Religious Garments in School

Although some individuals view students wearing religious garments in school as an offensive act, I am indifferent and believe that students who have different religious affiliations should be able to freely express themselves through their religious clothing. One student during a class discussion a couple of months ago argued that students who have religious affiliations should not be able to wear their religious garments in public post-secondary institutions because it taints their relationship with other students and sequesters them from other individuals. Although seemingly true in parts, I believe that if a student is asked to remove their religious garment, it will cause social tension amongst everyone and ultimately create a feeling of discomfort for the student. I view asking someone to remove any important piece of clothing to be disrespectful and selfish.

Personally, I believe that if you ask a student to remove a garment or piece of clothing representative of their religious beliefs, it will taint interactions between students as well. Restricting individuals' freedom of expression by saying they cannot wear religious garments because they affect your social interaction with them will "taint" the student and perhaps cause culture shock. To restrict one’s sovereignty for a few individuals is egocentric. Regardless of whether an individual wears anything representative of their religious beliefs, it is sometimes obvious that they have a different religion from your own, so to say that a student should not be able to wear religious garments in school is not practical nor logical.

As American students, atheist or religious, are allowed to wear blue jeans, skirts, dresses, and tennis shoes, students who have religious affiliations should be able to wear their religious garments as well. One has to think about how someone from another country would fill to see clothing that may not be prevalent or widely dispersed in their country. To ask someone to remove their religious clothing to satisfy someone who does not show a public religious affiliation is unfair and extremely selfish. As a Christian who wears crosses occasionally, I would tell someone who asks me to remove my religious garment or any item that shows my religious affiliation to stop being one-dimensional, or to relocate to a country outside of the United States. This is because in the United States, I am free to express myself and wear whatever I want as long as it does not violate the rules or laws set in the United States Constitution.

Is that Really Racism?

Although blackface may be perceived as an inconsiderate, racist act to some individuals, it is a form of free expression and excitement to others. Racism is defined as viewing one’s race as innately superior to another. Continuing the previous discussions in class about “Ghetto Fabulous” parties, I believe that whether something is racist or not depends on the point of view being considered or explored. Some individuals perceive racism as an act of prejudice while other individuals perceive racism as an act of viewing one’s race as the dominant, superior race in society. Either way, the controversial question arises as to whether blackface parties in predominately white universities are racist and personally, I think it depends on the perspective being explored.

From the perspective of an African-American individual, whether blackface parties are considered racist would depend on the races invited to the party and the number of black individuals who actually attend. What is said and done at these parties are taken into consideration as well. If the party consists of predominately white individuals, blacks may view blackface parties as racist acts in which whites demonstrate their superiority by degrading the black race with black facial paint and travestying the negative stereotypical behavior often projected by the media.

From the perspective of a white individual, blackface parties may be perceived as racist acts or simply ways of having fun. Looking at things from a white individuals’ perspective, blackface parties may be compared to costume parties or playing dress-up in school. Whites may even perceive blackface parties as a form of expressing their freedom of speech or in some cases, simply having a good time. Determining whether something is racist can be extremely arduous. Ultimately, to answer the question, “Is that really racism?” one may not really know. In some cases, racism is obvious, and in other cases, such as white individuals attending predominately white universities and throwing blackface parties, racism may be sub rosa. Whether something is racist depends on the person’s intent when saying or doing something. To answer the question as to whether throwing blackface parties are racist acts, I can infer that although not always clear, racism is present at these parties, but not amongst every individual.

Mexican and Central American Immigration

Mexican and Central American immigration is rapidly increasing each year. It is persistently forcing many hard-working Americans out of jobs and creating social tensions throughout the United States with its American people. To slow the increase in Mexican and Central American immigration, we begin by reforming the immigration system: changing it to a system that is both rational and effective in suppressing illegal immigration while remaining in accordance with the United States’ census and the limit of immigrants welcomed each year. We should begin suppressing Mexican and Central American immigration by first identifying the millions of illegal immigrants that are already here. We should revert to a method from the Mexican immigration system of giving the illegal immigrants a chance to come forward and fix their statuses without facing a penalty. Otherwise, the president needs to reassign the duties of the federal government or remind them of their role in immigration.

We should also come down on employers who have illegal immigrants working for them and create an immigration system with a strengthened citizenship verification process that requires all employers to verify their employees’ citizenship before hiring them. For immigrants who are illegal, they may feel it is too cumbersome to live the American dream illegally and therefore, desire deportation back to their country. Thus, having to follow the naturalization process the way it is intended.. Being that immigration raids and deportation of Mexican and Central Americans are ineffective and impractical, the federal government should create immigration reform that will secure our borders, and punish employees who exploit immigration labor.

By employees taking advantage of illegal immigrants in Mexico and Central America, they are supporting illegal immigration and permitting them to break the law as well. There should be border control to avert the spread of immigration effective surveillance. Strengthening our borders brings up the question from the 2008 Democratic primary debate, why build a wall when 9/11 terrorists entered the U.S. through the Mexican border? Although a good point, why not build a wall and prevent Mexican immigration simultaneously? The borders should be strengthened because if we don’t make it better than it is now and avert the present effects of having Mexican and Central American immigrants, social tension in America may become a more serious issue. Americans may feel sequestered in their own country. Too many immigrants is enough to knock American citizens out of minimum wage jobs and to have schools overpopulated and social tensions amongst the Central and Mexican American immigrants exacerbated. Although these immigrants bring new ideas, they also bring population, crime, and have other detrimental effects to the United States.

For illegal immigrants already in the United States, there should be harsher penalties set up for those who break the law and do not go through the process of legalization. The federal government needs to do their job and enforce the law when dealing with Mexican and Central American immigrants. We also need to work with Mexican and Central American countries to promote economic development in these areas and decrease illegal immigration.