Black lives matters

In the light of black lives matter week, I thought I'd share my opinion on the violences that's taking place in America upon young black boys. One thing we should discuss or address is the social and economically disparities that eventually leads to this unjust situation. It's easy to sit here and blame the police officer for killing young black men. But why do black boys shoot black boys. Why are gangs still relevant in our communities? Why did we sell drugs to ourselves? Why d we feel the need to create this terrible image about our race? When it comes to situation like Mr. Browns', I totally agree that he should've been indicted. Shooting a person 12 of 13 bullets is absolutely awful. I don't want to hear about how that was his first time he had used in weapon and stuff. Isn't It a part of an officer is to train to use a hand gun. If felt like Mr. Was a threat, he could've kneecapped him and arrest him instead of brutally killing him like that. At any rate, we as black people are quick to create riots and blame the police officer for shooting our young boys. When in reality, black boys create these awful imagine that makes it difficult for society to accept them as honorable and respectful men. The unfortunate part is that action that takes place in black communities tints all black men. You could be a well educated and successful black man and yet be subjected based upon perception that our communities has created for blacks. Before we can start riots and screaming social imbalance, we have fix the first thing that creates this doubt and subjective attitudes towards black men which derives from the communities we live in. I guess I can say I'm thankful. I'm thankful that I have parents that values education. Parents who constantly stressed obeying the law and having the common sense of not trying to approach a police officer in A threatening way. As young black men, I think we should look at ourselves first. It's unfortunate that we are losing some black men. I send my condolences to Mr. Browns' mother and family but this perception has to CHANGE!

Catfish

As many were quick to point out, the relationship between Nev and Angela in the documentary "Catfish," was disturbing on a great many levels. Yes, Angela did essentially create her own alternative reality through social media to fool someone into believing that she was an other person entirely--but surprisingly, my first instinct was not to condemn her, but rather to pity her. It is quite clear that for anyone to go to such dramatic lengths as she did, to build a relationship based entirely on lies, then he or she must be in a great amount of pain, extremely lonely, and very unsatisfied in life. This is not to justify Angela's actions, as she did end up also hurting Nev and possibly her husband, by them. But just to say that it is apparent that she had some sort of underlying mental condition and needed to seek professional help to deal with her issues and get her life back on track.

Self-Acceptance and Escape

The biggest point in the documentary to me was that this woman Angela was not self accepting and with the overwhelming amount of disappointment in her life, she decided to create her own escape. She wanted the maximum amount of pleasure out of this new life or persona she created, however she couldn't careless as to the maximum amount of pain she caused. She became so absorbed into this fairy tale she created that she drug Nev through an emotional roller coaster, cheated on her husband, and forced her daughter to lie. Seems like to me she has a lot of morality issues she needs to be cleared up. Possibly therapy, what do you guys think?

Our Real Self

Ever since the day we were born, we have been taught that we are our own person and that there is no one like us. Well today Dr. J had spiked my interest by suggesting a different view. She suggests that we in fact have two "selves". I find this assertion to actually be fairly accurate. It seems to me that we do have two selves. Our physical self is constantly being preceded and proceeded by another self, our digital self. Every American  who has grown up around the advance of technology has a digital self even if they have never had a Facebook, an Instagram, or have never ordered anything online. The fact is that when we are born, our names are recorded along with our height, weight, social security number, eye color, and hair color among other things. From the moment we first see the light in the hospital room, we will be kept track of for the rest of our lives. Even a person wasn't born in a hospital or regulatory medical institution, the United States makes gaining a digital self virtually unavoidable.


Just think of all of the things you have to do using technology. If you want to ever drive a car, own a house, go on a vacation, eat at a restaurant that doesn't take cash, or if you want to buy something online you will have to do something that involves using or creating your digital self. When you go to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a drivers license, your picture is stored on a computer and transferred to a database. This insures that you can be matched to any tickets, accidents, or mishaps you commit. Unless you have $30,000 in cash ready to give to the person selling it, you have to use your digital self to purchase a nice car and likewise to purchase a house.


We also carry parts of our digital selves with us everywhere we go. Our cell phones!!! If you are like the typical American, your cell rarely ever leaves your side. Our phone numbers are apart of our digital selves. At any time the government can use our phone conversations, text messages and pictures against us in court cases. These phones also often connect us to other parts of our digital selves. Snapchat, Instagram, GroupMe, Facebook, and Twitter accounts can all be linked to us and reflect us to people we don't even know most of the time. Every time we access these accounts or even play online e games that require us to create accounts or use our emails, we are shaping another part of our digital self. The sad fact is that, in most cases, we spend more time shaping our digital selves than we do our real selves, but who am I to tell you which one is real.

LOL! Raz has a tramp stamp.

Catfishing

                Let me first start by saying that its really funny that the Raz had a trampstamp! LOL! That was completely unexpected and was worth mentioning.

                On a more serious note, Cat fishing is a modern phenomenon that continues to happen today. After watching the first half of the movie, I discussed it with Dr. Johnson because I really did not see any moral dilemmas in the situation. She explained to me that it is morally wrong to make up one identity. At this time, I thought that Megan was an actual attractive girl. She continued further by saying that if you think about it everyone cat fishes because people only post what people want to see on their social media.

                Thinking about this, I feel that she is completely correct. As Sarte said, what we don't do is just as important as the things that we do, do. Base of this concept, we attempt to make ourselves look good on social media. For example, people will take selfies and put a bunch of filters on to make them look good. I've said plenty of people, male and female, that look nothing like the pictures that they post on instagram. Their personalities are nothing like the ones they post on twitter.

                Of course, in the case of blackfish the circumstances were a lot more extreme. She created alter egos in the form of different Facebook pages and formulated a well developed lie. However, she did it for the same reason we post instagram selfies with filters. She did it out of love and acceptance. Isn't that what everyone wants? What do yall think? 

The Pros and Cons of Religion

The Pros and Cons of Religion

When I think of Religion, I think of Christianity. In a sense all the major religions are contain the same central themes. The question is though. What are the pros and cons of religion and which one out ways the other. On one side, it gives people hope and who doesn’t like a little hope every once in a while. In addition, it brings charity into the world. It was discussed in class that Bellvue church in Memphis raises 2.2 million dollars in one offering session once a year. That money is used to fund the summer programs for the church. 2.2 million is an amazing number to think when it is just one church that can raise that much and have it go towards something for the community.

            When I brought the topic up to my roommate he responded that if you can get a bunch of people to come together on a Sunday and spend 1-8 hours doing beneficial things for and with their community, that results is much better than the alternative, doing harmful things towards the community. As Sarte once said, it is just as important what you don’t do as what you do, do.

            Now let us look on the other side. With religion come misinterpretations in the writing. The first example that comes to mind is the discrimination towards homosexuals. Another example is the 9/11 bombers. I feel like the reason why they bombed the U.S was because they were misguided. They believed that they were securing a good place next to their god in the afterlife.

            In conclusions, though there are bad that comes with religion. There is also a lot of good. Bringing help to the poor, raising charity, and giving people hope outweigh the bad. What do yall think?

Emotions = Games

So let me start by saying that this movie had my full attention THE WHOLE TIME. Documentaries usually don’t, but this peaked my interest. My first thought after he started talking about his relationship with Abby, a seven-year-old child with an amazing artistic ability who was allowed to just start sending Niv paintings free of charge is hard to believe. When he started forming a relationship with Angela, the mother, who had all of these crazy stories about all of the adventures her children were getting into, I couldn’t help but think “How did he not know her life was bs?” after the truth was finally revealed. With the title of the movie, we already know what to expect, but there were just way to many eccentricities about the stories that Angela/Abby/Megan told. Even after Abby and her friend told him the truth, he still hung out with the family as if nothing was wrong. He’ll always have the bittersweet memories of Angela and he made it worse by adding the memories of their day at the beach. Then on top of all of that, Niv didn’t let Angela’s husband know exactly what his wife was up to. I just seem to have a hard time sympathizing with that woman solely because of her actions. She was married and grown, and I can’t help but think of her as pathetic and disgusting for her actions (i.e. sexting, telling Niv she missed him and cared for him even though she has a husband). My question is, what type of person plays with others emotions this way? Sure, we hear about men and young leading others on and flirting with numerous people with the knowledge that it will never go farther than they want it to. But are those two instances the same or are they different? Are emotions just a different type of game to play when you’re too old for board games and nothing else excites you anymore? Is catfishing the new “trend” society has decided to partake in, despite the feelings involved?

Catfishing - Lies to oneself and others

Catfishing is a largely modern phenomenon. Hardly something Sartre could have predicted but nevertheless seems to be a great representation of a lie to oneself. Catfishing involves an ignoring of one’s reality that goes beyond trying to transcend it. While normally such a thing would be easily observed by any observer technology allows the one acting in bad faith to avoid detection. Catfishing has become pretty popular whether in jest or in unwise attempts at finding love. It leads to many moral questions such as lying, manipulation, and wasting someone’s limited lifetime. Sometimes catfishing can take over a year of someone’s life and that is thievery of one of the most limited resources of all. However many people have been catfished or have been doing the catfishing. Most people do it to their friend for maybe a few days or a week at a time just to get a good laugh at their expense. Perhaps this is largely harmless but much more severe cases occur that lead to real emotional damage. It’s quite apparent that catfishing is surely not a moral activity by anyone. The question is why does it happen then? Is it from an epidemic of low self-esteem? Seemingly not as most people have increasingly higher self-esteem contrary to popular belief. Are people simply more enabled by the internet? Or are people just curious and seeking an outlet for their creative mind? There are likely many correct answers. Is catfishing a serious problem or is it rare? The show on mtv Catfish makes it seem like it is very common. Many people feel betrayed on the show but some find forgiveness although this is rare. You’d think people would see that the chances of it working out in their favor are low. So why do you think so many people do this obviously immoral and hopeless exercise of bad faith?

Like a Girl

Women in today's society have been made to believe that they are inferior to men, like whatever they do is always inferior to the way a man would do it. Nobody is born thinking that they are inferior. Society has put this on them by promoting the idea that women are weak and vulnerable. Studies have shown that a woman's confidence drops around the time of puberty due to the fact that they are at a vulnerable stage in their life, a time when they are still trying to figure themselves and are being told that they are inferior to men. The company Always did a video titled "Always #LikeAGirl". It's about three minutes long and I highly encourage you to watch it.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs








Like a girl has become an insult in our society and needs to be stomped out. Popularized by the movie The Sandlot it has done nothing but continue to promote the negative stereotype that women are weak. Simply by saying it you reinforce the idea in our society. Always is trying to flip it and redefine the phrase "Like a Girl" into a positive affirmation to all women. What do you think?

Certain Things About Religion

On Monday in class, we learned many different thing that pertained to religion. One thing we learned was what the three main religions were. They are Christianity, Muslim, and Islamic. I am a Christian myself and it is a very important religion.
We also learned about the four characteristics of God. One characteristic is all knowing, which is omniscient. The second characteristic is all powerful, which is omnipotence. The third characteristic is all good, which is omnibenevolence. The last Characteristic is everywhere at all times, which is omnipresence. The extra one we received is actually real, which is existence.
God equals "that which no greater can be thought." The idea of God makes the world meaningful It also gives us the chance to now also get a moral judge.
We also learned about the good and bad things religions can contribute. A few bad things we stated were that religion can sometimes contribute to wars, resisting to change, and picking on people cause you feel that their sins are bigger than others. a few good things we stated were that religion can contribute to encouraging, giving back to the community, providing community, and giving people hope and help.
The things we learned in class is something that should stay on our minds as we find out more about religions. I found this things to be very interesting since I find religion interesting and I am taking a Religious Studies course this semester. I know more about religions know and the differences that can contribute to me than I did before I became a freshman here at CBU.
Comment and tell me if you liked this Class Lesson or not.

Catfish

I know that we have not finished the film “Catfish,” yet, but as someone who watches the television show religiously, I felt that I could make some speculations about the show. If you do not wish to be spoiled on what the term “Catfish” means, then I would not read any further. This is not a spoiler for the movie, though.

I first heard about Catfish through social media, of course. I thought that it seemed like a very interesting show, and it definitely has been. One very common moral dilemma that I have seen in the television shows is someone lying about their appearance to entice someone to begin conversing with the person. This, of course, is extremely wrong no matter what the situation is, but a common theme I have found in the show is this: Quite often if the person is a girl and is lying about her appearance, she is also overweight. I have noticed this time and time again in the shows. Does this excuse her lying about her appearance? NO. Does this make what she did right? NO. But I feel like this does pose a really tough question: Why do people lie about saying that looks, “don’t matter,” and then get extremely angry when the girl in question turns out to be overweight. I feel like both people in this situation are doing something that is morally wrong. In this case the Catfish is lying about her looks, but the guy (in this situation) is lying about his true feelings and preferences about a woman.

This also brings up another thing I find really disturbing.  Why do so many girls feel the need to lie about their appearance so that someone will talk to them? Like I said above, it is not right to lie about your appearance so that someone will talk to you; however, would this girl have to lie if it weren’t for the lack of female body positivity in our society? I just think it’s so upsetting that a girl feels the need to lie JUST to have a friend/boyfriend online, and it’s just really messed up that a guy’s biggest fear is fat when a girl’s biggest fear is being completely ignored because of her weight.

What Has Religion Really Done?

In class on Monday afternoon, we discussed religion and its effects on society. While religion may not be expressed by everyone in the same capacity, everyone has a right to exercise their respective religion as they see fit. In addition, it’s understandable as to why all people will not have the same religion. Amongst the billions of people in the world have hundreds of religious denominations to choose from, no one could or should expect every single person to choose the same one. The top monotheistic religions are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. All three of those religions have various denominations with slightly different beliefs and values. Religion has been around almost as long as there have been people on this earth, and there are still controversies associated with it. The best thing religion has offered is unity, but it also has made way for separation as well. For many different stories of creation to be in existence, it’s a wonder no one has any idea what has actually happened. Religion is a controversial subject, to say the least. It has offered something people couldn’t even fathom at the time that they needed it: unity. It has also made way for something people would do best to avoid, because of the consequences it leads to: separation. People may not understand why or how religion can both unify and separate a society, but it has done so (and has done it well) for as long as there were people to oppose the “other” religion, whatever that may be. It unifies those who share the same beliefs and gives them a purpose and hope for their life. However, it also separates those same people from others who may not share the same beliefs. With all of this in mind, I believe that religious wars were started based solely on the fact that the people started them with the mind that they are merely asserting their belief system. I believe that people have the right to believe in whatever and whomever they choose to, so there should not be any wars about it. If someone else practicing their religious beliefs does not set a direct threat on your life, it should not pertain to you.

Religion Based Wars

Religion Based War

                In class, the topic of whether wars were ever based off of religious disagreement or if it was for more tangible assets such as oil, land and such arose. I feel that both are true. However, it could be argued that was or conflicts do not arise for religious reason because the driving factor behind the actual reason is politics and money. Religion is just a bifactor of the war. One could look at it as a cover up. I could reason that for some this might be true. I don't agree that we cannot say that it not because of religious disagreement because for the people fighting for the conflict believe that it is for religious purposes.

                One example that was brought up in class were the 9/11 plane bombers. Did they do it for religion or was it for some other reason? The Torah teaches nothing about hurting innocent lives, but if they were manipulated into reading the torah wrong then they could be convinced to bomb a plane and run it into two buildings killing many. In that case they would be doing it for religious purposes. Situations like this are very prevalent in history.  

                Not every conflict is based off of religion but to say that no conflict is based off of religion is a false statement. Religion can be misinterpreted and can be used to convince people to do acts that ensure them eternal gratification and ensure them a place in an afterlife. The promise of a wonderful afterlife and eternal gratification is enough incentive to make people fight for a cause. Do you guys agree? 

Religious or Not

When I was little, I went to church every other Sunday with my dad. I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was five and didn't really know what it meant. I went to church camps and Vacation Bible School, and I thought that I was super religious. I stopped going to church often at the beginning of middle school, but near the end, I had reaffirmed my faith in God. I even got a new bible for my birthday. Freshman year of high school, I stopped going to church as often, but my sophomore year I helped found a prayer group on campus, where we had speakers discuss their testimonies and took prayer requests. However, the busier everyone got, the less time we had to do it. Ever since then, I have not been a regular church goer, but I still believe in God and Jesus as my savior.

My question comes in where how throughout my high school years I developed false sense of religiousness. I would pray for guidance when something bad would happen or before huge tests, but I never prayed during good times and it seemed like I was always asking and not thanking. Was religion really there for me when I wasn't there for it?

Little Girls and Feminism

Last week, we discussed the sexism. We watched videos that depicted women's problems as not only dealing with day to day tasks like men, but also the fact that women constantly worry about being sexually assaulted, pay inequalities, etc. A couple of weeks ago I saw this video of little girls in princess dresses discussing feminism and such.

I know we're all in college, but this does have a lot of cussing in it.

I've seen some negative comments about how they made these little girls cuss just to get the point across. They wish they didn't use such vile language. However, this video just shows what it takes to get the attention of people. Personally, I love it. It shows exactly what women and girls go through on a day to day basis, and it doesn't sugarcoat it at all. If these little girls can understand this concept, so can men.

Religion could be...

For most of my life I've gone to church, but when I got to high school I did not as much. I got involved and I did not have enough time for anything. I went to school, and I basically stayed there till late hours doing productions. When I had trouble with school, or just felt like I was stressed I would always turn to praying. I think religion is a good thing because it helps people get on with life. It just gives them something to believe in, and there is something good in the world. It made me feel better and to know that there was someone to talk to about your problems, and ask for help. There is an inner peace you get when you know you are okay, and that there is a person who can possibly help you get out of a difficult situation. There is also a great way to bring people together that share a common view. When people see a common good, and what to help other people get to where they are. It also has a different effect when it is used for bad. Many people use religion to put ear into people. Many dictators could also use to seem like their way is their only way to rule and govern a nation. There are many ways to see how religion can shape a person, but I think seeing it as hope for people is the reason religion was made and practiced in many counties and states.

Job Dilemmas

To speak or Not to speak

                In class we watched an episode of the office which portrayed dilemmas that people face at work. They focused on a human recourse employee who was stuck between bringing an employee to justice who had been sleeping with someone for favors for the store. While she was trying to get to the bottom of the situation, she underwent sexual harassment from her superior. He went out of his way to make certain business situation sexual. For example, he brought her out on a date when they were supposed to be discussing work related issues. As for the other employee that had been sleeping around she says she did it for the company because the company was also benefiting from her sexual acts. Her superiors saw nothing wrong with it since the company was benefiting. The human recourse employee's direct job, was to follow proto call and leave with everything the same. Her job was threatened when she attempted to bring up the issue.

                Obviously, this is an extremely farfetched situation that would more than likely never happen. If you were in the position of the human resource agent, would you have continued your case and attempted to get the employee performing sexual favors fired? She's a liability of the company and it is directly your job to deal with situation such as that one. Or would you listen to your superiors and not do anything? On that side, she's really not hurting anyone and in the end everyone gets free food and discounts. Your bosses gives the situation the blind eye and you are even encourage to turn the blind eye yourself.

                There were other dilemmas in the show but this stuck out to me the most. Feel free to discuss any other dilemmas that was in the show as well.