Unfair Police Brutality

Living in Atlanta this summer made me hate police officers. I am a middle class white citizen so I have had my typical frustrations about speeding tickets but rather than that I always had a respect for them until I moved down in the midst of interracial cultures.

The shelter I was staying at told me a story last year about how they stepped on a homeless, handicap man who was in the shelter's yard. This was supposed to be a safe haven for him where he could take refuge from the police but on this day it was disrupted and the police entered where they were not allowed. When a man stepped in and asked the police why they were stepping on this man they threw his face into the brick wall multiple times and arrested him. I thought this story was too crazy and that it had to have been exaggerated but than I saw it for myself.

As I was driving out of town I watched homeless people being picked up and thrown around by cops on every street I passed. The police are discriminating against the Latino and Black race, and in particular those living in extreme poverty.

This country is suppose to be "God blessed" and full of the "American Dream" but it is really a living nightmare for most. There is no equal opportunity or protection, just dreams dashed.

Unit 3 - Childlike Innocence

Cultural Universals are said to exist, but it is hard to determine if they really do. I think that they definitely do with children though and that children in all cultures need to be the focus of studies.

The Bible states that we should have faith like children and I have always been glad that Jesus said that on His Sermon on the Mount. Children act without reserves until a certain age where culture sits in and behaviors are implied and we forget the innocence that was once there.

A child of a different culture will still understand when I kick a ball that I want to play, when I start clapping my hands that I want to play patty cake and other hand games, and when I blow bubbles its fun to chase them. Kids do not need to be taught that and they will not look at you and wonder what you are doing. They are genuine and we need to find that quality again in adults.

Adults worry too much about what other people think and how their actions are going to be perceived. As a girl I am not even allowed to make eye contact with a man in the Middle East because of my gender, but to me I just want to be friendly. Kids, well they can get away with it because they do not have negative feeligns like they assume I do.

Unit 2 - The Olympics

As the Olympics come to an end, two young women's figure skaters will be able to return to their country with their heads held high. Before their show the media told their personal stories.

Both girls felt tremendous pressure from their country. The country had many companies who advertised their products using the face of those two girls. As a result, they felt like they would be disappointing all of their sponsors if they did not return with gold medals.

This story reminded me a lot of the same pressures Helen Zia felt. Her Asian culture made her feel like a minority in American society and that she needed to represent all Asians. Her professor committed racist acts on her but her desire to represent for her culture way too high and she struggled with what to do.

Americans never feel the need to represent other Americans and take all pressure on themselves so this is a very unfamiliar concept. While it should enrich our lives and make us think about adopting their perspective our close mindedness will not allow that. If nothing else we do need to try and understand how other culture's feel when they are in our communities and help them feel more included so pressure can disappear. They deserve to live in the land of the free the same way we do!

Unit 1 - BASIC Test

This unit I have learned a lot about the fundamentals and basics of intercultural communication but what has been really interesting to me is that there is an actual test on this. The Behavioral Assessment Scale for Intercultural Competence (BASIC) was developed to test people on their knowledge of communicating with people other than those in their own cultures and while it is very detailed, can this really evaluate such a thing?

BASIC seems like a very detailed test that has been redone and reevaluated at least a couple times; yet, I am still skeptical. Respect is one of my major concerns. I can give the right answers and pretend to be respectful to lots of people if I study enough, it does not mean that I actually verbalize this and incorporate it into my life. I could see many racist people using this in their favor to really tear people down later but they can say that they are certified and tested to be well versed interculturally.

My ex-boyfriend knew that I had a heart for human services and supported me non stop; however, he flew a confederate flag. This was obviously an issue for me because I knew that it would not be welcoming towards some of my clients or friends that I was trying to establish. He told me I need a history lesson that he was not really racist. Yet, when I introduced him to my African American friend Josey it did not go well. They both smiled, shook hands, and I was content until Josey said to me "He doesn't like colored people like me, does he?" I defended him because he gave the right answers and seem well versed and made me question my own thoughts; however, in the end his actions got the best of him and I knew it would never work.

Maybe I am wrong about the test as well, but because of recent life experience I am just very skeptical and would never want to take the test. I would hope that my life would show it more than a piece of paper saying I passed.

Intro to Class

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