Fort Hood Tragedy Raising Questions About Muslim Religion?

One issue that has been a major topic recently and that is somewhat relevant to class is the tragedy at Fort Hood. This is something that has been covered extensively in the media and one thing that I noticed was that many news reports seem to be putting a lot of focus on the shooter’s religious beliefs and the fact that he was Muslim. I read one article that said Nidal Malik Hasan, who is responsible for the shootings had gotten into arguments with his colleagues over religion and may have been ridiculed by some of his peers because of his religious beliefs, which may have contributed to his actions. However, does it seem fair that the media is bringing so much attention to the shooter’s religion as his potential motive for doing what he did? There are many people who follow Muslim beliefs and are not vicious, violent people. Based on everything else that has been said about Hasan, he was obviously mentally unstable and was influenced by more than just Muslim religious beliefs. It is sad that attention is being taken away from those who were victims of this horrible tragedy, and put on the idea that religion was a main motive. It is equally as unfair for those who are good people and just happen to practice the same religion. What does everyone else think?

And the Happiest People on Earth Are...

Okay, so I was just thinking about an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show that I saw last month that set out to find the happiest people in the world and while this does not necessarily relate to race in the media, it was an interesting report about different cultures and what makes people truly content in life. Some of the cities around the world that were chosen as having some of the happiest citizens on Earth included Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Istanbul and Dubai. However, one that really stood out was Copenhagen, Denmark where people are said to be happier than most others around the world. Oprah went to Copenhagen to find out what makes people in Denmark so happy and discovered that things like unemployment and homelessness are almost nonexistent, healthcare is free, and people actually get paid to go to college… how amazing is that? In addition, people in Denmark are very aware of their effect on the environment and take active steps to make a difference, with many people using bicycles as their main mode of transportation. Most people also avoid all the clutter and live in very simple, serene homes. Geez, how could people living there not be happy? Anyway, I just thought this was interesting because it goes to show how much of an influence different cultures and ways of living around the world can have on those who experience them regularly.

Sammy Sosa is White? What?

I don’t know if you all have seen the images, but there have been pictures on television, online, pretty much everywhere, showing well known baseball player Sammy Sosa with two very different appearances. In the first, Sosa looks just as he did in his MLB glory days. In the second however, his skin looks shockingly white. Supposedly, the change in skin color is the result of a reaction to some kind of rejuvenation process, but there have been no shortage of theories and stereotypical, race related jokes about it in the media... among them, Michael Jackson comparisons and tacky comments about professional athletes and the relation of race to their sports skills. On a different note, someone speaking as a representative for Sosa attempted to explain the new color of his skin by suggesting the lighting at the time the photographs were taken contributed to the confusion. Hmmmm… could lighting really make that much of a difference? I guess anything is possible, but that doesn’t really seem like a logical explanation, does it?

Has anyone else seen this? Any thoughts?

Las Madres...

Of all the screenings shown for class thus far this semester, I think one that really left an impression on me was the documentary Las Madres. If I’m being honest, I actually found this one to be a bit difficult to watch at times because the events being recalled were so shocking, but the film was very eye-opening, to say the least. I had absolutely no idea that such atrocities were taking place in Argentina just a few decades ago. The fact that these people were putting themselves in harms way each time they took a walk down the street was absolutely mind boggling. How can anyone justify kidnapping an innocent person and holding them captive simply because they express views that may be different from the government, or because a few select people feel that they are a threat?

The most powerful moment in the film was undoubtedly the ex naval officers admissions regarding what happened to those who were kidnapped and how, once they were no longer wanted, they would be drugged and thrown from an airplane, or have their bodies cut to fit into an oven and burned, which ultimately drove the unlucky man assigned to this job to reach the point of insanity. The stories told by the mothers in this film were absolutely heart wrenching as well. Nobody should ever have to go through what these people went through, spending each day wondering what happened to their loved ones and whether or not they would ever see them again. At the same time however, the strength that these women displayed was quite impressive. They knew that by fighting back against authority figures and doing what they could to find answers and hold those responsible accountable for their actions, that they were essentially putting themselves in danger, but they took a stand anyway, which took a great deal of courage and was very inspiring to see.

What did everyone else think of the film?