off their land to make way for Europeans. They were cheated out of land and rights, but their situation is far better than Native Americans. All Maori tribes were given plots of land, and the government is providing a certain amount of financial support for a designated time to help the tribes cross over to being able to function independently. Maori culture is seen everywhere in New Zealand. The Maori language is seen alongside English on public signs and menus, and the culture has been integrated into the overall society of New Zealand. While there were still injustices, the tribes are all still functioning and accepted in society.

What I don’t see is why these outcomes are so different. New Zealand is significantly smaller than the United States, but why did the Native American’s loose so much? The answer can’t be as simple as ‘it was the white man’s fault’. There are so many other contributing factors: a vast array of different cultures, government functioning and rulings, schooling, finances. Events that happen in history are complex in that you can’t isolate just one contributing factor. There are several events that build up over time, affecting how people interact, communicate, make decisions, which ultimately compiles into one action that occurs for a variety of reasons. And what occurred was a gross injustice. I get it. It sucks. It really sucks. But it was years ago. I just don’t see how I can be guilty. The government should probably put more spending into reservations, to help the Native Americans preserve their way of life by allowing all natural resources to remain untouched as well as extend to the land and improve housing conditions. How can I help?

I wish this issue hit home with me. I guess I’m struggling with what we can do to change it. I feel helpless in a situation that is so huge and so fundamentally built into our society.