There is a lot that I took from class this semester. I feel like it is too hard to pin point one topic or discussion that influenced me more than the rest. However, if I had to pin point one thing about myself that this class helped me with I would have to say that it helped me to better understand the issues that we face in the world today.
One thing that really changed my views was the discussion that we had on the war oversees, in which Sam laid out the feelings of those we are fighting against. Prior to this discussion, I guess I had a kind of narrow mind set. I did not think that America was always right or selfless but I felt that anyone who fought against us was the bad person, no matter what the reason. Since Sam showed us what it was like to be the opposing side, I still will never condone the killing of American soldiers but I have a better understanding as to why they fight.
It was also a really eye opening experience to talk to people oversees during the lectures and to hear their viewpoints on different matters. I learned that people in other countries are not as different from me as I initially thought. And it was amazing to come to this realization.
I also really like how interactive and fun the class was. When my advisor recommended the class to me, she said to me that it was going to be along those lines. However, this was much different than I had expected, in a good way. This class was like a completely new experience for me. Even in previous discussion based classes that I have taken before I had not experienced anything similar to this classes format. The way Sam talked to us and got us involved in the class really helped the learning process and I feel contributed top my further understanding of the issues.
Finally, my favorite part of the class had to be the small discussion groups. I got to discuss my opions and hear the opinions of others. Not only that but I got to do it while getting to know these people and making a lot of new friends. I was really fun and I believe helped to improve my understanding most of all, because I was able to but myself out there and hear directly from others with different opinions.
In conclusion, this class was a great experience for me. It has helped me to become more open and to improve my understanding on numerous topics. I really like having such an interactive class and I plan to take what I learned with me for the rest of my life. I hope that I can take this experience and apply it to my future endeavors.

This question is hard for me to answer because since I started attending college I have quickly adapted into a very racially diverse group. While I am white and so are the majority of my friends, some of my closest friend are not. In fact, three of my closest friends were born in other countries and did not migrate to America until they were around the age of 12. Thus, I personally haven’t had any trouble talking to anyone of a different race since for a couple of years now.
However, I do understand that it can be intimidating talking to someone outside of one’s racial group. I remember when I first started college, before I really got completely adapted to people outside of my race. I never had trouble making friend with anyone but I would be careful about what I said so as not to offend anyone. Now with my closest friends our different races are one source of a lot of our jokes because were all comfortable with each other. But before when I would talk to a black person or to and Asian or ect. I would be careful because I felt like an outsider in a way. Like certain joke that they made amongst themselves would be taboo for a person of an outside race.
I feel like the same applies for when one is trying to date someone of a different color. We have a tendency to feel like outsiders. I have looked at girls and thought to myself she won’t be interested in me because I’m white. In fact, I think that Sam kind of proved this in class when he had the girls go up in front of the class and pick which Asian guy the like the best. They all picked the Teacher’s assistant because, as Sam explained, he was the most westernized looking one. Sam showed that we tend to be more attracted to people of the same race. I believe that other races realize this too. So in our minds when we’re trying to date outside of our racial group we believe we’ve already been rejected. This can be hard to get over.
I also believe that some might still feel that it is still not very socially accepted to date outside of one’s race. My parents have never had a problem with it but I do know some people who have said that their parents wouldn’t approve of them dating someone who was a different color. I think it has become much more accepted, but not in the minds of everyone. And when people worry about others judging them that can be a huge deterrent. Not everyone has the guts to go against the social norm.
In conclusion, I believe that as the years go on interracial relationships will become more of a normal occurrence and more socially accepted. They are just not to the point yet where it is easy for everyone to just go for.

Sam’s video lecture shed a lot of light on me as far as the whole war overseas goes. Prior to the lecture, I honestly had not given much thought o how our enemies perceive us. Nor had I given much thought to the fact that there are multitudes of reasons why we go to war overseas. Or rather, I had never thought of any reasons, other than the obvious.
I always knew that foreign oil interests had a large part in causing the United States to send our soldiers to fight on foreign soil. I also thought that a large part was that we have a responsibility as the worlds only super power to, in extreme cases, interfere in foreign affairs and help oppressed peoples. However, I had never really considered a religious standpoint all of this. I had never considered that some of our people look at them as misguided in their beliefs, and that that is a cause of the war.
Furthermore, I had never considered that our country as a whole is seen to other countries as a Christian country. When I look at America from my viewpoint, I take my religious views into consideration and those of the people around me and I am able to see firsthand that even though the majority of people are Christian, America is made up of many religions and viewpoints. But to those that are not from here, this concept may seem strange or even impossible. Now that I think about it from this foreign view point I can understand why they would think this and why they would be so offended by a bunch of Christians invading their country. I know I would be outraged if someone came into my home and told me that everything I believe in is wrong and that I have to change my views.
I personally do not like change of even the smallest nature in many cases. So, if someone told me that I have to change everything that I believe and understand to be a truth. i certainly would want to fight against them. Maybe not in such a violent way but if I was pushed to the brink I can see Sam’s point. I would most likely join the militia.
I agree with Sam’s statement. I do not condone the attacking and killing of U.S. soldiers. I could never because they are my people and they represent my friend and family. However, I feel that I can better understand why they are attacked. Misunderstandings and greed have always been, and probably always will be, a cause of conflict. And those who we are fighting against, perceive us as invades thieves and crusaders. In some ways they may be right. I hope that one day we can get past the misunderstandings and the conflict and find a way to serve everyone’s interests but unfortunately that seems to be increasing more impossible.

Although, I come from a Christian family and I was raised Christian, I have never been an avid follower of its practices or preaching’s. In fact, I have always considered myself to have more of an agnostic point of view when it comes to religion. However, having been raised in a Christian family, I did attend church a lot and go to catechism as a child and based on what I know about the work of Jesus, I think it is fair to say that this man is fallowing in his footsteps.
Unfortunately, in today’s day and age I feel it is becoming increasingly rare to see unconditional acts of kindness. That is what makes this guys actions so amazing. What he does is purely out of the goodness of his heart. What I think is more amazing is that he does all this charity even being in the financial state he is in. There are people who are rich who do nothing but squander their money on stupid things like, expensive clothing or the newest phone, both of which will out of date by the next year, prompting these people to go and waste their money all over again. I myself am an example of this. I’m certainly not rich but some of the extra money I do have I waste on things that I don’t need, a lot of which I don’t use enough to make it worth buying in the first place. However, this many doesn’t waste his money on things he doesn’t not need. Hell, he probably doesn’t even by everything he does need, because he recognizes that there are others who need much more. That is hard to do today, especially with the way the economy is now.
What I think is really amazing is that he isn’t asking for anything in return. There are charities that are tax deductible. In my opinion if someone is offered an incentive to give to charity, it is not really charity, at least not one hundred percent. But, what the man in the video is doing doesn’t give him anything but the joy of seeing others happy. He does not get tax breaks and he certainly doesn’t get paid, in fact it’s quite the opposite. He loses money by helping these people but he does it anyway because for him the joy of helping others far out ways the cost.
In conclusion, I think that he is a good man, and that as fellow human beings he should all try to follow his example. I don’t mean go bankrupt helping the needy. But we should give what we don’t need, even if it’s a small amount, every bit helps. I think that as far as following in the footsteps of Jesus goes, this man is doing an excellent job.

For me the whole abortion topic boils down a responsibility issue. I do not think that abortion should be viewed as some arbitrary decision, which one makes. I feel that if someone is “responsible” enough to have sex, then those people should take responsibility for any un-intended consequences. Most people seem to like to view this from a moral or religious standpoint versus a freedom of choice standpoint. On one side of the argument, you have people who say things like “life starts at conception”, while on the other people claim the right over their own bodies. Both may be valid arguments, but the fact is that this decision should be based off more than just that. Just on the responsibility topic, what kind of place would this country become if abortions starting being a common everyday thing. That does not teach the younger generations to be safe or prepared when they have sex. In fact, I would assume some people to have the mindset “if I get pregnant, I’ll just get it aborted.” That’s not the right mindset to have.
That being said I do think that there are extenuation circumstances in which abortion is acceptable. In certain situations where it is more responsible not to have the baby, for instance, I think that one should consider abortion. Like a poor couple who practice safe sex and just had an un-lucky break with a condom. If they are unable to afford a good life for the baby and don’t believe that it’ll have a good life in an adoption center, then they should be allowed to have an abortion, because they showed responsibility in practicing safe sex and in there reason for wanting an abortion.
Rape pregnancy, in my opinion, is another situation in which an abortion is acceptable. As stated earlier, people should be held accountable for their actions. If a woman is raped, she should not be responsible for the pregnancy. She did not choose to have sex and there for should not have to bring a child into the world that she alone is going to have to take care of. Furthermore, I would imagine that some women might see the child as a constant reminder of what happened to them, and that is not fair to the woman or the child.
My opinion on this matter doesn’t really change whether it is someone close to me who gets pregnant or someone I do not know. If someone close to me were raped I would not want them to have to take care a child that resulted from it. I honestly, don’t know if even I could look at the kid without harboring some amount of contempt. That’s really not fair for him or her because the kid didn’t ask to be born this way. I cant imagine really having to go through this and I’m sorry for those who do.

I completely agree with this statement. It is obvious that the majority of America is misinformed. I did not realize that it was to such an extent, however. When Sam showed that, the top four crimes present in media are not even in the top ten frequently committed crimes I was taken completely by surprise. I also had no idea that the it’s better for a child to ask a stranger for help. I myself was always taught, like most people, to avoid strangers so I actually thought abductions where a fairly common crime before Tuesday. Ive never consider myself to be very informed on many of the issues but I didn’t realize that I was so uninformed on how the world really operates.
The problem lies with our media. In my opinion, the media is corrupt and bias. One major problem is that many media forms serve interest groups. This means that the news is tailored to fit whatever criteria a certain interest group sees fit. For instance, a Politian running for reelection probably would not want a sting of murders or robberies to be brought to the people’s attention as he is campaigning. This would cause this would cause voters to think he was not doing a good job. Therefore, a newspaper in his corner may chose to leave out some of the facts or point the finger at someone else.
Another problem with the media is that even if it does not serve a particular interest group is, that it is still bound to be opinionated. It is impossible to find a completely unbiased person. Often a person’s opinions are present in their work. Certain media groups favor republicans while others are democratic, or they do not agree with a certain social group. This, even if it is unintentional, leads to tailor made news.
A third problem with our media is that they like most businesses are out to make money. While that is the purpose of work and it is unavoidable, it does not create for a fair and balanced news station. They have to broadcast or write about what is going to get them the most viewers and/ or readers.
I feel like there will never be such a thing as unbiased or completely balanced news station. Its just not possible to take people’s opinions out of the mix. That being said, the only way for people to get truly informed is to research the world for themselves. Unfortunately, many American aren’t the most productive or proactive people. This is another part of the problem. We rely on the newspapers and television stations because they are able to do what a majority cannot do for themselves. That’s lay out the “facts” for us to clearly see. The media takes complicated issues and dumbs it down for the lowest common denominator. I believe newspapers are written in an eighth grade level so that even high school dropouts can read them. If that weren’t the case they would have no way of finding out the issues, so clearly they are at the mercy of the media.
In conclusion, America needs to find a way to get informed, no matter how hard it is.

I do not believe that the general population realizes that what they do is in fact discrimination. I think that a lot of what dictates not only their actions but also their beliefs is how and where they were raised. It is a shame but in today’s society many times, non-whites are associated with committing crimes more than are whites.
There are a number of reasons for this. One big reason is that most crime ridden neighborhoods are heavily populated by non whites. This is because, as we learned in class, blacks and Hispanics have the lowest earnings in America many are forced to live in poorer neighborhoods. Many are even forced to commit crimes in order to put food on the table. Because of this, the non-white population has become somewhat synonymous with crime even though the many live straight lives.
In fact, many white people are put on the news for committing crimes and yet no one seems to care quite as much or they seem surprised or even confused as to why a white person who commit a crime. I myself have been with people many times who have been surprised when a burglar, or someone on the news, turned out to be white. Then they often ask, “Why would he do that?”, but when it is a person of color, no one seems surprised, like it’s a regular thing. It is really a shame.
Another reason for these occurrences is that people tend to go with the “mob mentality.” It only takes on prejudiced person to give the rest enough “courage” to join in. No one stopped for the white kid so no one joined in, but the second someone stopped and confronted the black kid an entire crowed joined in. In all likely-hood had that initial person not stopped, most of the people would not have either. People do not want to be the one person who gets involved but they also do not want to be the only one who does not.
I also believe that a lot of people realized that they did have at least some prejudice but simply did not want to admit it on camera, or to themselves for that matter.
In the case with the girl, I really don’t know what to say. Most men are raised to be chivalrous and help the “damsel in distress” but I would think that it would stop at a point. Helping a girl steal a bike isn’t chivalrous, it’s a crime. Many don’t know where to draw the line I suppose. They see a girl who needs help and they instinctively rush to help her without thinking it through or asking any questions.
In conclusion, I think that people really need to stop, take a step back from themselves, and examine what they do before they act. The fact is that whether those people believed that they were being prejudiced or not, at least on an unconscious level, they were.

My thoughts on affirmative action have not changed much since the lecture. Personally, I am against affirmative action as it is now. I feel that more than being helpful, it is a crutch. That is not to say that affirmative action does not help some people. There are those who have had a tough life through no fault of their own and need help. However, in my personal opinion, the number of those who are granted some type of affirmative action based only on their past situation slightly outweighs the number of those who prove themselves and deserve an extra boost.
Affirmative action, in some cases, allows those who are unable to or unwilling to make something to themselves benefit from those who are able. The taxpayers like all government programs are paying for the benefits. Furthermore, I feel that it gives some people a false sense of entitlement. Some may feel that they deserve more than they have actually earned because there are other telling them that it is not their fault. With this sense of entitlement comes a lack of responsibility for ones’ own actions.
That having been said, however, I do agree that there are circumstances that call for some affirmative action. For instance, giving a child, who grows up in a poor minority household, a scholarship to a good school that he or she would otherwise be unable to afford, is perfectly fair to in my opinion. That is, provided the child also took steps to earn the scholarship. If it is apparent that he or she is trying hard to be something but that their race or social situation is holding them down, I think they should be given a chance at something great. But if one was to give them the scholarship or admittance simply because they a minority and they showed no future prospect, that to me seems unfair to others who have worked hard to get to where they are.
The one thing I do agree with however is that many minorities have not had a chance to catch up yet and most likely will not have a chance for a long time. Those who are at the top are seldom gracious when it comes time to give up their power. I do feel that steps should been taken to equalize the playing field, but that there should be a dedicated process that goes into seeing who deserves it. In addition, I feel that those who work hard should always be given priority over those who have not, regardless of race, religion, or otherwise. Affirmative action should not be a treated as an entitlement, based on past hardships but rather as something, that one earns based on what they make of those hardships.

I think there are a few factors that go into why no one would identify themselves as rich. One is that I believe that most people tend to identify themselves a middle class. Therefore, I do not think that a lot of people would realize that they were well off unless they were extremely high up on the social scale.
Second, I believe people tend to frown on those who are well off out of jealousy, especially those who are born into their riches. To many of us who are not born well off it does not seem fair that others are born with so much more, when they didn’t do anything more to deserve it.
Even if this is not the case, at the very least, I think that most people feel it is. No one wants to admit that he or she is well off because they do not want others to look down on him or her.
It is quite sad that because of the fear of judgment from their peers that people cannot be themselves. Just because they are born under different circumstances, they have to be careful about what they say or do around others. On the other hand, I myself am not rich and I can sympathize with why people feel so jealous that others are born with more. My family is by no means poor. My parents always had enough to provide me with whatever I needed and they even gave me lot of what I wanted. However, in many cases I had to work for what I wanted. Sometimes it does not seem fair that others can have whatever they want without working for it. This is especially the case when we hear although all theses rich young celebrities who get their money from their parents and then waste their lives doing nothing but partying all the time and getting into trouble.
Furthermore, I believe that people are conditioned from a young age not to reveal their social standing especially if they are rich. Even if one is not worried about others disliking them because of their money, they may still be afraid of people treating them differently because of it. Once you get that mindset that money changes others view of you it is hard to get rid of it, even when you get older.
In summation, it is widely believed within society that having money will influence the way others view you. Whether it causes them look at you with contempt and/ or disapproval or with admiration, we do not believe that people will see us for who we are, but rather they will see us for the money we possess.

I agree with Dr. Jones statement. We see it as early as grade school when some starts a rumor about someone else. with each person the rumor goes through the story becomes more and more obscured.
Unfortunately, our country doesn't have the greatest record when it comes to equality and acceptance. whether it be social, racial, political or religious acceptance, someone or some group in America has fought or debated over it. This is why in today's society we have to put so much focus on political correctness. I know from personal experience that when I talk to someone of a different race whom I've never met before I try to be careful about what I say. I do not want to say anything that can be const rued as racially or religiously or otherwise insensitive. We can consider jokes. People make jokes at each other expense because it is amusing to us. However, when one makes a joke a another person or groups' expense , rarely is that person or group the first to here the joke unless they are a close friend. In fact we typically tend to avoid letting the person here the joke at all, for as long as possible. we can imagine that telling a story is the same way, even if the story isn't intended to be offensive we still tailor it to avoid anything that may be taken as such.
furthermore I also agree that we tend to shape stories both in our "image" so to speak and also for convenience. When someone tells me a story I tend to remember the biggest most important events and so when I retell it some of the information gets lost. Then, the person I tell it to most likely leaves out info in his retelling. Losing information, I feel, leaves the story more open to changes because as people try to make sense of event that where explained in a prior telling of the story they add thing to make it work. for instance, I've had occasion where I tell a friend a story and he or she asks why something happened the way it did. I f I don't know the answer to their question, more often than not, I'll say something like "I don't know, I guess..." By me saying that I'm giving life to a new part of the story that may or most likely may not have happened.
In conclusion, I completely agree with Dr. Jones. There are a lot of issues present when telling a story and I think it's sad that we can't be completely open with one another and just tell a story the way it's meant to be told. Whether it's a white person telling it to a black person or a black person telling it to an Asian person, where all just people and I hope that eventually that becomes apparent because it'll make it so much easier to just speak or minds and tell things the way they are meant to be told.