[PortCity]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

So did Gov. Schwarztenegger hang that noose in the university?

No he didn’t but dose that fact make the noose hanging in a south Cal university any better than Gov Wallace’s attempt? My point was that there was similar past racial behavior in other states but Alabama’s past seem to linger like a haze.

When the state of Texas is mentioned the thought of the tragic vehicular dragging of a young black male never come to mind.

Maybe you don`t know where I`m coming from(cognitive haze).

[sthnbell]

You know, growing up I was taught that most the time when people make fun of others and put them down, it is because it makes them feel better about themselves. And I dont really know what is worse, judging someone based on the color of their skin...or judging someone based on where they are from. Both are wrong.


Every state, just like every person, has things in their past that they are not proud of. And it honestly is heartbreaking to read what some of yall really think about Alabamians. You think our hospitality is fake? Whatever. It is called being respectful...manners...something that people down here are still taught.

[chj]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

No, I am not trying to justify racism of any kind for any reason. But don't you see the difference between racism that is literally the law of the land, and racism that manifests sporadically from individual citizens?

You are still trying to seperate the two. Racism is Racism it does not matter if the government was involved or not. It is like someone trying to justify stealing by saying I only stole a dollar and they stole a million dollars. Your are as much of a thief if you stole a dollar as the person who stole a million dollars. Racism in other parts of the country is no different than it is in the south you are just wanting to say that it is different because it was not "the law of the land". What the southern states did with slavery was wrong and the laws that were in place in the south was wrong, but, that does not make racism in other parts of the country any different racism is racism.

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by chj

You are still trying to seperate the two. Racism is Racism it does not matter if the government was involved or not. It is like someone trying to justify stealing by saying I only stole a dollar and they stole a million dollars. Your are as much of a thief if you stole a dollar as the person who stole a million dollars. Racism in other parts of the country is no different than it is in the south you are just wanting to say that it is different because it was not "the law of the land". What the southern states did with slavery was wrong and the laws that were in place in the south was wrong, but, that does not make racism in other parts of the country any different racism is racism.

Here's the dif: the citizens of the non-Southern states WOULD NOT ALLOW laws to be passed restricting the freedoms of their fellow citizens simply because of the color of their skin. Did you know that even after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, some of the Southern states maintained their Jim Crow laws?

[Ben Around]

Originally Posted by PortCity

No he didn’t but dose that fact make the noose hanging in a south Cal university any better than Gov Wallace’s attempt? My point was that there was similar past racial behavior in other states but Alabama’s past seem to linger like a haze.

When the state of Texas is mentioned the thought of the tragic vehicular dragging of a young black male never come to mind.

Maybe you don`t know where I`m coming from(cognitive haze).

I don't think you are understanding the difference between legally sanctioned racism and the unlawful racism practiced by random dirtbags. The "vehicular dragging" of the black man (he was middle-aged, not young) was done by a few some random racists. The people of TX were as outraged as were the rest of the country. No one stood up to defend the young white men who did this, and they were charged to the fullest extent of the law. The Jim Crow/pre-Civil Rights era South was a whole different thing! Look up the case of Emmett Till. It happened not in AL, but next door in MS. Notice what the reaction of the community (including the law enforcement and judicial officials) was, compared to the dragging death of the black man in TX.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Originally Posted by ghett61

The people that write letters to the editor are the same ones the news interviews after a tornado destroys a city. They tend to be the most white trash people possible.

Didn't know that white trash people write letters to the editor.

[Yeledaf]

The rest of the country still thinks that it's okay to trash Aabama and the rest of the South. Until that kind of prejudice is put to rest, the hatred will continue.

Plainly put -- the South-bashers are ignorant cowards.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I for one didn't know that your fine state had a negative stygma attatched to it after all these years. About the only thing that I know of Alabama is from the music of the band with the same name. Now that is some good stuff.

Out in my part of the nation the value of a person is not defined by the color of skin, if you are married or in some other way attatched to someone of a differant color skin, the church that you go to or don't go to, the family that you came from, if you have pearcings, tattoos, or lack of body decorations. Value comes from how a person is assimilated into the fabric of the community in which they reside, if they are following the laws of the land, if they have the same desire to succeed in life as those around them. Out here everyone can achieve great things and that ability to succeed is not based on skin color, national origin, sexual orientation, the church that you join, or the clubs you join.

I say that because it is not something that I can comprehend to think that the entire nation has not addopted that same attitude toward others. interracial dating and marriage seems to be mainstream now. You can see it on the TV and in movies and I am assuming that those same shows and movies are shown in Alabama.

Personally I see the race card as something that is dying out in the Nation. Everywhere I have gone in my 45 years I have met some great people. This nation has millions of great people that don't seem to be uysing race as a crutch. Sure their are others that have a less than favorable idea of the idea, but then I see that as a minority.

My point is that the majority of people, even in Alabama are not going to have a problem with other American Citizens that are living in the main stream of America, whether they be Black, White, Brown, or Yellow. I say that without having visited the state and thinking that this is 2010 a long way from the problems that the state faced in the 60's.

[chj]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

Here's the dif: the citizens of the non-Southern states WOULD NOT ALLOW laws to be passed restricting the freedoms of their fellow citizens simply because of the color of their skin. Did you know that even after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, some of the Southern states maintained their Jim Crow laws?

Those laws are not legal now and the point of this thread was to question why people still hold a negative view of Alabama even though Alabama has come along way since those times. I understand your point that it was legalized racism I am just saying that legalized racism or non legalized racism is still racism.

[PortCity]

^^^Exactly !! @ Ben no you don’t understand !!! Legalized or not racism is still racism it happened and someone was hurt or offended. The eye gouging murder of Emmit(illegal) is no better than the fatal dragging of the Texas man (legal). Alabama’s racial history is somewhat identical to other states outside of the south east.
Noose hanging in a socal university is no better than the stunt Gov Wallace pulled. It doesn’t matter how you dress it up it’s wrong !