posted by Sam Richards
One child is Chinese and the other is Malaysian. I guess they shouldn’t be falling in love…
77 responses to “Stories for Uplift”
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These videos were refreshing. One thing I really like about the first video is that it proves a level of biological sameness between two people who look completely different on the surface. I know the story is rare in and of itself, but it's still a pretty cool example. I also like this video because it's an example of someone just doing the right thing, with no regard to racial differences, social distance, or family relation. Two people who have no connection other than a common, friendly exchange over a grocery store checkout counter can end up being crucially important to one another due to a selfless good deed. We need more people like Mr. Coyne in the world.
The second video was also uplifting, but love hardly ever stays so innocent. I hate to sound pessimistic but I have a feeling that romantic love is deeper than a child can comprehend. However, it is neat to see how kids feel about each other without exposure to the prejudices and influences we experience as we get older. If these kids' parents are already influencing their thoughts, it looks like they're doing a good job so far. It's nothing like that video we watched of the sisters who sing white supremacy songs – that's an example of innocence ruined by parents' negative influence. Is there some kind of anti-Malaysian sentiment among Chinese people? Is that part of what makes the video special? I wonder if it matters where a video like this was shot. Are children in the United States more exposed to (and therefore more aware of) racial differences at a younger age than in other countries? I also wonder if, as time goes on, there are more interracial couples in the United States due to an increasing tolerant and accepting social climate. As new generations grow up free from influence on what races they choose to date, I bet we would see more diversity in couples.
Purest love can exist between two people of two different races; it's not something limited to innocent children. It all has to do with outside influences on your perception of other races. I'm sure if someone grew up oblivious to society's perception of interracial couples, or oblivious to what their parents preferred, that person would be more likely to date someone of another race. I'm certain my grandparents were shocked when my younger brother started dating a girl who was half white and half black, but to him it wasn't a big deal at all. It's no secret that love is color blind, so if there's ever any hesitation to be with someone of a different race, you know that hesitation is probably coming from an outside influence. The kids in the video haven't experienced that outside influence yet, and they're behaving accordingly.
The second video especially is so touching; I don't think I've seen something so adorable and absolutely uncorrupted in a very long time. The look on his face!
Otherwise, I enjoyed Thursday's class. My partner and I were entirely different (race, etc) but I ended up talking to her a lot and we had a lot more in common than I ever would have thought. I went to shake her hand at the end of class and she gave me a hug instead. It was awesome.
I just had to say that these two videos made me want to cry. To see the utter compassion some people have for others is amazing to me. I mean to give a kidney to someone you barely know is incredible and I wish there were more people like that in the world. The kind of people who are willing to do anything for someone just because they feel it is the right thing to do. What that man did is simply astonishing and he changed that grocery clerk's life forever.
I also thought the video of the two little kids was just adorable. I mean to see that they like each other despite what society tells them is amazing. We really can learn so much from children and it is so incredbly sad to see that we allow the world and society around us to corrupt what we believe in when we're young. As kids we believe anything is possible and we chose how we like people based on their personality, not on their race, gender, sexual preference, or anything else. It is society that teaches us to think in such a cruel way. So what if these kids are difference races? Let them love whomever they chose to love.
I think these we also a great tie in to Thursdays class. Yes, at first it was awkward staring into the eyes of a stranger, but once you got past that you realized you we just looking into the eyes of another human being. Their skin color didn't matter. Their religion didn't matter. You just saw who they are and that they are not much different from you at all.
First off, watching the video in class almost made me cry because of everything we’ve learned in class, and yet how there is still so much good stuff happening. This video made it hard to think about race, and I think that’s something most everyone who watched it would agree. There are something’s, like this little boys interest in the little girl, that just precede all the perceptions, stereotypes, and prejudices we all build towards others. If people began to focus on these similarities more than our differences, race relations would be at a whole different place right now. If people were just more willing to see the good in people instead of their color, the world would definitely be a lot better.
I have to say that when I watched both of these videos, I kind of wanted to cry, too. It just so nice to see that are people with these characteristics out there. In a world, where people seem to not care about anyone else, but themselves, it is always nice to be reminded that there is still caring and this simple love out there. In the first video, it made me so happy to see someone so giving and caring. He actually gave something to someone who he is not even related to, but still considers that person family. It just goes to show it does not matter who you are or what kind of ethnicity you are, everyone is equal. It is so nice to see that this man would only see this woman maybe not even once a week, but he changed her life. He gave up something for someone who he barely sees to save her life. To me, this kindness and love in the world is what everyone needs.
I kind of wanted to cry too watching these videos. They really were so uplifting and so sweet. I love that we got a chance to comment on something so wonderful and caring instead of the usual more unsettling topics we discuss in race relations. I hope that maybe next year Sam decides to include more lessons that inspire and motivate others to really care for others around them instead of focusing on past transgressions and all the bad things that exist in the world. These videos have really inspired me to consider other’s situations and it really illustrates a quote that I love, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Thursday’s class was pretty cool. Although staring at a random partner for minute after minute after minute was about as awkward as it gets, I thought the message was a good one. I liked how Sam constructed the class, allowing students to ask questions that had arisen throughout the semester but really didn’t fit into what we were talking about at the time. I think a lot of people got to know Sam better in that last class, and saw more of the person he is as opposed to the instructor (there is definitely a distinction). It was a great finish to an eye opening class.
I think that sociology is somewhat of sad field, since most sociologists it seems don’t seem to focus on all the good things in society but rather all the bad things with the conscious awareness that many of these things can’t be affected or directly changed. We see all the negative stereotypes people build up with one another, all the prejudices and hatred and it becomes slightly depressing knowing there’s all this animosity in the world. This whole class was really showed the student’s in the class some of the biggest problems with society and they’ve made it so that I think most people in the class have learned and appreciated a lot of new information. It’s slightly depressing, but seeing video’s like this are uplifting and really make at least me feel better about the way things are.
I am participating in this as part of my First Year Seminar and at first I was wondering what participating would do for an engineering student. After watching both clips and reading the conversations revolving around them, I have seen that this has everything to do with engineering and any aspect of life. The kidney one is most inspiring in my opinion. My father had cancer as a child and is not living with one kidney. If anything happend as far as a renal condition, he will need a transplant to survive. Nobody deserves less of a chance at life just because they are a different color or creed. People in America with the attitude that they do deserve less of a chance makes us look selfish as a people. As the two children in love, we can all learn from the naive attitude of children. Because they had not learned to discriminate or hate, the two were able to follow their own feelings and chase what is truly important. True happiness should be everyones goal, and is not reserved for a specific group of people. We are one.
At first, I was confused with the first video. I had to watch it twice just to understand what they were trying to explain. Tan Hong Ming is a young child crushing a girl of the same age. He doesn’t like her because of her skin color or her background but because he sees her as a beautiful girl. As a child, we are all “color blind” meaning that we don’t judge people on their skin tone. We are taught to treat people equally from the time we are born and that is exactly what we do. But as we start to age and grow up, people of similar races tend to stick together. As a child, we look up to older people and because this is what they are doing we believe that we should follow in their footsteps and do the same thing. If older people were “color blind” like younger children, we wouldn’t be living in a country where racism was such an issue.
Where I first read the title of the second video, I didn’t think that it could be true. I have never heard of someone giving a person they don’t know anything for free let alone an organ. As I watched the video, I couldn’t believe that Dan Coin was giving up his liver to a sales clerk even though he had no idea who she was and the given fact that she was of a different race. Going through unnecessary surgery is not something one would do unless someone they love is in danger. At the end of the video, the woman was quoted as saying, “He is my angel.” This line in the video stood out to me the most. Dan Coin saved a woman’s life not because he felt he had to but because he wanted to. If people in the world would stop being selfish it would be a better place for everyone.
After watching these videos, I have made a promise to myself to try to look at people around me in different ways. Going to a such a diverse school gives me many opportunities to communicate and get to know people from all over the world with different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. So far, I have not given many people a chance. This is not because I don’t want to, it’s just because this is what I was taught and how I was brought up. Going to an all catholic high school where everyone was of the same race and religion didn’t give me the opportunity to get to know other people. Looking back on my life, I feel like I lived in a bubble. If more people were brought up like Tan Hong Ming and Dan Coin the world would be a completely different and better place.
The first video sort of reminds me of the guy who came up in front of the class for our 'commercial' break and told everyone that our challenge is to treat the staff better. He told us to go up to them and look at them like a person just like us and even have a small conversation. I think that would really make a difference around here and anywhere else. I've worked at a grocery store before back home and I find it completely rude when people don't even look at me. This man did a million times more than just talk to this lady. Although they barely know each other, this man gave her a part of him, literally. I find it amazing that he would do that for someone that he occasionally sees when he goes grocery shopping. These acts are the special events that remind me that there are some real genuinely great people still out there. Which I know many would agree with me! As for the other video, I just find that adorable. At the end it says "Our children are colour blind. Shouldn't it stay that way?". I 100% agree with this. Social learning is such a huge part of the way we grow up to be. We all learn from those around us, especially our parents. Previous generations pass on our culture and within that culture is that idea that the video portrayed with people of different color/background dating/falling in love. We learn partially by imitating others and if we keep up this idea of segregation then it will be many years until we extinct this idea. The sooner we change it, the sooner we move away from stereotypes of different 'races' and move on to a more unified world. Even I need to change and open my mind, though. Everyone does. To me, I find people close-minded about a lot of things and I think that is one of the problems associated with why we cannot fully accept and not judge people. Most of us are so obsessed with what other people think of us and what we think of ourselves. The way we look, dress, and (the point that this video makes) whom we associate with and what others view us as in regard to the ones we are friends with. Which brings me back to the first video: these two people, both the recipient and the donor, are completely different. The recipient is clearly from a different country or at least culture than the donor. The donor seems to be a middle class and he is white. Not many people would associate these two to being so connected.
Onto another point, it may sound horrible for me to say, but I am intimidated by black people. I am from New Hampshire and out of my class alone of over 800 students there were only 2 black people in my class. Needless to say, I've only had maybe one friend that was black. When I came down here for school, however, I was overwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against blacks and I am far from racist. But I have never been around people of color so much and it gets intimidating at times. The guy that came in that was part of a program that gets people out into local schools and just interacts with kids from other ethnicities is, to me, a great idea. It would be nice to have that kind of program up north because it would give me a more comfortable feeling around people of other ethnicities and I think it would be a great learning experience to know about other cultures and the way people live in other countries.
To begin, I would like say I am impressed with the little boy’s maturity level as regards to his understanding of affection. His attraction for the little girl is genuine and sweet. The reason he gave for liking her is that he is rather fond of her pony tails; the boy is coy and shows it more when the girl stands by him. To see someone at that age so sure of his affection for another person leaves me with a lot of questions: what types of hardships go on in their country, what morals are also valued, and how are they educated?
Hardship and poverty in America has been proven to be in a better state than those of Third World countries; in America I believe we are allotted more opportunities to grow and provide a better future for our families. But if you were to take a deeper look, Third World cultures seem to be somewhat better off than Americans because they have adjusted to a humble lifestyle. These cultures also seem happier because they live a straight forward life of working and spending time with their families; family is a strong portion of their support system and a high priority.
In addition, I feel as though people that reside in these countries have a stronger moral background because, to reiterate, they have more time to bond with their families and more influence over what is right and wrong. Not to say that Americans do not spend time with their families or have poor family support, but with recent social the network boom in our lives, connecting to today’s youth can be difficult at times. What happened to the simpler days? Technology provides us with a greater platform to reach everyone simultaneously, but a little quality time with your family wouldn’t hurt: not at all.
Lastly, all cultures have a mean of education. In a recent study the University of Chicago has asserted that a third of American college graduates actually graduate with logic and critical thinking skills (USA TODAY). This astounding to me! Most of my professors believe strongly that we as students learn a skill set, not an education; most Americans take education for granted. While in other countries, education is a prime necessity because they do not have all the resources that are present in America. Learning and exploring the world is essential to the people that live in these countries. They become more literate to the world around them: becoming more educated as a result.
At the end the video, there was a phrase “our children are color blind” and I was moved by this statement.
There is so many prejudices that are apparent in all cultures around the world, but the fact that these children are of different ethnic background really spoke to me as the little boy was not concerned of that aspect of the little girl.
In the world today, the majority of the news that we read, watch, and listen to is negative. It is very rare that the front page of the newspaper is filled with something other than war, murders, or devastations that have occurred. Which is why I really enjoyed these two videos. The first video about the man donating his kidney to the grocery clerk moved me. Dan Coin, the donor did not know or have any ties to this woman other than going down her line at the grocery store. She was not a member of his family, or a friend that he would call to hang out on the weekends. He simply was a customer that went down her line regularly and enjoyed talking to her. While he may have liked her as a person, in no way did he have to give up his kidney for her. Yet he did. Dan Coin did something that not many people would do, and he is an example of extreme kindness and compassion. As a grocery clerk myself, I come across hundreds of different people each day. Some are rude, mean, miserable people. But every now and then I will have a Dan Coin come down my line. Someone who exemplifies kindness and takes the time to ask me how my day is going or helps me load their groceries into a cart. Although they are not offering to give me a kidney, the small acts of kindness go a long way. Although there is a lot of bad in the world it is important to remember that their are also many people like Dan Coin out there.
Along with the first video the second video also had a very important message. Although, the little boy and girl were of different races and from different countries, countries that do not get along, they did not allow those factors to get in the way of their feelings. Even though Chinese and Malaysians may have their differences, love has no borders, or colors. These two young children are helping to defy what society says is “correct” and what is “incorrect”. We shouldn’t be discouraged from befriending someone or falling in love with someone just because the color or the skin or the nationality that they are. In reality, as we learned today in class, the color of our skin is the way in which our ancestors adapted to their environment and were able to survive. It is nothing more than that. Those closest to the equator have more melanin in their skins and are darker. Those who are farther from the equator tend to be lighter skinned. If our ancestors had not made these adaptations we would not be here today. These two children are helping to send the message that \where we are from, what we look like, or what color skin we have, doesn’t mean we can’t befriend or like those who are different from us. Because at the end of the day, when are all just people.
These two stories are very touching. The first gives me hope that the people in this world are moving in the right direction to end racism and prejudice and to "love thy neighbor as theyself." Many people develop close friends over their lifetime but how many of us would be willing to give part of our body to one of them. I would have to think for a very long time. The second made me smile as I remembered the first crushes I developed as a young boy. The way we view others is tremendously impacted by our upbringing. I have been involved in discussions where people said they were brought up "colorblind" and do not see why they should not befriend someone just because of their background. And others say why we must protect our race and stay together. Shown in this video, these young children only see each other as two people and not two people from countries that do not get along. He fell in love with her for her attributes and his smile at the end made me smile to think of how happy he was knowing she like him back. Shown through these two videos, I believe humans are moving in the right direction to a society where people interact with other people. We are not put into categories of race, background, or stereotypes and we befriend each other because we enjoy each others company and not exclude some great people just because our appearance is different. I have several minority friends and could not imagine how much different my life growing up would be without them. The first video definitely had the biggest impact on me. One man with the kindness to see if he was even remotely a match for his favorite cashier and to save her life. Im sure we all have at least one favorite cashier or employee some where that we all know and prefer to see. I know I do, but ask yourselves if you would give a part of you to them. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't. This man has more courage than me and even though I may not follow suit, I have hope that his courage will develop throughout generations and one day every one would be willing to help a neighbor, whether they know them or not, just to let them live a little longer.
The first story is a real heartwarming story about a selfless man who definitely believes in the quality and quantity of human life. I can definitely understand why it is classified as story for uplift. I don't feel as though I'd be able to make the same selfless sacrifice as this kind man. Now I'm not saying I wouldn't do it for one of my family members, but just that I wouldn't do it for a acquaintance. Seeing as though a kidney goes for $150,000 on the "black market," I don't feel as though I'd be willing to make that sacrifice with that much money at stake. The woman did seem extremely happy in the interview because she obviously wouldn't want to be on dialysis for the rest of her life, and that could be worth any amount of money for the man who donated. It is a very nice CNN humanities story to remind the American people that good people exist in this world, and to not give up hope on people.
The other video is very cute and funny. The boy is funny because of his innocence and naivety. The boys face when the girl says that he is her boyfriend is priceless. That girl just made him the happiest child in the world. I think the video is a good way to show older people how dumb they are with their preconceived prejudices. I feel that race relations are a result of upbringing, and not natural instinctual causes. These differences are all from nurturing, not nature.
We are culturally defined to the point where I find it hard to believe we have much control over who we are at all. A professor of mine once said that the society around us, the society we have constructed is merely a projection of our psyches. We need to adopt psyches that will truly be conducive to our and our children’s freedom. We have to adopt a way of thinking that will celebrate human emotions that should be shared and interchangeable no matter the color or language those feeling the emotions speak.
In regards to the video, we see two children much closer to a culturally ‘clean slate’ than we are. I hope, I truly hope that skin color doesn’t end up dictating those two children’s lives, but my gut says that unless our psyches radically change they will fall into a society divided by shade, dialect, and religion.
People told me and still tell me that loving a woman and being a woman is wrong. WE ARE ALL HUMANS. Get it through all of your heads. Life is too short to sit idly by and watch opportunities for the most sought after human emotion pass you by. Sometimes I honestly doubt homophobes, racists, sexists etc on their ability to love. I feel as though love dwarfs all differences and ‘faults’ or at least should. When someone claims to be in love and discounts mine, I lose all respect for the person and their ‘love.’
Maybe it sounds harsh and as though I am speaking from a lack of perspective but I thought I would never stray from my ‘type’ brunettes with light eyes. Now I am madly in love and she is not at all what I predicted for myself, but infinitely more beautiful in our differences. But I am going to say this and mean it, I don’t care if she turns black, blue, orange, heavy, slim, ripped, shorter, taller, wrinkly, dark eyes, red eye, I don’t fucking care if she turns into a vampire. I love her. I find it impossible to believe in the love of two people when they can’t admit to the things I just said, when they can’t say that they wouldn’t care if their lover was fat and yellow. In those instances it isn’t unconditional and from my point of view shouldn’t even be characterized as love.
Unfortunately, my previous paragraph just debunked the lives and lies of bigots everywhere. My sincerest apologies. I honestly would love to hear a counter argument. I would love to hear someone explain why their skin color is superior and why anyone below will simply not do. AND I would love to hear a heterosexual convince me my impulses are going to result in my fiery demise.
I personally am always going to root for love, the real thing. I hope someone agrees because we need a psyche change and we need it soon.
I thought the video entitled “Tan Hong Ming” brought up a very interesting point. As children, people do not hold prejudices against one another. They don’t dislike somebody because of some kind of physical feature such as skin color. They will dislike certain people because they have been wronged by them, or they have seen or heard of them doing wrong. I don’t think we are biologically predetermined to be racist. I think racism is something that people absorb from their elders/superiors in society.
I remember back in the 1960s, an elementary school teacher ran some experiments with her students that prove this point to me. Keep in mind that what she did was highly unethical. She taught in an all white class and was trying to teach her kids that racism was unfair. So she, the elder/superior, told her students that some of the her students were better than others along the lines of physical characteristics.
In her first round, she divided the students based on eye color. She essentially said that kids with green and blue eyes are better than those with brown eyes. She went so far as to tell the students that those with blue and green eyes had all sorts of positive qualities and those with brown eyes had all sorts of negative qualities. To further separate these two groups, she would not let the brown-eyed kids drink from the same water fountains as the blue and green-eyed, and she made the brown-eyed kids wear an arm band to distinguish themselves from everybody else. Rather quickly, the two groups began to divide themselves. Those with green and blue eyes treated looked down on those with brown eyes and even treated them cruelly despite any prior friendships.
After a few days the teacher told her students that she had been wrong, and that in fact it was the brown-eyed kids that were superior to the blue and green-eyed kids. When she said this, the rolls between the two switched almost immediately. Furthermore, nobody from the brown-eyed group, that was now superior, stood up for anybody that was now being picked on as they had been only days before.
What this teacher did was highly unethical, but it proves a point. These kids had no prior existing ideas that one group was superior to the other. Some of the kids with blue eyes were best friends with some that had brown eyes, but when an authority figure told them that one group was better than the other, the kids, who previously had no animosity, quickly turned around and were no longer friends with their prior best friend.
When you extend this idea into society as a whole, you can begin to understand where racism comes from. Some people still holding onto the beliefs that they were taught when they were younger, and they never challenged what they had been taught.
First off, I'd like to say that I enjoyed both of these videos and I think they give a little hope to people who think there is no longer any "good" people in the world. The first video involving the man who donated one of his kidneys to a woman he knew from the grocery store he shopped at. I didn't mention the woman was of a different race because in my opinion, this is a people story and not a race story. The video was very uplifting for me because it goes to show that there are people who view others as equals and treat everyone with the respect that they would like in return. I think it's pretty safe to say that the man who donated the kidney would have done so even if the woman was green and had a tail. He saw an opportunity to help someone that he respected, and he followed through with his actions. The next video is also a great example of people having the ability to go through life being "colorblind." The fact that the two lovebirds are so young reminded me of when I was younger and going through school. I was raised to mind my manners and be respectful of everyone. My parents never discriminated against anyone of a different race, ethnicity or anything else so I naturally didn't either. When I think back to the first time I was in frequent contact with children of different races, I realize that I actually made it somewhat of a point to include them in games and groups that I was a part of. When you are a young child, it's very easy to have this outlook because even though you notice not everybody in the world is the same color as you, everyone is still a person. A person just like you with a nose, two eyes, two ears, etc. This is why I believe it's very important that the children of the world are brought up in homes where race can be an open subject and parents stress the fact that everyone should be treated with respect. If this sounds like I'm saying you should like everyone you come in contact with, I'm not. If you don't like somebody, that's perfectly fine. Just don't dislike somebody based on silly things like the color of their skin or their country of origin. It's also important to avoid stereotypes and generalizations. If you have a bad encounter with a person of a different race, don't show off your ignorance by assuming that everyone of that race is a bad person or an asshole. Their are good people and bad people all over the world and all races have their fair share of both kinds. The important thing to remember is that no matter what, good or bad, everyone is still a person.
This video was both uplifting and thought provoking. It goes to show that our first perceptions are not always correct. The fact that Tan Hong Ming did not think it was possible for his love interest to share his feelings was heart-warming. Although the primary concern regarding their relationship is the fact a Chinese individual should not “fall in love” with a Malaysian individual, it does not affect either of the children. I think we can learn a lot from children. Most often, adults ridicule at the logic of youth and their judgments of the world, when in reality, children have the most pure of intentions. At a young age, individuals have not yet been affected by the cynicism of the world. Their thoughts are unbiased and unprejudiced. Their intentions are genuine and unaffected by preconceived labels. This video illustrates the fact that even though we believe our society to be racist and bigoted, we can still find sincerity in the most unexpected of places. Though we preach the diminishment of judgment, we subtly teach the most unadulterated of minds that biasing is accepted. The environments, the media, the opinions make us susceptible to forming labels and judgments. We strive for equality, but ironically we demonstrate inequality in the process. In this case, Tan Hong Ming is not looking at the world through a predetermined lens. He loves what he loves because of friendship and similarity, rather than acknowledging faults and differences. Because they are young, the video is both able to illustrate their innocence at heart and in some sense their bravery. Colorblindness is a phenomenon of bravery and wisdom. Contradictory to their age, the children demonstrate these traits in the fullest extent. They care about love in friendship rather than what other people will think of their being together. This idea is a conflict that arises in life everyday. Too often we make our decisions based on the thoughts and opinions of others, fully neglecting to go after what we truly want. If we weren’t so concerned with what everyone else wants for us, our world would eliminate so many prejudices that arise just from this concept. No matter how hard we try, the thoughts and ideas of others will continue to affect our judgment of the world. I wouldn’t know how to rid biased verdicts from affecting our perceptions, and frankly, I don’t know if it’s even possible. You would have to convince a very large number of people to completely change their thought process, their insight on life. Are their ways we can catch cynicism before it infects the minds of our youth? How do you make a group of people see that we are all the same when we are so troubled by our differences?
Both of these stories were really uplifting, i enjoyed watching both of them. I was more moved by the first story concerning the man who donated his kidney to the woman he knew from the local grocery store. In many ways i'm an idealist and I feel like some aspects of the older times we need to go back to more. One of these is the level of trust that we used to have towards each other that i think has lessened over the years with the advent of the Internet and mass media and terrible crime stories. I recently bought a used Ford Mustang from private owners not a dealership, i really enjoyed learning about their life, why they were selling their car, and getting to know them better. I was supposed to get the car inspected and throughouly checked by a mechanic but i just kind of "forgot" to do that and bought the car from them. I trusted them and my trust pulled though I've had no problems with the car. I love stories like this, people trusting each other and not disrespecting each other even if one person has a higher occupational position in life.I used to work as a cashier at Weis Markets my local supermarket and people would often yell at me if they didn't like the price or if i bagged things not to their liking. This man always treated Mira with respect the way everyone should be treated. I have been going to my local gym in my hometown for upwards of 5 years now and i have developed a friendship with the older African-American janitor who cleans up during the night shift. At first glance it would not appear as though we would get along well me the young white kid at the gym and him the older African-American employee. My father is also a member at the gym and over the years the three of us have talked on multiple occasions. One time during the AFC Championship football game i don't know what year, (the one where the Colts beat the Patriots in the last minutes of the game) the gym closed midway through the 4th quarter but he let us stay and we along with some of the other employees watched the end of the game together. I always make sure to talk to him whenever I'm at my hometown gym, he's such a nice guy supporting his family and never seems to let people get to him as you can expect some people don't treat him with as much respect as he deserves being a janitor. I don't think he would ever let me know if he was sick, he's too tough but if he did i would love to be able to help. I really admire what Dan did in helping Mira, he made a real difference.
These two stories are very touching. The first gives me hope that the people in this world are moving in the right direction to end racism and prejudice and to "love thy neighbor as theyself." Many people develop close friends over their lifetime but how many of us would be willing to give part of our body to one of them. I would have to think for a very long time. The second made me smile as I remembered the first crushes I developed as a young boy. The way we view others is tremendously impacted by our upbringing. I have been involved in discussions where people said they were brought up "colorblind" and do not see why they should not befriend someone just because of their background. And others say why we must protect our race and stay together. Shown in this video, these young children only see each other as two people and not two people from countries that do not get along. He fell in love with her for her attributes and his smile at the end made me smile to think of how happy he was knowing she like him back. Shown through these two videos, I believe humans are moving in the right direction to a society where people interact with other people. We are not put into categories of race, background, or stereotypes and we befriend each other because we enjoy each others company and not exclude some great people just because our appearance is different. I have several minority friends and could not imagine how much different my life growing up would be without them. The first video definitely had the biggest impact on me. One man with the kindness to see if he was even remotely a match for his favorite cashier and to save her life. Im sure we all have at least one favorite cashier or employee some where that we all know and prefer to see. I know I do, but ask yourselves if you would give a part of you to them. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't. This man has more courage than me and even though I may not follow suit, I have hope that his courage will develop throughout generations and one day every one would be willing to help a neighbor, whether they know them or not, just to let them live a little longer. Love thy neighbor as theyself is an important message and this is an example of how it was carried out in a huge way. the majority of people today are selfish but every now and then you hear about one special person who changes another's life forever. That man is a hero.
The first story is a real heartwarming story about a selfless man who definitely believes in the quality and quantity of human life. I can definitely understand why it is classified as story for uplift. I don't feel as though I'd be able to make the same selfless sacrifice as this kind man. Now I'm not saying I wouldn't do it for one of my family members, but just that I wouldn't do it for a acquaintance. Seeing as though a kidney goes for $150,000 on the "black market," I don't feel as though I'd be willing to make that sacrifice with that much money at stake. The woman did seem extremely happy in the interview because she obviously wouldn't want to be on dialysis for the rest of her life, and that could be worth any amount of money for the man who donated.
The other video is very cute and funny. The boy is funny because of his innocence and naivety. The boys face when the girl says that he is her boyfriend is priceless. That girl just made him the happiest child in the world. I have to say that the boy is probably one of the happiest humans when the girl confirms that she likes him. The way that the two children interact suggests to me that they don’t have any problems with each other’s race and that they are probably good friends. The problem is that when they grow up, they most likely will separate and most likely won’t be friends because they would be looked at as an outcast if they consistently hung out with someone of a different ethnicity. I think the video is a good way to show older people how dumb they are with their preconceived prejudices. I feel that race relations are a result of upbringing, and not natural instinctual causes. These differences are all from nurturing, not nature. It’s good to see that CNN is actually covering stories that deal with the humanities side of news. So often are they worried about ratings, viewers, etc. that they post things that shouldn’t be considered news, and everyone knows they do such things. I guess they were too tired with reporting on the Middle East, the oil spill, wikileaks, some corporate scam, etc. that they decided to choose a news story that makes people feel better about the world, instead of living in constant disdain. These stories give me hope for the world we live and are definitely uplifting in the way that they make people see a different side of the world that they aren’t used to being exposed to. I think CNN should do more stories such as this and people should be more open and accepting of this as actual news.