en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/2416446 Comments by sweetdefeat http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/who-should-get-to-make-the-decisions-about-illegal-immigrants-and-what-criteria-should-be-used-to-determine-their-legality/#IDComment145250957 Making the decision on legal immigration is an incredibly complex task and one that I think is going to be seen in very positive and negative lights regardless of what outlines are drawn. I personally am very glad that I am not the one who has to make the decision. When it comes to setting the difficult policies on illegal immigration I think that everything needs to start from the top at the federal government. In order to get universal policy guidelines throughout the whole country a coverall policy system needs to be put in place that all states must follow. While I realize that this may pose many problems, such as some states being impacted more by illegal immigration regulation than others, this is the only way to solve the legal implications that this issue poses. I think that then once a national standard has been established and properly enforced that privileges involving legislature can be passed down to the states. It would eventually function in the same way that automotive laws work in the states now. There are large overarching laws that all states must follow but the decision to implement laws about things such as riding a helmet on a motorcycle are left to individual states. Moving back to immigration this increased state power would then allow for states such as Texas who have large borders to implement laws that other states such as Indiana wouldn’t need. I also believe that the border patrol or any other safeguards put into place must be control by one national entity. I think that the only way to control the border is if it is done nationally with the interests of the whole country rather than just a state or even a community. As for determining the legality of an illegal immigrant this becomes a very slippery slope. It is very difficult to do this without the profiling of large numbers of people. I think that the best way to do this is through workplace verification of legality. There needs to be better systems used to verify the legality of individuals than we have in place. The main reasoning for illegal immigration is because people are searching for jobs in order to better their lives and their family’s lives. To do this they need to get jobs, and if people can’t get jobs as easily this becomes a deterrent from illegal immigration without building fences or having to place large amounts of security on the borders. There is nothing wrong with people to search for a better life by going to another country, that is what America was build on, but it can be done legally and cost effectively for the United States. Sat, 23 Apr 2011 00:16:36 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/19/who-should-get-to-make-the-decisions-about-illegal-immigrants-and-what-criteria-should-be-used-to-determine-their-legality/#IDComment145250957 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment141123255 I agree with Ernso’s statement that he doesn’t like foreign aid groups going into Haiti and taking pictures of impoverished children in use for ad campaigns. I think that the people don’t understand the image that they are taking in when they see the ads run on tv. The foreign ad administrations are trying to trigger an emotional reaction of sympathy within the target audience. But this level of sympathy is more of a guilt trip than anything else and more often than not will just lead to a one-time donation. I feel that these kinds of ads don’t generate enough genuine interest within the people to look at what they can do to actually better these people’s lives. They think the corporation will have a better knowledge than anything that they can do and are happy with what they’ve done. Rather what Ernso is suggesting is that we send images or statements to the people of America that can get them interested in a more hands-on approach to aid. If people are to learn more about what is actually going on and see that the needs of these people are rather simple, in order to better their lives, then they will be more likely to donate or better yet go out and raise awareness and try and find a much more in depth method of helping. I also think that the images of starvation and poverty don’t show respect to these people and bear a great amount of grief with them. These people no matter how poor or hungry have a great amount of self-respect and that should be respected. There are much better ways to create awareness and aid than through grief that help maintain that respect. I especially think that our method of approach in class is such a method that needs to be investigated. With just a little awareness and a couple of hours of work and we are able to come up with ideas that can change thousands of lives in very simple ways. Yes, resources are a valuable thing in many of these aid projects, but as we are seeing so is education. With just a little bit of education we can “teach people how to fish,” so that they can help themselves to better their own living conditions. The one thing that is most amazing about this prospect is that we are just college kids seeking to make a small change with our own limited resources. If only a large corporation or a well off individual were to try and think in this way in order to help imagine what could come of it. The world is a big place but there is no reason for us to be out of touch with humanity. Sat, 9 Apr 2011 00:18:18 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/04/07/do-you-agree-with-foreign-aids-use-of-pictures-of-children-119-blog/#IDComment141123255 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139431258 The class on the needy penis didn’t really make me uncomfortable today, however I can see it being a slightly awkward thing for some people. For me personally I think it was somewhat repetition of what I’ve already experienced and at the same time a rather enlightening experience rather than an awkward one. Having been in a relationship for the last two years my girlfriend and I have developed our relationship over time both emotionally and physically. Over that time it I feel that I have learned a lot of the differences in the needs that each of us have throughout our relationship and so the conversation was right on par in a sense with my experiences. Over time you learn to adjust to your girlfriend/boyfriend and learn they’re emotions, tendencies and “needs” as Sam said. I felt that over time I have done a good job adjusting, but I don’t know if my girlfriend agrees, and we have both progressed a lot. I think that this lecture though helped me to reexamine exactly what my “needs” were and how I address them in my relationship. It also helped me to rethink a lot of my girlfriend’s own signals and such because I think that is something I may need to do in order to better our relationship or to take understanding to a new level. Because these things were rather applicable to my own life I think that this lecture was rather enlightening rather than uncomfortable. However, I can see this lecture possibly being uncomfortable for individuals who don’t have a sense of connection to the topic. Those who haven’t ever been in a long-term relationship or are not currently in one may have seen the lecture as rather silly or even unnecessary in the discomfort level it created for them. I can see this being rather comical to many people who don’t see the application of it to their own lives. But I hope that everyone took something away from it because I feel that uncomfortable or not that the situations or needs that were talked about will be present in everyone’s life or relationship at some point. We are all human and whether or not we are that open about our own sexual expression I think that everyone knows that the topics discussed are of importance to each and everyone’s lives. Lastly I think that Sam made a good point about our the abuse of alcohol and the role that it plays in many peoples sexual lives. No one should feel the need to drink in order to seek sexual fulfillment, hooking up is cool and all but don’t let alcohol confuse you into doing something that you’re going to regret the next day. Sat, 2 Apr 2011 19:46:30 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/31/has-the-class-on-the-needy-penis-made-you-uncomfortable-and-why-119-blog/#IDComment139431258 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-factors-in-your-race-make-it-difficult-to-date-outside-your-race-119-blog/#IDComment137621123 I don’t believe that there are factors within each race that prevent or make one hesitant from dating between races. Rather I believe interracial dating is influenced by the social pressures and the environment in which it takes place. Probably the most influential factor in interracial dating is the family atmosphere that surrounds the persons taking place in the interracial relationship. If the family is overbearing and does not show any tolerance towards an interracial relationship then the likelihood of such relationship taking place is greatly reduced. I think that in the major scheme of things most individuals aim to please they’re family even if it may go against their own personal happiness. I also think that families that have not openly expressed their own views with their children may decrease the likelihood of them entering such relationship. Out of their fear of possibly creating tension within their family many young adults may tend away from an interracial relationship. However, having said that I think that as an individual grows older they may tend away from this said desire to please their family and pursue a relationship regardless of approval. And of course I believe that families that openly express acceptance will have the highest chances of an interracial relationship taking place. I also think that a major factor in the such relationships taking place is the environment in which they are set. I think that in a rather mixed setting of people that the likelihood will increase just because there will be less social pressures that may have them trend away from an interracial relationship. I think that often people feel as though if they are in a relatively large group of the same race and are in an interracial relationship they may feel some sort of pressure that leads them to be “normal” or within the confines of the others within that group. I think that much of society today has come to accept interracial relationships, as they should, but that there is a learning curve or whatever it should be called that is lagging within society to actually act upon their feelings because they for some reason still feel pressured to conform to a single race. I believe though that as time continues on and with the continued diversification of societies that interracial relationships will become something that is completely overlooked and invisible as a same race relationship, as it should. It just takes time and an openness of mind of the public, as well as a open upbringing to help instigate this long overdue change in society. Life is to short to let little things such as race get in the way of a relationship with someone you truly love, so don’t let anyone else’s opinion stand in the way. Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:47:35 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/03/22/what-factors-in-your-race-make-it-difficult-to-date-outside-your-race-119-blog/#IDComment137621123 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/scholarships-for-white-men/#IDComment134263402 I believe that this video brings about a rather confusing controversial subject that is in the near future going to receive much more attention. Up until the last few years it seems as though there has been an unspoken rule that if you’re a white male you’re better off than any minority regardless of your background. While I know that seems rather extreme I mean it in a broad context that white males are generally better off. Therefore, scenarios such as the development of a white scholarship fund let alone a white male scholarship fund have been out of the question because they are seen to be racist or politically incorrect. Personally I think that the issue is to come under much fire in the near future, there may not be an answer to the issue just yet but I think that it is something that needs to come into the light. An interesting statement I think that was made by the gentleman in the video was when he stated that he wasn’t around 30 years ago to see who was and who was not going to school to know about the advantaged and disadvantaged. I think that this shows that as we move into the future we are going to have to move forward from the racism of the past and take a new look at society. Yes there is still evidence of racism throughout society, but as we move further into the 21st century I think that we have to acknowledge times and tensions are changing. As we saw in the video of the low-income white family last week, there are many individuals of all races and backgrounds that need financial aid. I believe that individuals of all backgrounds should have the right too much needed aid and scholarships, even if they are race specific. However, having said that I think that there is a fine line that must be drawn involving such scholarships to prevent them from becoming the racial demon many people already claim them to be. We must acknowledge that these scholarships are there in order to help a small group of individuals to attain an education, just as the same scholarships are in place for “group 1, group 2 group 3 and group 4.” If the scholarships are established as to do only that and take no support from white supremacists or such individuals I don’t believe that society should have a problem with them. The intent of this fund is to help low income individuals to attain an education and I believe that society should be ok with that, if it becomes anything more than that though however I have no problem with it coming under scrutiny. Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:15:28 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/28/scholarships-for-white-men/#IDComment134263402 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/how-conscious-are-you-of-your-seat-in-class-before-and-after-todays-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment130735825 Today’s lecture honestly had no affect upon how I choose where to sit in class on any given day. I myself usually sit wherever there are three seats open because I have class with two guys from my floor, but I think it would be interesting to examine things if I were to not have them there with me. I don’t think that another person’s race would really have an impact upon where I sit. I often wonder if there is some subconscious mechanism within our thought process that tends to have us gravitate toward a sense of comfort in people of our own racial identity. I often do notice a sense of division throughout the classroom based upon racial background and don’t really have a reasonable explanation for it. Maybe it spawns from a feeling of comfort in numbers in a setting of often unnerving subjects in a race related course or maybe as I said before it is some sort of subconscious drive. I would like to think though that each of us sit where we sit just because it was the most convenient seat rather than because of some prejudice that would make us feel uncomfortable sitting next to a person of another race or ethnicity. It is interesting though to think of it in comparison to the exercise that Sam did in class though and to examine if we are having those crazy thought processes, even if on a smaller level, that each of the individuals were as they were forced to walk across the room in front of 700 people and decide on where to sit. Are we really thinking, “Oh sitting there is safe” or “If I sit in this seat am I going to be looked at as a racist as opposed to that seat” or even “Am I displaying nay prejudices’ in my mannerisms.” I feel like this is such a deep issue and could even in a way be tied into the lecture on political correctness. Because we have such a level of fear as being seen as a racist by society we often overanalyze and overcompensate in our action and language in order to be seen in a certain light. I guess bringing things back to the original question no I don’t think that the lecture will cause me to look at where I’m sitting in class because I believe that I don’t have anything affecting my decisions already and therefore there is nothing to be altered. However, I think that it brings up a good point and that we all must look for that latent prejudice within ourselves, in our actions, thoughts, words and ask ourselves how it affects our own actions. Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:08:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/24/how-conscious-are-you-of-your-seat-in-class-before-and-after-todays-lecture-119-blog/#IDComment130735825 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-much-can-a-person-use-the-ignorance-card-119-blog/#IDComment128865843 I believe that this issue of the use of the ignorance card is a very complex thing and it really depends upon the scenario in which it is being used. In the world that most of us live in we are so privileged to have the opportunities that we have been given. As Sam said in class we are in about the top 97% of all of the people in the world in terms of the quality of life that we live each and every day. While each of us each comes from a very different background and we all may see ourselves as very diverse in terms of where we have come from we all must acknowledge that in the wide view of the world we are all very alike. Regardless of our background each of us has a roof over our head, a warm meal ever night and most of all are attending one of the better universities in the entire country, and even the world. Now this brings me to the issue of the use of the ignorance card. In a perfect world the ignorance card would not exist and we would all embrace the hardships of others throughout the globe and take it upon ourselves to create a greater sense of equality of the quality of life of everyone around the world. However, with over 6 billion people in the world such a task is sadly hypothetically impossible. Despite this though I feel that each of us should not turn a blind eye and neglect these problems because they don’t think that they can have any affect upon them but rather in some way or another seek to educate ourselves on these issues. The best defense that we have against the evils of the world such as slavery is through our education on the topics. If we know the conditions of others throughout the world we can each search for ways in our own life in which we can have a positive impact upon these people and to help them to reach for a higher quality of life. Whether this is by donating a large sum of money to a foundation, through volunteerism by taking a trip to Haiti, buying Fair Trade chocolate or just by spreading the word about the things you have learned and encouraging others to do the same; each of these things will have a positive impact. No matter how educated we are there will always be an issue that we don’t know about and that we have our back turned to blindly in ignorance of some sort. But it isn’t possible for everyone to reach out and solve all of the problems of the world by them self. However, through education we can help to slowly solve these problems and eliminate the ignorance card. Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:57:32 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/17/how-much-can-a-person-use-the-ignorance-card-119-blog/#IDComment128865843 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/10/what-did-you-get-out-of-king-of-the-mountain-119-blog/#IDComment127461567 When in class and listening to Sam’s example of the King of the Mountain theory I thought that it made perfect sense and was a great method of simplifying social stratification. While it may even seem over simplified I think that it displays society in a very brutal yet realistic manner. Each individual wants to reach their greatest possible potential and for those they care about to do the same. Once someone reaches the top they aren’t going to be easily swayed to give up all of the benefits and are going to manipulate things in order to maintain the greatest personal status. One example my discussion group used of this was the education systems and the distribution of funds to different school districts. Many school districts receive their funding from both county and city taxes, which the individuals going to the schools in those regions pay. Therefore counties with wealthier residents will have a larger amount of funding based upon tax revenue to support their schools. This method of dividing funds leads to poorer districts having fewer funds allocated for their schools and therefore their children are placed at a disadvantage in their education. Now the system could be changed in order to evenly distribute funds throughout the entire state or a larger metropolitan area and therefore providing a more even education to all students. However, why would the wealthier families want to distribute the wealth evenly if their children are being given a better education and better opportunities because of it? They wouldn’t. And thus the never-ending cycle of wealth continues partially because of this difference in education. I just find it ridiculous that we can openly acknowledge that such a system or stratification or barrier or whatever you want to call it exists within our own society and not have a common willpower to somehow institute a change in this system. Even if the change would be to just lower the mountaintop a little bit or as in Sam’s example to let everyone up onto the chair beside that mountain I think that a great amount of good would come out of a common drive. There shouldn’t be such a huge gap in between upper class Americans and lower class Americans there should be a much more common mean in the middle where everyone could live comfortably and have a much more reasonable chance at the same future. It is going to take someone who is on top of the mountain though to institute such a change because as was shown in class the man on top has all of the power and it is very difficult for those below to gain any leverage in the matter. Sat, 12 Feb 2011 02:58:23 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/10/what-did-you-get-out-of-king-of-the-mountain-119-blog/#IDComment127461567 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/what-is-the-difference-between-a-colored-and-white-comedian-119-blog/#IDComment126053967 The guy in this video posts a very interesting question, what is it that allows for a joke to be funny when said by a person of one race rather than by another? I believe that much of the reason why people question race jokes is a reason of credibility or personal experience that one looks to see in a comic’s routine. I think that when watching a comedy routine such as the one in class by the Persian comic what gives it much of its comedic edge is the method in which he told the joke as speaking from first hand experience. I feel that much of us look to see an emotional attachment to the joke and the comic who is displaying it allowing for us to live the moment through them and I think that race jokes take on a different edge when being told from a non involved party. A great example of this in a white comic would be Larry the Cable Guy and his backcountry or so called “redneck” routine that he does. I believe that the reason people find such enjoyment in his comedy routine is the level of credibility that he brings to the routine with his background and even by his accent and stage attire wearing a baseball cap with a fish hook on the underside. I also think that much of the awkwardness in comedy involving different ethnicities especially being told by a white individual is the tone and demeanor expressed when the comic is telling the joke. If the comic’s routine is just vulgar and aims to insult another race or background then it is definitely going to come across with a negative feel to it. However if the joke is being told in a manner such as that of the Indian comic’s routine in which he made jokes about both his racial background and a Chinese racial background it creates a better comedic atmosphere. Therefore I believe that it should make no difference what the race of the comic is who is up on stage and the jokes that they are telling, as long as they are telling the jokes with a level of respect that should be demanded from each one of them and that they would look to have in return. The point I guess I’m trying to make is that comedy comes from an emotional connection and I think that people watching a stand up routine get the greatest connection with the believability of the jokes and the credibility a comic brings to a stage. I think a person is going to tell the best jokes if they have some relation to the event they are talking about because they can put their own spin on it, not because of the color of their skin. Sat, 5 Feb 2011 02:18:01 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/02/01/what-is-the-difference-between-a-colored-and-white-comedian-119-blog/#IDComment126053967 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124463828 Political correctness is an interesting topic in America, and something that discussion will never close on. I personally think that political correctness is an important aspect of our society because it establishes a level of respect when in a conversation. However having said that I believe that it is a difficult concept for many people to grasp because a universal definition of political correctness almost impossible to achieve across the many cultures that exist within a language. In America today there are numerous cultural settings in which the context of certain phrases could be interpreted in many different ways and when one crosses these barriers it creates uneasy in society. I myself am planning to go into the medical field and am incredibly intrigued by the topic because of the implication it will have upon me in my chosen future profession. In the medical field I will encounter thousands of people each form their own unique background, possibly in many different parts of the country. Therefore being politically correct will be a key aspect of my practice in order to not offend any of my patients. The only problem will be what is considered offensive? And what is appropriate? I assume that this will be something learned through trial and error and I know that it will be impossible to not offend anyone but the question is why is political correctness going to have such a huge impact on the conversations I have in my practice. I find that the concept of political correctness comes from a lack of understanding of tense and implication on all sides of the racial spectrum. Our lack of understanding of one another’s cultures and background forces us to question ourselves in conversations about race in fear of appearing racist or insensitive and we let it guide our tongue. This tip toeing around conversation and inability to speak freely I feel is the result of our ignorance. If we do not hesitate in our thought process and say what we truly believe I feel that the context in which we speak will express our true character and eliminate hostility from a potentially offended party. And thus through our open speech if we are to offend someone they will free to correct us without fear of an awkward situation or for some reason being persecuted themselves. I guess what it comes down to for me is that for those of us who want to be politically correct all of the time will try to be and if for some reason we are not those who we are speaking to should be able to see within the context we mean no harm and would have no problem with being corrected. Being politically correct is important but so is being honest with yourself and with others, only then can the prejudice that surrounds the context of political correctness be eliminated. Sat, 29 Jan 2011 03:16:06 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/27/why-do-we-need-to-be-politically-correct-119-blog/#IDComment124463828 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cb%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment124205404 soc 119 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:17:26 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/10/last-name-%e2%80%9cb%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-intense-debate/#IDComment124205404 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122876761 I agree with her that the exercise in class today was very interesting and thought provoking. I believe that the difficulty that the two girls had placing the individuals into groups is a great example of how alike we all are. Each one of us has many individual characteristics that have come about over hundreds of generations of minute changes but in the end each of us is human. Throughout the entire exercise I was continually thinking and trying to determine how I would have put them into groups myself and can’t imagine had it been me how things would have ended up. Like I said before as individuals certain characteristics may stand out to our eye because we don’t see them in the mirror every day, but place us next too each other and we’re so incredibly similar to one another. I also found it interesting that when the two girls went to divide everyone into groups that they and I’m sure many others in the class, including myself thought to do it by skin color. It would be just as easy to categorize based upon hair color or eye color or facial structure or hundreds of other things but yet we focus upon skin color for some social constructed reason. Why is skin color the default for categorization? Also how are we to escape centuries of using this as a dividing factor among us? Another thing that I think would be interesting is to see how this exercise would play out in classrooms around the world and the groupings that would occur there. Would we see that same divisions or would different cultures, lifestyles and exposure rates to other races play a role in the results. I personally would like to believe that other regions of the world are not so racially centered as we are here in the United States but I can’t say that I really have a good idea of how the results would pan out. Lastly, I find myself pondering what will the nations views on race be when the day comes that “white” is not the majority race in the United States. I feel that in recent history that there has been growing tension over the race debate parallel to the immigration debate and I’m intrigued to see how the political and social climate of America changes or possibly doesn’t change when the demographics of the nation even out. I hope to see a continuation of the progress that is slowly being made in America to eliminate racism. So to close this out I leave one last question, how are you going to work to eliminate the socially constructed view that race in defined by skin color from your own thought process? Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:01:33 +0000 http://www.worldinconversation.org/2011/01/18/what-do-you-think-blog-2/#IDComment122876761