Reading reflection #10

The article form the burlington free press that deals with hate crimes, was a little shocking to me; mostly because it happened in Vermont, which in my minds is one of the most liberal and accepting place in the united states. I was alost shocked by the fact that the crime commited towars the gay couple was dotn so by two women, normally when i think of a hate crime i think of two guys going and beating up some gay guy or some white rednecks ebating up a black guy, this is defiently not the case. And although hate crime legislation is a good idea, i feel that in practice it is an in effective tool to stop hate crimes from occuring. I also feel that they are in place mostly to make people feel good about themselves and to make it seem like they are making an effort to make a difference, when in fact there are other things that they could be doing that would educate the public about other races and sexes. If you teach kids from a young age that discrimination is wrong, and that it is ok to be different and to accept people for their differences and continue to do so through young adulthood this would do much more than simply making it a law. Also free speach could be an issue with this type of law and there are to many gray areas.

observation post #5

Earlier today I decided to go to a shooting range to zero in my rifle for deer season. When i got there, there were a good number of "rednecks" there shooting, and talking to one another. One or two of them were repeatedly say ratial and derogatory slurs. I found it very annoying and somewhat distracting. I dont understand how someone in todays society can really think negatively on another person just because of their race or sexual orientation. Luckily they were not there much longer after i had arrived so i did no have to listen to them for very long.

Reading reflection #9

When reading chapter 9, much of it was about how people no longer want to see a distinction between sex, gender, race, and social class. And although this is a novel idea, i think it is totally impractical and completely pointless. If everyone is viewed as exactly the same, we would no longer be ourselves. It is the differences between us that makes us who we are and guides our everyday decisions. I agree with the idea that someone should not be discriminated or held ot a higher standard just beause of their sex, race, or social class; but at the same time it is important to notice these differences. With out differences nothing in the world would change, no advances would be made, and everyone would simply become a drone.

Chapter 8 Reflection

While reading chapter 9, it was the very first section that got most of my attention. I was not happy on how the author used the quote "The bottom line, whatever the casualties, is that immigrants are goign to continue to join because they have to, They want to life better" (quoted in Davey, 2004). It was used to show how the government forces lower class/minorities to join the military. No one is forced to do sign up for the military. The military is an excellent way to get out of a lower class system, pay for college and gain experience that can help in later life. Being from an uppor middleclass town, i know alot of individuals who have gone into the military, ones that did not have to for economic reasons. Just because there are more minorities in the military that does not make it a bad thing.

Observation Journal #4

Over this past weekend i spent most of my time in Castleton, and while i was down there i realized how different it actually was from burlington. When i walk through downtown burlington all i see are different posters protesting things with extremely liberal statements, and lots of hippies. Then when down in castleton...none of those things...infact it was almost the exact opposite. Most people held more conservative views, with few protests about the governemnt and the way it is being run.
I knew that rural vermont was more conservative than burlington, but i never really knew how much untill i actually met multiple people from those areas.

Chapter 5 reading reflection

Chapter 5 discusses stereostypes and how they can affect individuals. Everyone at some point in their life has either applied a stero type to someome or has been viewed as stereotypical for their race, gender, or ethnicity.

I know that for myself growing up in a primarly white upper middleclass town, most people that viewed us believed that everyone was exactly the same, stuckup and rich. How ever this is not true, the majority of the families were normal people who went to work everyday and worked hard to provide for their family.

Although i foudn it very annoying to be grouped in witht he typic opper class white male, i am also guilty of applying stereotypes. The best example i can give is the stereotype of of an African american who enjoys eating fried chicken, watermelon, drinking coolaid, and is extremely loud when at the movies. My first year of college was spent at SUNY Canton, where a large portion of the student population is made up of african americans, and sure enough a good chunk of the population fit that stereotype, almost exactly. It was very interesting (and a little annoying at times), but i was also aware of the fact that they were not all like that, and that some were very quite and reserved.

Chapter 4 reading reflection

The example give about the parents who did all that they could raise their children in a genderless society was possibly the worst idea i have ever heard. Attempting to raise raise someone in a society where everything is exactly the same will not allow the children to experience different things and know what is best for them. Limiting a child to activities that are not gender specific is in my mind just as bad as forcing gender roles on them. I know when i was little growing up, I mostly did stuff with my dad and we now have the same interests. I also know that we have many differences as well and that growing up he never forced any gender specific roles on me. I would just try something, and if i liked it, i would keep doing it. Personally i enjoy hunting, driving cars/working on them, camping, hiking, and sports i was never forced to engage in these activities, i was simply given the opportunity to try them and liked them. At the same time i also enjoy cooking, and have no problem helping pick up around the house, which according to a gender specific role is not what a guy should be doing.
In conclusion i feel that it is extremely important for people to embrace both who and what they are. Race, gender, sexual orientation and anything else that makes someone who they are. With out these everyone one in the world would be exactly the same and no change would ever occur.

Observation Post #2

Recently I was reading an article on the Iranian president Ahmadinejads visit to Columbia University. I found it interesting that Ahmadinejad believes that the hollocaust neverhappened and that he wants to whipe out an entire country just because of their beliefs. It also seemed to me that he was only invited to the University to be ridiculed by its students and staff (which is fine by me). With many questions that were asked, he did not answer but instead turned the discussion into somthing to do with religion and quoting the quran. When asked about Iran executing its people just because of the homosexual tendencies he replied saying that "In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country." obviously everyone laughed as he repeated his statment. This in my eyes is someone who is so blinded by their own beliefs that they can not see what right in front of them. I also dont see how someone who is as educated as he is can truly believe that the holocaust never happened and that there are no homosexuals in his country.

Reading Reflection for Ch. 3 and online Reading

After reading the article by Tim Wise, i realized how reverse racism doesn't really work. However I still feel that an African American can still be racist towards a white individual. Just because there isn't a term that can be used to degrade someone, that doesn't mean they cant be hated by another. He also talks about how its the group with power that can be racist, which I don't think is true. An African and a Mexican can be racist towards each other, even though one does not hold power over the other.

Chapter 3 of identities & inequalities discusses the idea of portraying the difference between people in language and media. I definitely agree that media plays a huge role in how we view other people. Especially when it comes to different holiday celebrations like Christmas. I liked how the book did not just focus on one race or stereotype but gave an all around description of how the media affects how people are viewed and re-enforce all forms of stereotypes.

Online Reading Reflection

"White Privilege Shapes the U.S." by Robert W. Jensen was about how white people in the US are where they are today because of privilege. I feel that this is not entirely true because at least in my experience people get where they are by their skill, motivation, and work ethic. As far as afirmative action goes I am strongly against it, when applying to college each applicant should be assigned a number and that those whole look at their information will have no idea who or what they are. This way those who are accepted are based on their level of merit with race and sex have no impact on their decision. For many States minorities, and women were given extra points on their civil service exams to make it a more even playing field. However when someone is chosen to enter a police academy primarily because of a quota that needs to be filled you begin to get people that are not qualified for the job. I know I personally would be upset if i found out that a minority scored higher on an exam than i had only because of their extra points. But if that same person beat me outright with out the assistance of added points I would be able to acknowledge that they did better than I did and they deserve to be chosen over me.
In conclusion we should not be looking at race but instead at someones accomplishments and their educational standings.

Chapter #2 Reflection

Chapter two of Identities & Inequalities by David M. Newman discussed cultural and historical ideas about race, class, gender and sexuality. It stressed the point of how who we are is how we view our selves and not what society deems us and how this can be a difficult obstacle to overcome. As long as people continue to recognize differences in races and sexes society will not be able to truly become and equal and accepting place for everyone.
The example in chapter that stood out most to me was about Gregory Williams, an extremely successful academic who while growing up could not be classified as either white or black. Growing up in a segregated Virginia as a white child he spent most of his time in white only areas and was considered to be privileged. Living like this would have also caused him to look down upon African Americans as an inferior race. But after moving to Indiana and finding that he was himself part black would come as a rude awakening. Unlike more African Americans that would stick together and have their own groups such as whites, he was shunned by both. To white to be black, and to black to be white.
In my opinion if someone who was racist could be put through a this it would teach them that there really is no difference between races and that it does not make them inferior. Growing up in a primarily white school with only a couple of African Americans no one really looked at them and being black or inferior. Because they were raised in the same area, social and economic class they were looked at as equals and often acted as though they were white. This in my mind proves that you are what you view yourself as, and not what society says you are which can help anyone overcome obstacles in life to achieve their dreams.

Observation #1

The other night my friends and I were just hanging out having a good time joking around. It wasn't till about half the night was over that i realized how many sexist jokes were made. It started with one joke and just kept going from there, even the girls were laughing at the sexist jokes. It showed me how no one really pays any attention to what they say or is being said around them. As the night went on each joke became more and more graphic, sexist, and just insulting. Soon enough someone became offended and spokeup, but one of the kids kept going just to piss her off and it worked. The way he was talking to her and with the stuff he was saying it sounded as if all the jokes he told, he really ment. I even started to get a little offended at the way he was talking to her, it helped me realize that there still are people out there who believe that women should stay in the home to cook, clean and do other household duties while the man goes to work comes home and does absolutly nothing.

Exploring the Depths of Racist Socialization

After reading Exploring the Depths of Racist Socialization, i realized that no matter how excepting someone is, they are still either afraid of what is different from themselves. For those who claim that they or not racist or biased in the least bit should read this arcticle so that they may realize that it is a concisous decision to be accepting, and that their subconcious may hold feelings and beliefs they did not even know they had. A good example of this would be when you are flying in a plane and you notice that someone sitting by you is of middle eastern decent. You have no reason to believe that they are a terrorist and are even accepting of their life style and belief, but at the same time you may have anxiety towards that person because of the stigma placed on them after the attacks on the world trade center.