posted by Sam and Michelle
Post your 450 word (minimum) comment and 100 word (minimum) response to a classmate. You should be responding to the two lectures about race and ethnic inequality. You can write anything you want about whatever you hear in the lectures.
6/9/10 part four
It really does seem that all are our choices are half freedom half determinism. It’s the haves with all the wealth and power that believe in pure freedom as it furthers their cause and the have nots, who are poor are the ones who are pure determinism, wanting to shift the blame onto others as this belief furthers their cause. The people who are in the middle have the most balanced view, not viewing a lack of money as something to be bitter about and not letting the money they do have get to their head and allow greed to consume them. They have a level head on their shoulders and will not jump to conclusions.
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Wow! What an interesting week thus far. We certainly covered a wide variety of issues in these two lectures. We began by considering why some groups rise to power. The first explanation was Freedom and Genes due to a particular group being smarter and more innovative at making choices or being stronger and better able to adapt to their environment. The second explanation was Luck of Birth and Sociological factors and forces. We learned that dominate groups control ideology. Free will proponents believe that everyone is free to be on top and whoever gets there must be the fittest and should have the strongest voice. Determinists believe that the rich manipulate how people think such as what is taught in schools, what is aired on television, what is reported in the news, etc.
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In the second lecture, we were to consider whether there is racism in the Criminal Justice System. I think that it is pretty clear that racism does exist in the Criminal Justice System, as well as in just about every other facet of life. I was a little surprised to learn that the federal prison inmate population is 39% black and 57% white. It seems that there is so much focus on minorities that I would have thought that blacks would have been the dominate class in Federal Prison. Then I realized that much mis-classification occurs and that many Hispanics would fall into the white class. The statistics for state prisons were slightly closer to being in line with popular belief. The state population is 34 % white and 44 % black with 19 % Hispanics. Probably the most interesting statistic for me the State and Federal prisoners by ethnicity, with 1.2 % of all whites, 2.5 % of all Hispanics/Latinos, and 8.4 % of all blacks aged 25-29 are in prison. That is a staggering statistic when you consider approximately 1 in 11 blacks between the ages of 25-29 are incarcerated in state or federal prison.
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It certainly can be boring to sit and reflect on statistics. You know the old saying, “Seventy-five percent of statistics are wrong.” To be honest, however, some of these statistics can not be overlooked. The rates of drug incarceration are interesting. White men are incarcerated at a rate of 773 for 100,000 while black men are incarcerated at a rate of 4618 per 100,000. How do we explain these rates. Do you think that police, prosecutors or judges are thinking, this is a black guy, so I am going to screw him? In some cases, I have no doubt that that level of racism does exist. The truth is that I believe there are many factors to explain why this happens. Some of it is subconscious. Some could be the quality of representation that the average black man could afford. The statistics that I would like to see is the incarceration rate of white men and black men in front of black judges. I would speculate that black judges themselves incarcerate black men at a higher rate than white men. If this were true, how could be possibly explain that?
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sillyjuice Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
I definitely do agree on you that it really is not boring to see these statistics, but it is very interesting to see how crime and race relate to one another. I believe that the media plays a big role in making people believe that minorities have the most crime because that is all you see in the news. But then you get other statistics and show that white people have the higher percentage in the Federal prison. I do believe that there is racism in the Criminal Justice system and that there a certain factor of race that plays a role into the system. I also do believe that a lot of the times, people who have done crime have also had bad influences in their early life that led them to commit crime.
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The topic of wealth completely got me thinking, especially because I am an Economics major and that is what we do on a daily basis. There are many ways that a person can succeed like going to college. Society today makes you believe that college is the only way to get ahead in life. However on the road to success a little luck with some skill can put in the position you want to be. When Dr. Richard's asked why the people of Haiti are so poor I was so shocked, I have several Haitian friends and for him to put out there like was so outrageous. I couldn’t really come up with an answer to why they are so poor. I read an article in Sociology one written by Dr. Richard's about poverty and cellphones. He basically explained how people are so poor that they can not afford food but will have a cellphone. I honestly do not have an answer and if I was in class I just would have been thinking and came up with absolutely nothing. The fact is they don’t choose to be poor, most of them work so hard to provide for their families. I am positive many parents send their children to school and want them to be successful. So why are Haitian people so poor? I honestly believe it is the government and that they need to establishment of a better society for people to live in and maybe they will not be so poor. It is the same in most 3rd world countries in this world, poverty is so dominant that know has an idea how to fix it. It makes you wonder, is hard work really all it takes to succeed in life? I honestly do not think so because while hard work is a major factor in trying to be successful, it is also God and natural luck plays another important role. Some people may have a great job and work very hard at it, but if you are not blessed to t know they right people or be in a good position, they may not be able to advance or have a good paying job. Sometimes success or wealth is all about being just plain old fortunate. I do believe networking plays a major role in succeed in life, the people you surround yourself is very important. I also enjoyed how Dr. Richards discussed the invisible strings that we all have, that reminds me of Sociology 1 and made me feel good to conitue with him for this course. It is amazing how many outside factors shape us as a whole. Who we are and the choices we make are all controlled by these invisible strings.
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Firstly, I had a sub-reaction at the beginning of the lecture that got me thinking. Dr. Riachards had pulled a boy from the class named Avery and was talking about freedom versus determinism. At one point Avery had said along the lines of “I’ll stop acting black”. From the other side of the screen I was sitting there saying to myself what the hell does he mean that he will stop acting black? How do you not act black? Or how do you act black? I was puzzled for a little while till I thought of a comment my friend had made once. My good friend is a gay white. His partner is African American. My friend and I were talking one day about his relationship and his partner’s parents. We were talking about how his parent’s reacted when he came out of the closet and also his partner’s parents took it. Well apparently neither of their parents took the news well and both semi went back into the closet as terrible as that is. It honestly breaks my heart when I think of the lack of support both of them receive from the people that are called family and supposed to love them. Anyway, I was asking about what his partner’s family was like and he was telling about the mom and what not and then started talking about the dad. He get a little tense and upset talking about him, I guess the dad was especially unaccepting of the homosexual lifestlye. Then my friend had said “he is so black”. I was puzzled for a little bit. What the hell did he mean? Of course I asked him what in the world he meant and he was like you know. Of course I had no idea. He kept saying you know, the way they talk and their swager and what not. I mean I seem to oblivious to that stuff most of the time, but ever since that comment I tried to figure out what he meant. I mean any race has their way I guess and that makes them them, but why does that make them different? That is like someone saying to me “stop acting so white”. What the hell do you mean I am acting so white? When Avery said that it got me thinking. Even a black person refrenced that he could stop acting sooo black, but could he really? No. I do not think anyone can act out of their race. That is who you are and you should be proud of it and never try to not act in that manner. I still am not sure what my friend meant by his partners dad was so black. I mean at first I was like what, his skin is really black? That was not it.
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One of the interesting things the Professor brought up in this lesson was how chance and luck played the major role in allowing some nations to rise above others. This was something that I have never thought of before seeing it in the class, but I believed it was the way this world we live in is and it made sense to me right when the Professor talked about it. There are many examples for that, for instance: What if the Europeans waited another 100 years before exploring the areas we now known as North and South America? Isn’t it possible that if they waited another 100 years, the native tribes would have discovered some advanced military technologies, and weapons, or let us say a new battle strategies and tactics? Or maybe if the British waited a 100 years, it may have been enough for the German, the Spanish, to claim the lands that have more resources than others. If that happened, I think it is safe to think that instead of this English-speaking country of the United States, we may see some German or Spanish state in the Americas. And what I like the most about this thing is that most people do not realize it, like I did, and give most of the credit to their ancestors, or the incompetence of their ancestors enemies, and what is funny the most is that they may get extremely offended if one tried to explain the truth, and understand that you did that because you are jealous or mad that your folks did not achieve what their folks did.
Another thing I would like to talk about is how some of the things that happened to us shape us the most. For example, the fact that we cannot choose who our parents are and where we are born. I agree with Professor Richards on this point 100%. For example, I do not think that I will be studying Sociology and talking about race issues and being so open about it if my father chose to accept the job offer in the center of my home country instead of the eastern province. Moving to the Eastern province caused me to see people from other culture and realize that if I wanted to learn more about this world and interact with other people, I must start learning English. Moving to the Eastern Province made it possible for my parents to send me to schools that prepared me for an English-based college program. My father accepted this offer before I was born, and if he accepted the other offer, I am sure that my surrounding environment in the strict religious center of my country would make me a different man than the one I am right now.
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soitgoes00 Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 1:42 am
June 9, 2010
I too never thought about luck before it was brought up. This reasoning completely makes sense and helps to explain why we live where we live now and why some people may move out of the areas they grew up in (maybe these were “unlucky” areas). I like how you pose the “what if” questions, because this is exactly what I was doing the entire time this lecture was going on. Furthermore, it is definitely true that what our parents and grandparents did (or did not do) certainly shape who we are. My parents did not go to college and we live in a middle-class suburb in New Jersey. Because they did not get the college experience and realize now how we could have been living “better,” they have pushed college on me (though long before this I made the decision myself to go to college).
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soitgoes00 Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 1:42 am
June 9, 2010
Both of my parents worked and lived in New York City when I was first born, and both decided to leave their jobs and live in New Jersey. I am sure my life would have been different 1) if my parents had gone to college and 2) if my parents did not decide to live in New Jersey. What I think is funny is how I know things would be different if my parents had done things differently, but I cannot pinpoint exactly WHAT would be different. I wonder if you feel the same.
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I’m the first in the Hispanic side of my family graduate high school and go to college in the U.S. I’m proud of that and so is my family but I know that it was a struggle to do this. My family had to make a lot of sacrifices and do without in order for their children to have more. This is a hard thing to do, as the lecture explained. The king of the mountain perspective is hard to deny and overcome. I’m half Hispanic and half White so I can see life on both sides. I did see my White cousins having more and having more opportunities then me and I always had to fight harder for everything I received. I was treated differently but I’m ok with that because I know I worked for everything I have and I earned it. I can’t say that about some of my White cousins, who were handed everything. Not all Whites have things handed to them, I know this, but in my family it was this way. I had cousins who were bought cars, laptops, and expensive gifts throughout the years but I was never given anything. When I was little I didn’t like it and I felt left out and was jealous of my cousins as a child would be. As an adult I now realize that my mother didn’t accept gifts, money or anything else from the family that she didn’t think we needed, deserved, or earned. She wanted us to know what it meant to work for what we received and not take advantage of it, to appreciate what we have. I appreciate that my mother did this and made me earn what I get, its why I am so independent and responsible. I can’t say that for my cousins. I’m not sure if it has to do with them being White but they think the world owes them something. Their parents did spoil them and gave them whatever they wanted, they never had to work or earn anything they got. I find this sort of sad because now that they are older they are what I would call losers. They don’t have jobs, they don’t go to school, they drink, smoke marijuana all day and are not doing anything with their lives. This does have to do with their parents and them not having discipline when they were younger. Sometimes I wonder if they were a minority or new immigrants would they act the same way or have parents who handed them everything in life, I doubt it. I look at my Hispanic side and my White side and the differences are large, especially in the way they look at the world and the way they raise their children. You just don’t expect a Hispanic mother to just give you whatever you want because you think you’re owed it. This is just my experience and by no way do I think this is the way all Whites or Hispanics are.
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June 9, 2010
Again these were another two lectures that captivated me. I particularly liked the beginning of Lesson 6 Part 1, when Dr. Richards talked about how we were all attached to strings, and that every decision we make is being shaped by these strings. I always was and still am a firm believer that our decisions guide our “fate.” However, what I always failed to recognize was that our decisions, my decisions, were shaped by external factors outside of our own control. The itching example was a perfect way to get us to realize this. I liked the quote Dr. Richards said, “We are free, but we are not free.” Does this mean that even the dominant or the powerful are not truly free too?
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June 9, 2010
I thought the discussion on why some groups rise to power was interesting. While I would like to think that a lot can be attributed to being smart and innovative, the truth of the matter is that many in power are in their respective position because their families have been this way for generations. I feel a lot of people gain their power because power (or status) was handed down to them. As we have seen so very often, and as Dr. Richards demonstrated with the King of the Mountain game, those in the elite class stay that way because they make rules that benefit themselves and keep competition at bay.
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June 9, 2010
Dr. Richards talked a lot about White people; how White people were always in power and how they did not level the playing field after slavery had been abolished. I truly wonder what would have happened if Blacks and other people of color were given an equal starting line. I wonder which group would now be the minority, which group would now be the wealthiest, and which group would now be the smartest (in terms of IQ). I must admit, hearing about post-Civil War events and the GI Bills made me happy to be White and on the “dominant” side. I do not know if my grandfathers were given mortgages or schooling as a result of the GI Bill (they are both deceased, but were both WWII vets); however, as my grandparents were from New Jersey this could definitely have been possible.
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June 9, 2010
I have always complained and disliked Affirmative Action. I believe this made situations worse for all races, ethnicities, and genders across the board. I have always argued that the more qualified person should get a job or receive a scholarship or acceptance to a university. A majority of my White friends argued that Affirmative Action took away their chances of a job or education. I realize now that they think of Affirmative Action in a negative way. Never have they (or I) realized that Affirmative Action was and is still used to benefit Whites. We (White people) have Affirmative Action because we have power handed down to us from other White people.
The talk about conservativism was very helpful, in that it clarified the difference of being Republican and being Conservative. I liked how it was asked of White students to acknowledge that White people got to the top of the mountain and made rules that kept other people from climbing the top of the mountain. We never want to admit something that makes us look like the “bad guy” as is the case with “White power.”
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June 9, 2010
As far as the criminal justice system being racist, the numbers presented to make this case were not surprising to me. I am a Criminal Justice major, and I have often been presented with similar data concerning race and prison populations, arrests, etc. The disproportionality of everything is truly mind-blowing. I really do not understand how we continue to allow judges to impose such harsher sentences on Black and Brown people (as Dr. Richards says). When thinking about reasons for this, I was thinking that Whites must be able to afford better lawyers, may have more “connections” to law enforcement that allow them to catch a break, and may hide their illegal behavior better. I was thinking about several examples of this, the first being the PBA card. My uncle is a police officer in my county and everyone in my family has a PBA card, which is essentially what people call a “get out of jail free” card.
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June 9, 2010
If I get pulled over, I hand the officer my PBA card, and if I was speeding, I would most likely just be let off with a warning. Similarly, I think of how my father knows all of the officers in town. One day, I was speeding (and was clearly aware that I was doing this) and instead of pulling me over, the cop called my dad and told him to tell me to slow down. Since a majority of the officers in my town and the majority of officers in the U.S. are White, they may favor their “race” and let us off with lesser charges.
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June 9, 2010
When Dr. Richards was talking about Rockview, I was actually thinking back to a “class trip” there that my Sociology of Deviance class took this past Spring Semester. We sat down with “lifers,” but beforehand were taken for a tour of the prison grounds. Almost every inmate we encountered was Black. Why is this? Perhaps some of this is due to the image the media and the people create, but it certainly cannot account for all of the disproportionality. I am still asking myself what the true reason for this is.
Last, I wanted to leave everyone off with a question I kept asking myself over and over… what is going on with the Native Americans? We took their land, made them move to reservations, committed genocide on this population, and now we just plain ignore them. Why? Why has there not been a movement similar to the Civil Rights movement with Blacks that puts Native Americans in the spotlight and calls out all of the discrimination against them? We see African Americans and Hispanics as the minorities mostly because they actually speak up about being discriminated against. Rarely do we ever hear about Native Americans…
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Sam always gives good examples throughout the class, especially right in the beginning of class. The kid that put his hands down his pants, or at least about to was pretty gross, and I am glad that the Korean kid did not. The other example that he used that I thought was pretty cool was the race to the top, by using his desk and a few classmate volunteers to say who can make it to the top. It is like a survival of the fittest type mentality that he has going on, that he was smarter and he was able to get to the top OR he was lucky and just happened to be at the side of the table where the chair was and was first able to climb up the chair.
I agree with Sam Riachards when he say that no one can say that we are all equal (resonding to what conservative “republicans” say) because are all in different circumstances. If whites treated blacks and other minorities as equals, we would not have this race problem. I often hear a lot of discussion from blacks about STILL blaming whites about what our ancestors did, and it gets really annoying. It sucks that I have to hear them talk about it; I really do not wan to hear it anymore.
THANK YOU SAM FOR THE CONSERVATIVE TALK! I am a conservative and I do not believe Republicans now are conservative, especially Sarah Palin. But, conservatives are about sticking to the constitution more than people doing what they want to do. Yes it is about freedom, but I do not think the founding fathers would say helping your wife to commit suicide is something that is alright. What I agree with his is the government’s job is to PROTECT the people, not to PROVIDE for them, which is often the big mistake Americans make.
Does racism exist in our criminal justice system? I believe so. I thought there would be more whites in the jails than anything else because there are more whites in the population than anyone else. I thought it was pretty cool for Sam to go over drug abuse and race. It is hard to say who does illegal drugs and I had a feeling that White people would have the highest count of doing it, for the same reason; more white people in the country. I was shocked to see that the American Indian arrests for illegal drug use was so high! When you sell drugs and you get busted and the person next to you that does the same thing and does not get busted, must be for a reason. I believe race does play a factor in it most of the time.
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6/9/10
The first comment that Sam said in the lecture was to “stay in the middle between free will and determinism” and I could not agree more. Sam’s example of this was quite amusing and rather interesting. He did a great job explaining this concept of being in the middle with the “ball grabbing” with the two volunteer gentlemen. Even though you have the free will to do something does not mean that you are going to it. I never really thought about it that way but now that I have I strongly agree with it completely. Just because I have the free will to burn my house down does not mean I am actually going to do it so having a balance between the two is something I find extremely important.
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Sam talks about inherit wealth as form of pure luck, I agree yet disagree. I do agree that it is luck for the children who are inheriting it and is extremely unfair by all means but I feel like there is a catch to everything. I disagree simply because maybe the reason their ancestors work so hard and were so successful was so their children did not have to struggle the way they did. So ask yourself this question, whose fault is it that some work harder than others and earned money while doing it? Now I do understand that for some people they could have worked so hard at what they did and for so long yet it still did not pay the bills or put food on the table. It is hard to think that something like that could actually happen but it does and for that if it means anything I truly feel sorry for those individuals and wish things were different. It is sad how life is unfair sometimes because believe I have ran into my share of unfair moments but that does not mean that those who work hard for their children’s future should not get the credit they deserve.
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Lastly I found the second part of the lecture rather interesting considering my roommate is obsessed with the justice system and studies inmates from time to time. It is kind of nerve racking to know that so many people commit the same crimes and yet only a certain few within that bunch are penalized. I always knew our justice system was not the best and unfair at times but these statistics blew me out of the water. I cannot believe that white people and black people commit the same crime yet only the blacks are penalized. I know this does not say much about me but I know many people who sell drugs of all races and after looking back after this lecture, I noticed only my Puerto Rican friend and black friend are in jail while the rest still sell on the streets (who are white.) Hopefully one day people will learn that race does not exist and people should stop treating others different simply because they have different skin color.
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Blog Response
6/09
The balance of having our strings influencing what we can do and don’t do is remarkable, so many factors beyond my control influenced where I am, but its hard to believe so many things I did have control when it’s so many things I don’t control affect me if that makes any sense. The idea of taking inheritance would be interesting, well instead of ruining it, maybe they could give a portion of the money to the government to help other people have just as equal of an opportunity. Funny how mentioned we have a black president, I remember the day after Obama was elected a white friend of mine came up to me and said, “you’re half way there” meaning the because Obama was half-black we were halfway there to succeeding, it was a funny joke. It’s hard to believe the racism of the government affected entire race relations to the way we know it today, but it also goes back to your last lecture of obstacles. I wonder if they black and brown people who were shafted even really wanted to work as hard to achieve because they knew that no matter what I higher force stopped them from doing it at all. Every time I think of bringing up a point you effectively say my counter point in your lecture, never fails. Anyway I never knew that white people had affirmative action, and it’s surprising how much some white people hate affirmative action for blacks probably because they don’t want they same help that their ancestors they don’t even know had. The explanation about conservatives is interesting, but as you said with your big on people taking personal responsibility, and the way you explained it I would identify with a conservative as well, but I also believe humanity is at its best when it helps other people, so in a word I guess it would be a libertarian outlook. That stats about the prison system reminded me of a fresh prince episode when Will and his cousin Carlton were locked up because they were driving a nice car in Malibu, and while in the holding cell Will said “whenever you seen a white man in jail you know he did something bad!” The amazement on his face that white people don’t get locked up for the same things as black was a joke, but still the point that black people always get locked up for no reason. I have been profiled several times, but I do believe that the law works on both sides as long as the lawyer available knows their craft. The issue about the blacks going to the jail for the same crime is just a damn shame. Justice is allegedly supposed to be blind in court rooms, but sadly it’s not, I always enjoy your end of the lecture sayings, it reminds me the Captain Planet’s the power is yours! Type of thing, I’m just glad I always learn something, another thing that bothers me is that very few people are comfortable enough with their beliefs to say it aloud in that class. This class really has me wondering what if all the veterans were treated equality would people even be afraid to say how they truly felt.
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I think that it’s really cool what Sam mentioned first in the lecture. The idea that we are all pulled by strings is hard to realize when we are young. I had a teacher in high school try to explain this to me and my class when we were learning about civics. He would tell us we were free, and that we could do whatever we wanted for a week. So, naturally, we started bringing magazines, cell phones, playing cards, and music to the class. After Friday came, we made plans for a party on the following Monday in class. It was going to be awesome. We came in the class and started the music and got the chips and pop out of our bags, but then we saw the Principle sitting in the back of the room. We had to take the food and the cell phones and the i-Pods and everything to the office. We were blown away! When we got back to the room, really pissed, our teacher started laughing. He asked us why we weren’t still partying. We were “free” but there were still things we couldn’t do in front of the Principle. We thought he was being a hypocrite, but he was really teaching us something important. You can walk naked in your own home, but you can’t do it in the supermarket. Our freedoms and rights only extend until they infringe on someone else’s rights. If you don’t believe me, start blasting your music in your dorm-room during finals week. Its your right, but I can guarantee that your RA will be at your door really soon. You have a right to blast your music, but your neighbors also have a right to a safe and effective study area, and that’s where your right stops.
Being an archaeologist, I really get what Sam was saying about luck in geography and how its human nature to play king of the mountain with power and resources. One example is Mesopotamia and Egypt. Both have rivers that bring them resources and power their nations, but in the ancient world Egypt was the stronger one because they “lucked out” with the Nile instead of the Tigris and the Euphrates. The Nile was more gentle than the other rivers and let the Egyptians gain the advantage over the people in the land of the raging destructive rivers. Does this mean that the Egyptians should have shared their land with these people? Its not their fault that they were born in that area, just like it wasn’t the Mesopotamian s fault that they live near the Tigris. As far as the king of the mountain thing, it happens all of the time! Ever since the dawn of time and the dawn of written history the men with the most power and fought to keep that power. Is that any different than politicians fighting to stay in office? What about people of any race fighting to keep their status in a civilization? I don’t think so.
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So I’m finding quite a bit of correlation between the new lessons we encounter each week with the ones that come before it (Obviously the point of any constructive class). When developing an opinion on the “America Incarcerated” article by Glenn Loury, I found myself making multiple references back to the article from our previous lesson where Sam discussed the difference between freedom and determinism, nature vs. nurture. Several of the facts that were given in Article 12 entice me strongly towards the determinist argument. Take for example the fact that the ratio of black men to white men in prison in the United States is an astounding 8:1. Now before we get ahead of ourselves, we must first account for the difference in population between blacks and whites in this country, males and females etc. However, even once the differences are accounted for, this figure is no less appalling.
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If I’m born a black male in California, I have the capability to discover my probability for ending up in a state penitentiary is greater than my likelihood of going to a state college! I’m becoming repetitive in expressing this from lesson to lesson, but regardless. HOW do I motivate myself in life to move towards socially acceptable success? I look at the world around me and see how disadvantaged I am compared with so many others (as a black male). More important than my education would be my emphasis on staying out of prison. What opportunity is there to move forward if the majority of my efforts is instead focused on not digressing? In such a situation, the determinist view would undeniably cloud my thinking. I would have neither a desire nor a capability to think analytically and live as though my choices influenced my “success” in life.
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queenofsanity8 Reply:
June 10th, 2010 at 3:46 am
I think the solution has to come within the community. It has to come from people who have walked in those shoes or know what it is to be oppressed and overcome. I don't believe that people who have been successful by the old fashioned method of hard work should be giving advice to those who have an incredible amount of odds stacked against them. It's useless. They cannot relate. If someone were to see that their next door neighbor "made it" they would have faith that they could to. That is when success and change can emerge. Instead we have people in the community who "make it" and never look back and thus there is no accurate guidance.
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My likely reaction as a black male residing in California when I learn of these statistics would be vague and indirect anger. Why shouldn’t I be furious with the world that I was brought into? I am very likely to go forth into the world and be yet another number reinforcing these horrific statistics. The question then becomes (of course) how can we go about changing any of this? Obviously there is no simple answer. Clearly our recognition of such issues moves us forward somewhat, but somewhat is not enough. Okay, so maybe most middle class white Americans acknowledge the disparaging gap between races in the United States, but it doesn’t affect them (Negatively)!
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Getting back to motivation, there is nothing empowering these Americans to take action against what they acknowledge to be an issue. It is only when these issues that plague our society become important enough for each of us to pursue individually that we can do something proactive. Again, while it’s much easier said than done, we must do our best to live in the shoes of those less fortunate than us. True humaneness and empathy spawn from our ability to use our theory of mind, in analytical perception and an ability to see the world from other’s points of view.
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9Jun10
I used to get all the time from my friends in high school that I was the whitest black they had ever met. I had no idea what on Earth they were talking about. Now as an adult and working in the health-care field, I totally understand what they meant by acting black. Unfortunately, so many people us the ER as a primary care facility or for non-emergent issues that it has become a norm to have what is called hallway beds (essentially, there are stretchers in the hallway to treat patients. I know its so wrong and I don't agree with it but there is nothing I can do about it). Nonetheless, on many occasions, I have had to put a black/brown patient into a hallway bed and their immediate response is either "I am being put into the hallway because I am black/brown" or "this is where they put people that have no insurance." Mind you, we are level I trauma center and are always busy no matter what time of day it is. I used to say no this is the are we have available to treat you, if you don't like it, you can wait for a room back out in the waiting room and your wait to see a physician will be even longer. I cannot count on my fingers or toes how many times I've heard black/brown patients complain about the way they are treated and claim its because they are black/brown. But they fail to recognize their own outrageous behavior of screaming, yelling, cussing, and simply acting a fool. They find this behavior completely appropriate. It drives me absolutely nuts when black/brown people act the stereotype that is associated with them. I hate how boys (they don't deserve to be called men) wear their pants so low that I can tell what underwear they are wearing and/or exactly what the shape of their butt is. Little do they know this cultural trend came out of the jail system that was a nonchalant way of advertising gay sex. I have to laugh when I get hit on by them because I point out you are advertising gay sex and they get all huffy and upset.
So why is it that black/brown people are disproportionately represented in the prison system? Is the criminal justice system racist or more lenient to whites? I am not sure if the criminal justice system is racist or if the police departments are taught to specifically target black/brown people. It does seem that whites receive more lenient sentences than do black/brown people. If we look at the news media, people that are caught making meth (meth labs, selling, using) are disproportionately white. But if you look at drugs such as marijuana and crack, the majority of arrests are of black/brown people.
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I can't post my response. I am too depressed about the flyers. I'm sorry. I love your class, this is not neglect, I just can't think clearly.
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ktb5071 Reply:
June 16th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
I was not shocked at all to hear that blacks are four times more likely to get incarcerated for drugs than whites are. Racism does play a role of course, but I would like to believe that blacks aren’t out right hated like they were in the past (hopefully today they are only in jail because they did something illegal, not because they are black) but instead the reason behind this statistic is what Dr. Richards called the king of the mountain system. A lot of people feel the same way I do regarding whites in court. Many are finically capable to have a good lawyer, their chances aren’t being hindered by the negative stereotype of their race, and this is all because of what was established about the white race first. That it was “superior” to others. Whites get out of going to jail because they weren’t climbing up the mountain with one hand behind their back, and they had the help of their friends to get them and their race at not only a self-proclaimed superiority but also literal superiority because a cycle of wealth was establish. Unfortunately, blacks were the inferior race, and could only use one hand, therefore they didn’t have the help from their friends because all their friends were using one hand too! Consequently a cycle of poverty was established for black Americans, they weren’t being born with inherencies instead they were born into a life of hardship and constant battle against racism and this led to poverty, and poverty leads to crime. This helps explain the statistic that blacks are four times more likely to get incarcerated. Of course, they have their free will Dr. Richards you but being born into that creates a hard life which is why blacks often turn to drugs to make a living or maybe, as melancholy as this sounds, to ease their pain.
I wish I could live the life of a child who was born into bad circumstances just for a little bit, so I could feel what it is like to struggle to get to the top. Notice I say just for a little bit because I am aware of the incredible battles that come in the way of people who are born into poverty, I am aware of the near impossible chance for success for people who are born in countries like Sudan. Though I appreciate the life I was given and acknowledge how fortunate I am every day of my life, it is difficult for me to fully understand what people—who, from birth, are suppressed in society—go through day in and day out in order to succeed. I would also like to know if they would want to step in my shoes for a little, see what it’s like to glide through life. I remember that clip on Oprah were the girl from the poorer school said “These kids have it made for them.” Are they envious? Or do they think less of us; see the wealthier kids as ungrateful people who don’t deserve what they get? It is obvious that people who rise from nothing to something amazing receive more praise than those who inherited their dad’s successful law firm.
But what about the people like me in the middle, who have it much easier than a kid raised in south Philadelphia school district but I don’t have an inheritance waiting for me, I didn’t go to private school, and I didn’t do well on my SATs like more upper class white kids? But I did study hard in school, pulled all nighters at starting at 14 years old, played sports all year after school and then worked at night to boost my “resume”. Does someone like me who has been able to glide deserve no “applause” for working hard to get where I am because the life I was given made it easier for my to succeed than the majority of people living in the United States?
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Im glad I took this class. I had not realized that there are so many inequalities among ethnic groups and races. The most interesting thing to me was the 3 causes of inequality. It is hard for me to believe that some people cannot look beyond race to see that there are other reasons for differences in the money made, the jobs held or lost and the education received. It bugs the shit out of me to think that there is a black, brown , red student at Penn State who does better than I do but its not acknowledged but instead, there are excuses made for them being smart or for that matter, excuses for me being not as smart.
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I think the concept of freedom is interesting. When Sam was discussing the ability, or freedom, to scratch a dude’s balls it was interesting to see the differences in reactions between the two guys. In my opinion I feel as though it boils down to what is considered appropriate in individual’s eyes or minds. For the majority of guys I would think that they wouldn’t stick their hands down their pants and scratch when standing in front of a large class because the act of doing so wouldn’t be appropriate for such a setting. I think what Avery did puts him in an extreme group who have a broader idea of what they feel is appropriate. Regardless, all such acts are essentially included in the idea of having freedom and it is something that many American’s take for granted. We as Americans are allotted so much more freedom than much of the world and because it is something we are born with, I think that most of us take such freedom for granted. Not many would actually take the time to consider that in some areas of the world such an act as publically scratching one’s balls would be horrifying to others or even considered a crime. Now that may be an extreme example, but regardless I think it’s important to really think about what freedoms we are born with and how we can go through much of our lives without worrying about what we say or do. At the same time though, I think we are entering an era when people no longer think about how their personal actions may affect others. Yes, it is important to maintain our right to freedom regarding both speech and actions, but at the same time it is still important to think before we act. The rights of freedom that we are granted here in the U.S. shouldn’t also mean that it should be acceptable to consciously and intentionally degrade other people for the sole reason of having the right to speech as you wish.
It’s interesting to look at the difference between the ideas of freedom and determinism. I think that the control of power is a combination of the two. Yes, there have been many examples of individuals who have gained power through pure luck and the chance of “being in the right spot at the right time” or “knowing the right people.” At the same time though, much of what it takes to remain in power successfully is skill and knowledge. Because of this I think there is a mix of both freedom and determinism that affects the changing tides and flow of the power structure. Because of the constant change in power (although I suppose at times it doesn’t or may not feel as though to change in power is constantly changing) different individuals or groups of people will fluctuate being at the top of the social structure and being at a mediocre status level. I guess I just find this an interesting aspect of the world and how the power structure is generally impossible to remain at a constant.
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I was never a person to believe that just striving for success would get an individual far. To me, this is a lofty and unfounded belief that is supported by individuals who have made it using that notion. It does not include outside factors such as race, social status, and discrimination. Some people just cannot achieve at the rate they wish to because of their situation. For example, as much as a young black male from the "projects" may try to overcome the odds he is faced with, he will always face some resistance. He may get into college but he will still have to worry about achieving and working twice as hard as his white middle to upper class counterpart just to gain acceptance and a great deal of respect. However, many may view that situation and say that can apply to a lot of people. But in my opinion it is different. Success is achieved when an individual realizes what odds are stacked against them and plans a way to overcome them all while believing in themselves and that they actually can rise above. To just put faith in the methods that have worked for other people's success is not wise. A prime example could be the SATs. If an individual is attending a low income high school in a low income area that has yet to efficiently teach college prep arithmetic and English they cannot expect to have the same scores as their peers who attend a private or middle class high school. They must understand the challenges in front of them. They cannot take that test with the knowledge that was taught to them. They have to search for more, they must aim higher. The people that have done so are the ones that made it to college and are the ones that have a greater chance at success. This is not to discourage those is less that optimal situations. It is actually an attempt to encourage. Success is not a static formula. It is ever-changing. People have to manipulate it and make it work for them. They have to understand that a black person's success and how they gain it is different from what a white person may do which is different from what someone with a Muslim background may try. Success is related to race and gender and class. It is possible for everyone to reach but it may be easier for some than others. Time after time I have seen people primarily in the Black community discouraged because of the unseen obstacles that weren't taught to them in the textbooks and in the media. They were always taught to aim high and not necessarily how many steps are needed to do so. In the end, I believe that if people were realistic and open to the idea that injustices are still present for many individuals a more concrete "guide to success" could be made.
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This lecture I feel attempted to explain the struggles of other races that sometimes white people don’t always notice or other races don’t always believe. Sam started by explaining that people are both free and not free at the same time. This point, I’m not exactly sure if I agree with. What I understood from the lecture is that people can try as hard as they can, but at some point it’s up to forces beyond their control as to how much they can succeed. While I’m not denying that there are forces outside of people’s direct actions that can affect their success, I still feel that regardless it’s up to their actions to decide where they will get in life.
The points regarding post slavery America seemed pretty valid. It must have been hard to be a newly freed “slave” and not owning any land. However, I don't see how they would have gotten any land unless it was forced from other people, which at the time I don’t think would have gone over too well. And then on top of not having any land to own, they also seemed stuck in that position because they couldn’t have jobs or vote. It really paints the biggest picture of the whole “king of the mountain” scene that Sam portrayed during lecture.
The previous points like I said are all valid, however they all came at a time when slavery was freshly abolished and tensions were still high. America has evolved greatly since then, especially after the civil rights movement. I feel like although whites may still generally have more of a starting advantage in life, the other points don’t really exist anymore and if a person of color dedicates themselves fully enough, they can work their way up just as easy as a white person starting from the same spot could. In fact, they might even have an easier time due to affirmative action laws in place today.
In regards to the stats in the powerpoint that basically stated that a higher percentage of white people actually do drugs and a higher percent of black people are in jail for the drugs, I feel there are a couple causes of that. I don’t really feel this is at a judicial level. I feel that it’s more at the police officer level. Racist officers likely patrol areas with high black-percentages because they expect to find dealers on the corner and probably pay more attention to them than say when cruising through a white neighborhood. The underlying point still remains the same that there is racism in the criminal justice system and it is wrong. I think more so that harsh drug laws are just an easy way for officers to snag minorities and charge them however and that the drug laws should be tamed.
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June 9, 2010 Lesson 6 Ethnic Inequality.
Wow…That was pretty much all that I could think in the beginning of the lecture. Asking someone to scratch their balls in a room of 700 people seemed to be a bit edgy and I wasn’t sure what the point of all of it was. It did make sense to ask oneself why they wouldn’t do it, just like Sam did. Trying to explain why people are wealthy or why they have power usually isn’t something I would have considered to be worth thinking bout. I always just thought “well their family has money,” or “they got a large inheritance.” I never really broke it down into terms of why? Again I am confronted by something I never really considered looking into. It is in your genes. Power and wealth is in your genes. It isn’t so much considered on a small scale, but on a very large scale it makes sense. The “races” of people that are in power today are descendants of the groups that grew into power long ago. The dominant group, the white people, inherited all of the power from their ancestors. I never thought of it in these terms. Relating back to the game the king of the mountain, the leader changes all the time. When dealing with the factor of race, the leader hasn’t change many times. Once your in power it is very hard to be removed from that position. You have control over all other groups. I don’t believe that the Freedom or Determinism groups are correct by themselves. I don’t think that the idea of just luck getting you into power, or the idea of making the right choices and working hard got them into power were either correct nor in correct. When combining the two I feel you get the answer. By choosing between two decisions and the decision you pick leads you to a lucky discovery that you didn’t know was there, you gain power. Some of it came to be luck and some of it was because of choices they made. It struck me with the idea of “yes some people are able to rise up but most don’t.” Yes, even if you aren’t a dominant race, you can make something of yourself. You can make something of yourself, but it isn’t going to be as easy. The race that is in power will make all of the standards. It makes a lot of sense. Make things easier for myself, that way I will never fall out of my position of dominance. It isn’t fair, but it is what has happened in history. When people rose to power in early time, it followed that pattern through time. You hear of discriminations and racism in work environments and educational systems, but it isn’t often against white people. The most powerful race still has an unfair advantage and that isn’t about to change.
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Free. Freedom. People say free is free. But how free is free. Is freedom ever really free? I have heard this before in my life somewhere along the line and have really stopped to examine the statement. I do think that the factors and forces outside our control have a lot to do with the people we are and become. I know I would like to think that I am my own person and I am to an extent. I also would like to think that the person I am is because it is who I am and what I choose. The truth is did I really choose it. I have never really thought about the choices I made in depth and why I made them. I always thought that they were my choices but I never really thought about the factors and forces that influenced these decisions.
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I guess this lecture makes me think about my entire life. Why I came to school at Penn State, why I did this why I did that. I made some of the decisions I made because I saw people succeed and admired those qualities and tried to exemplify those to get what I wanted. I also made the decisions I made because I saw the things people did that I did not want and choose to stay away from things that would led me down those paths. Determinism versus freedom. I think it is a little ignorant to say that one is worth more than the other. Systematic inequality. In the lecture he asked why are Native Americans so far down on the totem poll. I think the reason they are on the bottom is because the United States as a whole has placed them there so they do not have to really deal about the reality of the situation of what their ancestors did to them. If most of the country does not have to see Native Americans then what happened to them can really not exist in their minds.
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The truth is if you look at the different groups and how inequality started with slavery it is hard to see how inequality will ever end. When slavery ended it was not like everything suddenly became equal. Equality has had to be worked for and is still being worked for. Society and people have been living their lives here having their children follow in their footsteps. When slavery ended where did all the former slaves fit. The truth is they were supposedly “free” but with nothing to do. Therefore for years they had to work for everything to be even close to equal. This adds to people starting at different places at a “starting line”. The starting line started way before for some people so how is it possible for all the other people to catch up
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I think that it’s really cool what Sam mentioned first in the lecture. The idea that we are all pulled by strings is hard to realize when we are young. I had a teacher in high school try to explain this to me and my class when we were learning about civics. He would tell us we were free, and that we could do whatever we wanted for a week. So, naturally, we started bringing magazines, cell phones, playing cards, and music to the class. After Friday came, we made plans for a party on the following Monday in class. It was going to be awesome. We came in the class and started the music and got the chips and pop out of our bags, but then we saw the Principle sitting in the back of the room. We had to take the food and the cell phones and the i-Pods and everything to the office. We were blown away! When we got back to the room, really pissed, our teacher started laughing. He asked us why we weren’t still partying. We were “free” but there were still things we couldn’t do in front of the Principle. We thought he was being a hypocrite, but he was really teaching us something important. You can walk naked in your own home, but you can’t do it in the supermarket. Our freedoms and rights only extend until they infringe on someone else’s rights. If you don’t believe me, start blasting your music in your dorm-room during finals week. Its your right, but I can guarantee that your RA will be at your door really soon. You have a right to blast your music, but your neighbors also have a right to a safe and effective study area, and that’s where your right stops.
Being an archaeologist, I really get what Sam was saying about luck in geography and how its human nature to play king of the mountain with power and resources. One example is Mesopotamia and Egypt. Both have rivers that bring them resources and power their nations, but in the ancient world Egypt was the stronger one because they “lucked out” with the Nile instead of the Tigris and the Euphrates. The Nile was more gentle than the other rivers and let the Egyptians gain the advantage over the people in the land of the raging destructive rivers. Does this mean that the Egyptians should have shared their land with these people? Its not their fault that they were born in that area, just like it wasn’t the Mesopotamians fault that they live near the Tigris. As far as the king of the mountain thing, it happens all of the time! Ever since the dawn of time and the dawn of written history the men with the most power and fought to keep that power. Is that any different than politicians fighting to stay in office? What about people of any race fighting to keep their status in a civilization? I don’t think so.
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Racial inequality is one of those topics where many people are often divided based on their personal experiences or the culture in which they grew up. What I have noticed is that the majority of minorities will definitely admit that racial inequality is a problem and that most minority adults have personally been a victim of racial inequality at some point in their lives. I’ve also noticed that many non-minorities may agree that racial inequality exists, but they minimize the extent to which it is a problem. The reason that they tend to minimize the problem may be due to the fact that they have never been a victim of racial inequality themselves. When I hear people downplay the racial inequality problems that exist in this country, their supporting arguments may center around the various civil rights legislation or public policies that exist, or they may name examples of individuals who have done well and have been successful in their professions. Unfortunately, just because there have been some minority people who have been successful does not mean that racially inequality is all of a sudden a problem of yesterday that does not exist anymore.
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(cont'd) You can look at many several statistics that help show evidence that racial inequality is still a problem in this country. When you think about the percentage of Black prisoners compared to other racial groups, the numbers are very disproportional. You still have people who are passed over for job promotions and advancement opportunities in the workplace because of their race. Even though some of the acts of racial discrimination may be subtle or discreet, racial inequality nevertheless still exists. Currently, many Hispanics will experience more racial inequality as they are subject to the racial profiling laws that will soon exist in Arizona. We have all heard how the United States is a “melting pot” for all races and ethnicities, yet many minorities still feel racially unequal. Isn’t that kind of ironic how unequal things are even though everyone is supposed to be equal?
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(cont'd) Another interesting aspect about racial inequality in this country is how other groups of people moving to the United States often view themselves as compared to those of us living here already. Specifically, I am referring to groups of Blacks immigrating to the United States from other countries around the world. For whatever reason, they tend to separate themselves from being included in the same discussions as Black Americans. For many of them, they see themselves as better than the Black Americans. When they are lumped into the same group as Black Americans, they quickly let you know that they are not Black Americans but are from another country. They are quick to distinguish themselves from Black Americans. It’s as if there is a certain label or stigma that is placed on Black Americans such that Blacks from foreign countries don’t want to be grouped together with Black Americans. So, not only are Black Americans experiencing racial inequality in the United States, but there are other groups of Blacks who want to separate themselves from being mentioned in the same conversation with Black Americans.
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Lesson 7
I never realized how impoverished the Native Americans people are. I have to admit that I was one of those people who thought that the Native Americans lived the way that they did because they wanted to. I have to admit that I feel so ignorant! I never knew how horribly they lived, I thought that people who lived on reservations were kind of like Amish people in the sense that they make that choice to not use modern day technology and wear old fashioned clothes and things like that. As much as I feel bad for not knowing something so big, I also realize that it is not my fault. In history classes they leave out a lot of important details about history when there is negative connotation. If you think about it almost everything in America’s history has some type of negative connotation so there is going to be many incomplete and fake stories to cover up Americas wrong doings. Watching the video of the Native Americans reminded me of videos we saw after hurricane Katrina. America not only forcefully removed them out of their land; they gave the small plots of the worst land in America. I do not come from a very wealthy family and after the recession my family’s money situation became even worst. I had to make the decision to continue my education at a community college at home or to fund my education by myself at Penn State, and I chose to continue my education here and work very hard to keep myself afloat. I would usually say that If I can do it you can do it, but I really mean it in a positive way. Watching the lecture makes me realize that there are factors that can really hold someone back in many ways, that are very hard to overcome. I can be honest enough to say that although my situation can be bad at times its probably 50% better than the average Native American. Something that also was really crazy was the percentage of crimes against Native Americans from whites opposed to the percentage of crimes against whites and blacks are against their own race. Many people know about the racist acts against black people, but you do not really hear about the things that happen to other races. I guess that’s because if America actually took responsibility for all the crimes against humanity it would be very over whelming. The question in my head after receiving all this new information is how can we possibly help these people? They are so poor compared to most people, and they are used to living on their reservations so how can they be comfortable in a different environment. Also we have to remember the fact that there is animosity towards the people who stole their land. Like most of the problems in America it is way too complicated to have an effective and favorable solution.
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This lecture started off pretty hilarious but it does bring out the issue of how much race and ethnic inequality in the world. You definitely jump to conclusions and start judging a person based on their appearance and what they look like or are wearing. I also find it true that no matter what you do or how you act, you will always have an outside factor that will affect what you do or say and your actions. People again will have something to say about an issue. If you do something out of the ordinary or something inappropriate, someone will act out on it and tell you that you are doing something wrong. Some things are just socially inappropriate to do in public like scratching certain areas of your body.
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I think one of the issues that I find interesting is the King of the Mountain idea that people who happen to be on top are usually there by luck and by inheritance. A lot of what happens in the world today is that who you know can really reflect your future or career. If you grew up with your parents rich or if you grew up with your father as Donald Trump, you are obviously going to have so many more resources than someone who grew up in the projects in Harlem. Even though I find it unfair, it is crazy to think that these people who are lucky enough to be born into money do not have to work hard for anything. They had parents, grandparents, or relatives who had already worked hard for them to live a very good and rich life. In article 17, you really get a sense of how much inheritance really affects today’s business world and how inheritance goes a long way. A lot of the major companies we know today are continually owned now by family generations. Nepotism really does affect Americans of every class, but really nepotism is very effective towards people with money. People with money usually have more resources.
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Another issue that catches my eye is whether there is racism in the Criminal Justice system. The statistics were very surprising to me. I feel that in the media, there is a big focus of crime on minorities and not really white people. I find it interesting that the actual statistic of the Federal prison population is 57.1% white and 39.1% black. But then there are other statistics such as state prisoners who are 44.5% black and 34.5% white. I find that no matter what race you are, I find that where and how you grew up really affects who you are and what you do in the future. If you grew up in a bad neighborhood around drugs, you were more likely to end up into that situation and are more likely to commit a crime. If you grew up in the suburbs, you probably won’t be forced to deal with a situation around that type of crime. It really just all depends on your major influences and the values that they taught you.
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I have been arguing this lecture with people since I was about 19 years old, but I just didn’t have as many facts at that time. I think that although it is best to be in the middle of the whole freedom vs. determinism argument, but as Professor Richards points out, I also believe that there are a host of historically induced invisible factors that contribute to who we are and hence the choices we make. I am also of the opinion that although luck of birth used to have a lot to do with success during the inception of socialization, that for the most part ancestral choices combined with domination of resources has the majority to do with modern day circumstances for most. Although we have freedom to fight for more, sometimes one can be so far behind in the race that there is just no way to catch up and “fight fair”. Thus, I guess I am of the determinism school of though in terms of ideology and resources. So it’s not just about hard work and following the rules, like a lot of the haves like to lecture to the have-nots. That is such a lie to keep those in power powerful, and those not on the hamster wheel! Because like the basics of the sociology of social production intimate, once someone Is on top they will fight tooth and nail (and definitely not in a fair way) to stay there, out of which is born systematic racism and discrimination. The craziest example of which is the example given in class of the G.I. Bill after WWII! In one way I am flabbergasted because I never had knowledge of this before today, but on the other hand I just shake my head in disbelief at Avery from class who still cannot see the big picture of truth because there are so many other examples that end up at the same truth – the king of the mountain will always protect his position whether in the light of day or under the cloak of night, and it is extremely difficult for a whole group to overcome those barriers. The inequality of our penal system is just another example of how this theory can manifest itself as something largely awful for an entire group of people. I feel as though the argument presented in our text of the U.S. elite (or white people) hyping crime and violence to induce a more punitive justice system to self-preserve is right on point. I believe it to be an evil and extremely unjust way to lock away and disenfranchise long term a lot of their potential “competition” for space on the mountain. Simultaneously, it provides the added benefit of a new and major revenue stream for their government and future endeavors. Such a sad and daunting state of affairs!
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