Loreley

Takavor: I certainly agree that Armenias as many other ethnic groups have been and are currently victims of racism. I would call it "Pro-Capitalism", "Pro-Elite," because the U.S. protects Turkey to have financial and political power.

Qristine: I personally could care less if people are staring at my boyfriend/partner/husband. As long as I accept him for who is and how he dresses, I don't need other people's approval.

Stormy:hi. The thing that I don't like about those love songs is that they always saying things like " My life is over with you, I can't live without you, You were everything in my life." A lot people buy into those songs and feel that their lives are over because of a girlfriend/boyfriend. It is really painful to loose a loved one and it takes a long time to heal, but your life is not over. Especially, if it is a bad relationship, those songs don't help at all.

Mosjan: Hi. If I already had a date with him, I would go out with him and get to know him. It would be disrespectful to make up an excuse and not go. We always learn something from everybody. I don't have friends that dress up that way, so it would be interesting to get to know that person.

I don't know much about this topic, so please correct me if I am wrong. I think that a lot of time when experts have a new invention or are predicting something in the future or talking about something that we can't see yet, people might not want to listen to them because humans tend to be scare of changes. Changes are good, but at the beginning they bring uncertainty and anxiety. I have a little bias when they say "it is scientific fact or research." I think back in history and it was scientific research that African Americans were not as humans as Whites or that women had smaller brain than men. I think that scientists or researchers are not neutral and they tend to put their perspectives and biases in their research. But I am sure you were talking more about technological stuff. I think it is marvelous that we have all these technological advances, but it is still heartbreaking that people die of hunger and we don't do nothing about it.

I will ask whoever I see first, doesn't really make a difference what they are wearing.

Harut: I think that making judgements is bad because it means that you are making an assumption about a person without really knowing that person or without knowing their situation. Would you like people to judge you because of your race, gender, appearance,etc.? It is very easy to judge other people because you are not in their shoes. When we judge a person, we don't really have emphaty for their situation. I spend time on improving myself instead of judging/critizing other people.

I also think that when people lie about their personality, it could be because they don't accept themselves for who they are and they feel that if they really tell you how they are, you will not like them. At the end, they are lying to themselves. But if you are honest from the beginning, the person might accept you for who you are. I do believe people change over time (we all do), but we can't change so dramatically overnight. Those changes are rooted somewhere. I agree with Sip that marrying/moving together too soon does Not work. It takes a long but a long time to get to know a person. Thanks for all the answers.

Tooth: I agree with your ideas!!!!!!

MosJan: For your question, in the scenario, is it a blind date (you were supposed to pick up the lady) or you just driving by and asking for a date?

Qristine: hi. I do understand Armenian, but I was actually writing my opinion on one of your posts in English. Judgement is "the forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or conclusion, from circumstances presented to the mind." You had once wrote, "Other things besides cars and darkness encourage unchastity and immorality. One of them is immodesty... One factor contributing to immodesty and the breakdown of moral values is the modern dress worn by our young women and their mothers. I see young women, and some older ones, on the streets wearing shorts. This is not right." It seems like you are stating that women who dress up with "inmodesty" (as you call it) are bringing immorality to the world. From my perspective, that is passing a judgement because you are saying that a person who wears a very short skirt doesn't have moral values. That is NOT necessarily the case. I am very sorry (sincerely) if you have ever felt that any of us are trying to put you down, because nobody is trying to do that. Everybody is voicing their opinions and respecting yours.

Thanks for sharing those articles. There is so much work to do in this world to eradicate all the injustice, violence that exists in the world. The dominant groups keep the oppress groups divided, and consequently, it is easier for them to keep oppressing these groups. A lot of people care and a lot of people don't care (don't even want to know what is happening to other people), so sometimes I wonder, will domination and oppression always exists?

I always think about this, but still can't come up with a satisfying answer. Why do people lie about their personality? Why is that men/women tell you and make you believe that they are in a way that they are not? Why can't they be sincere from day one because sooner or latter you will find out how they really are? I think that people lie about their personality so you will like him/her and once you get bonded, you start to see how they really are. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes months to see and it is more dissappointing. I know this will sound really bias (I apology for this) but I think men do it more than women. Would anybody like to share any ideas about this? Thank you.

What about line like.....Hi. My name is.......and although I don't really know what to say, I would like to talk to you if you don't mind. I don't know if that works.

Qristine: I certainly respect your ideas, but I disagree with them. If you don't like to dress "inmodestly" (as you call it), that is fine and is respected. On the other hand, it is not fair to put your ideas/judgements on people who like to dress different than you do. To be honest with you, I don't like to dress sexy too because I don'feel comfortable that way and because I think that a lot of women do it just because society "tells" them that a woman should always care about her image. I believe that people can like me for other reasons than my physical appearance. However, I support women who dress up as they want to (conservative, liberal, sexy, naked, hippy, etc.) because I am no one to pass a judgement. If they are happy, I am happy for them. Let people be who they want to be as long as they don't hurt anybody else.

I wonder why is it always about women dressing sexy and men controlling his impulses (or whatever you called it) and not the other way around? Yes, it is truth that in general (not always) women dress sexier than men. Why? A lot people think it is because women are out there trying to "get" a man, women like attention, etc. For some women, I am sure that is true. I think the underlying reason is because from childhood, women are taught that their value is in their body, style, that they need to always look beautiful, that looks are the base of their self-esteem. That is why there are girls that at the age of 10 are thinking about their weights. Male privilege greatly benefits from having women worrying more about their looks than their careers/persona (just want to clarify that a lot women who look beautiful/sexy are also very smart and professional).

Tigrannes: Do you even know what it means to be raped/harassed/molested? Do you have an idea of how it affects a person's life/emotional state/family? Nobody asks to be raped. It is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. So, if you are walking at night, and somebody steals your wallet, is it your fault? You are taking the blame away from the perpetrator. I will really appreciate if you STOP using the word "whore" (my apology to everybody for having to write it). I have noticed that everytime that the topic is about women, you put that word in your statements. You should not use it to refer to anybody, it is offensive. Thank you.

Tigrannes: Do you even know what it means to be raped/harassed/molested? Do you have an idea of how it affects a person's life/emotional state/family? Nobody asks to be raped. It is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. So, if you are walking at night, and somebody steals your wallet, is it your fault? You are taking the blame away from the perpetrator. I will really appreciate if you STOP using the word "whore" (my apology to everybody for having to write it). I have noticed that everytime that the topic is about women, you put that word in your statements. You should not use it to refer to anybody, it is offensive. Thank you.

It is a "natural" tendency that the first impression you get from a person is by the way they look. But then, it is a combination of feeling physically attractive to the person, liking their personality, being able to have good conversations, getting bonded with that person, admiring her/him for the person they are. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

No matter what a woman wears (tight pants,short parts,etc.), she should still be respected. That kind of thinking "look at what she wears, she doesn't deserve respect,etc." ties up to the idea "she got raped, but it is her fault because she was out late by herself, she was wearing short skirts, open blouse." Each person can wear whatever they want, that doesn't give you the right to disrespect her/him or harass him/her.

We have the right to question anything in society. That has been the only way in which change has been brought to society. It is NOT my job to raise children if I don't want to. I want to get married and have children because that something that I would like to do in my life, but it is NOT my duty because I am woman. Raising children is both the mother and the father's responsibility. About what you said that there must be something wrong with me or shame on me if I am not religious (which I am, but if a person is not religious, no one has the right to judge him/her), I am not going to answer that because I know who I am and don't need to prove it no one. Please, be more respectful of women and you do not need to use degrading terms to express your perspective. Thanks.

Tigrannes: You wrote,"Women's empowerment in America is one of the biggest reasons that people in America are crap." Women's empowerment is as important as Armenian's empowerement, as African Americans' empowerement, etc. Any kind of oppression is wrong. You are making a huge generalization about Americans. Based on what? Whad does women's empowerement have to do with Americans? Your statement is sexist and racist.

Tigrannes: One's place and role in the family/society should NOT be defined by ones' gender/sex. Throughout history, women's traditional role has been a subordinated and oppresive role. According to traditional gender roles, women are supposed to be housewifes, take care of the children, serve and obey their husbands. In the professional arena, women are supposed to be teachers, social workers, nurses (low paying jobs compared to the jobs that are mainly done by men). According to traditional roles, women are not supposed to have powerful position in government/law enforcement and for that reason, the system tends to let women down. You stated that, "The role of the traditional Armenian woman is the most respectable role in all the world." Let me ask you Why is that? Because as Armenian women, we are taught to be quiet, take a passive role in our homes. I don't think that makes feel respected. Why is that an Armenian women's role is more respectful that other women's role from other ethnic groups?

Tooth: I agree with you!!!!!!!

Tigrannes: Sexism is "discrimination or prejudice based on a person's sex and/or attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles." I am sure you know what racism is becuase Armenians have experienced it for centuries. Sexism, misogyny, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, are all big deals. They are some of the causes of the existence of so much hatred, crime, injustice, inequality nationally and globally. Attitutes and actions of those kind are a big deal.