Reflection Week 10

This week we talked about gender. We distinguished that gender and sex are two different things. Sex is the psychological part of being either male or female. Gender is how society determines what is masculine or feminine. To me most of what we do as human beings is determined by gender. So a male there are certain things I should do and say and there is a thin line between doing something that is "gay" and being too manly. We are taught at a young age to be a boy and to act like a lady. We gain a lot of our parents point of views once we get older. Some of us think differently and end that cycle and generate our own opinions on life and how things should be.
Hearing that kids get suspended because they dress a certain way or not acting how a young lady should is almost unbelievable. Every year you hear some story about a kid getting suspended or expelled from school because of petty things. People do some crazy things and swear that they are teaching your child the right way and are truly hypocritical beings themselves. I have mixed feelings about people who go through sex changes. I feel that's the skin you were born in and that they should just live their lives as who they were born to be. However then again I have never been in the position to say that I truly feel that I should have been born a girl. So its hard to say that these people are wrong for what they are doing. Now cross dressers I'm not too sure how I feel about that lifestyle I just hope I'm not the guy that gets caught up and deceived one day. However again these individuals feel the most comfortable when they are not hiding anything. I just don't think that people should be judged its already hard as hell to live their lives because they aren't considered normal. Its hard to want to accept the world we live in and there are only a few things guaranteed in this life that's judgment, taxes and death. I just hope one day that things change but history will always repeat itself and times rarely change just the people in it.

Reflection Week 9

This week in class was a bit different for me. Just in the sense that there was a touchy subject being talked about. I personally feel that a persons sexual orientation is solely based on how they feel. I don't believe anyone person should be judged on whether they like boys or girls. That is their preference. However in the world we live in it if full of judgment and people feel the need to voice their own opinions. Individuals like the guess speakers are really stand out people and have good intentions for people who are apart of the gay community. Individuals who want a sex change I say to  them that is there own choice and is something that they have to live with. I was just raised different from other people. My mother raised us all to have our own opinions and not to try and be like her be ourselves. She also told us that gay isn't right its an abomination according to the bible in which she tries to live her life by. She also told us at the same time that gay people could be the best of friends and to not judge them because they are different. Personally I have no issue with no queer folk I just say do what you do over there but at the same time if you come to me correct I have no problem being your friend. Some individuals were just born the way they are others choose to be like that and others sadly to say their experiences at a young age shaped them. Someones sexual orientation does not define them as a person however there are certain stereotypes that do exist. You'll never know how someone is until you talk to them and try and get to know them as a person.

Reflection Week 8

I was not in class on Tuesday to take part in the activities. One activity that was played was Cultural Monopoly, I personally think that this is a cool twist on a classic game, a game in which the whole goal is to monopolize the game board. In the original game everyone has money and has equal opportunity. What I like behind the concept of Cultural Monopoly is that its real life and each person takes on the persona of an actual being that is part of society in the world we live in today. That is a great game to get each participant to understand or experience some of what people go through. Social class is something that we all believe in and its something that society has said was important and determines how we live as individuals. Personally I have met some of the happiest poor people and saddest rich people. I refuse to defined by my circumstances but it is more than likely to happen because of the world we live in.
Sexual orientation is a bit of a taboo subject. Many don't feel comfortable talking about this subject or they feel they know all about it. In our society many people do not accept gay people because they are "different". Sexual orientation in my opinion gets way too much attention, who I am attracted to should not determine whether or what job get, how I am treated and in extreme cases whether or not I live or die. I have been friends with gay individuals and they are not any different from me or you just who they are attracted to. They are some of the coolest people you will meet. My mother told me this all the time growing up even though she doesn't believe in that, she one of those people who say God made Adam and Eve but not Adam and Steve. I still love my mother because she taught me to have my own opinion and to think for myself. I don't believe you should be discriminated for any reason, let only because you are homosexual. Also don't get me started with professional sports the hype and attention this gets is incredible. I just wonder why we can't just live our own lives and worry about ourselves instead of being in other peoples business. My mother always told me don't worry about nobody else especially if your own backyard aint clean!

Reflection Week 7

This week in class we learned about othering. This is a concept that I am familiar with and I see all the time. I did not know what it was I called at first I just considered it extreme discrimination or prejudice. The video that we watched in class was interesting, I learned about Matthew Shepard and the hate crime that caused his unlikely death. His incident stirred up the whole University of Wyoming which is in Laramie, Wyoming. The whole city was touched by what took place in to one of their own. Also I learned about what happened with James Byrd. Both cases were extremely cruel in my eyes I know that these cases occur all the time but these just happened to get media time. I feel that this is just unfortunate, hate crimes are inhumane. I didn't come to class on Thursday which I understand is unacceptable but I just didn't want to watch the video anymore on this subject it touched me in a way that I don't think it touched other students. All the cases that I'm aware of anyways. I can relate with Matthew Shepard with being different and being alienated from other because of it also I most definitely can relate with James Byrd, by simply being black. I have experienced racism to some degree, till this day I can feel all the eyes in a room that levitate towards me. Going to Arizona where I'm one of maybe three black kids in a classroom amongst Mexicans to Williston and I'm the only "black guy" in the room. It's just a different experience that most may never experience. Also, I can relate to the Columbine incident because every year on that day my school would shut down and multiple officers would come to my schools campus. I just felt uncomfortable in the classroom to be honest. I understand that this is what the class is about but it was just tough to hear from the families of these victims, these kids. Most of these cases were based on kids and that's tough. I don't understand most people in this world, I don't understand how they could harm a child or anyone for that matter.