Atlanta, why does race matter? (crimes, neighborhood, universities)

[grindin]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

So, you're saying that two wrongs make a right?

Absolutely not. Cronyism is bad either way you look at it. Really, dealing with those incompentant fools that run the city, I think they're no better than the people that ran it before.

I'm just saying that people don't think its a problem as long as it works in their favor. Maybe I came off a bit harsh, but oh well...I hate all people pretty much equally.

[grindin]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

*brush brush*

There, I think I got it off your shoulder.

Whatever, no need to patronize or condescend to me because I'm not telling you what you want to hear.

[grindin]

Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay

Race matters in the US because of tradition and government mandates. Coming from Canada, I really notice this. The Canadian approach is to be as colour-blind (giving it the Canadian spelling) as possible. Government regulations never pay attention to race - since that would be racist - except to specify that discrimination on the basis of race is illegal.

Here in the US, federal legislation, like No Child Left Behind, requires the schools to count and measure people on the basis of race. For example, when my child was entering middle school, I went to a parent orientation meeting. The school principal's remarks included some discussion of the impact NCLB on the school. He stated that our school had just enough African-American enrollment for AA to count as a measured minority according to NCLB criteria, so therefore, since the AA population of the school was so small, the performance of every AA child was critical to passing NCLB. So, he said, "if you have an AA son or daughter, we'll be paying particular attention to them". From a Canadian perspective, this seemed absolutely shocking to me. I glanced around at the handful of AA parents in the auditorium, wondering how on earth this was making them feel, to be singled out in this way. But apparently, this is the American way. Up in Canada, school principals would be falling over themselves to appear not to even notice that some of their students are black, Asian, etc.

Well, the politically incorrect answer to this is that quite a few blacks in the states tend to be poorer than everyone else, so you have all the poverty-related ills to go along with that, including a lack of educational attainment, which is partially the result of people who may not know any better because they didn't have proper role models, and/or people just trying to survive on a daily basis, so education isn't a high priority.

Are there blacks that are acheiving and doing well? Sure there are, but there are a lot that aren't doing so well. As a black man, it's frustrating to see, and there are some hard decisions that we as a people need to make, including taking more responsibility and accountability for our actions if we're trying to improve our lot in life.

And before we start throwing stones in glass houses, isn't Toronto having issues with Jamaican immigrants in the school system?

And this is coming from a moderate democrat, surprise surprise...

[plessthanpointohfive]

Originally Posted by grindin

Whatever, no need to patronize or condescend to me because I'm not telling you what you want to hear.

I am making fun of you, that's all. I don't actually disagree with you. Just making fun of your chip on your shoulder. Lighten up! I make fun of everyone's feelings about everything....

[grindin]

Originally Posted by plessthanpointohfive

I am making fun of you, that's all. I don't actually disagree with you. Just making fun of your chip on your shoulder. Lighten up! I make fun of everyone's feelings about everything....

LOL, You're worse than me. When my folks start yelling and screaming for no reason, I'll say something like, "Just remember this when you're 80 and sitting in a nursing home". Yep, I know, Chip, shoulder, 'angry', 'uppity'. Thanks Fox news!

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by grindin

Well, the politically incorrect answer to this is that quite a few blacks in the states tend to be poorer than everyone else, so you have all the poverty-related ills to go along with that, including a lack of educational attainment, which is partially the result of people who may not know any better because they didn't have proper role models, and/or people just trying to survive on a daily basis, so education isn't a high priority.

Are there blacks that are acheiving and doing well? Sure there are, but there are a lot that aren't doing so well. As a black man, it's frustrating to see, and there are some hard decisions that we as a people need to make, including taking more responsibility and accountability for our actions if we're trying to improve our lot in life.

And before we start throwing stones in glass houses, isn't Toronto having issues with Jamaican immigrants in the school system?

And this is coming from a moderate democrat, surprise surprise...

Oh gosh, about the glass houses, I didn't mean to imply that Canada was necessarily more virtuous or free of problems with educating disadvantaged groups. Coming from BC, I'm more familiar with the situation of First Nations people. In Canada, though, this tends to be framed as a problem of serving different cultural groups rather than races. I do think it's a bit undesirable that NCLB's worthy desire to focus on underprivileged groups causes a school in NE Cobb to put a magnifying glass over its black students who, given where they live, are pretty likely to arrive at school with about the same economic and cultural advantages as their white classmates. To me, it seems like the only thing this achieves is to perpetuate racial consciousness.

[plessthanpointohfive]

Hey, I have to watch Keith Olbermann and Colbert just to ease my brain from Fixed News....so I know how it feels. There are moments when, between Fox Noise and other MSM, I am in a constant state of fury. And then my husband makes fun of me. That's who I learned it from...

[everyone luvs da longball]

Cant we yall jus have da blacks and whites git along? Lets jus all liv together and not apart. HUH? cant we yall jus do dat??? answer me pleze!!!we do it well hear in macon but y cant dey do it in atlana?
god bless dr. king.

[gt6974a]

Ask Obama

[Pcola110]

Originally Posted by everyone luvs da longball

Cant we yall jus have da blacks and whites git along? Lets jus all liv together and not apart. HUH? cant we yall jus do dat??? answer me pleze!!!we do it well hear in macon but y cant dey do it in atlana?
god bless dr. king.

Hells to the nawh! I hate all people equally until they start thinking their superior than some other ethnicity, then we got bigger/more problems! {moderator cut}: Language