Atlanta, Grow Up!! (Carl: universities, live, beach)

[coolyfett]

Originally Posted by ArthursChoice

Dammit you know she's telling the damn truth! And we black people need to stop acting like WE OURSELVES DON'T SAY THE SAME DAMN THING...CAUSE WE DO! I have rode the same train and heard the same ignorant loud ghetto speech that embarrassed the hell out of me coming from our people. Instead of attacking someone who notices this stuff and being upset with them because they notice it and point it out, maybe WE NEED TO REALLY TAKE A DEEP LOOK WITHIN OURSELVES...CAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF IGNORANT SHYT GOING ON WITH US! It used to be only we knew it and kept it quiet, but this new generation revels in being ghetto and ignorant. We need to raise the bar and hopefully with a this new President and this very gifted and refined woman Michelle Obama we will start to do just that!

I agree with a lot of what you stated. Taking that deep look is something I do all the time. Now that we have President Obama, some of the crap needs to stop. At the same time I think ghetto kids come from ghetto adults that refuse to break the cycle. Many Blacks have this PRIDE thing where no one can say anything to us. No one can correct us, or question some of the dumb stuff we do. Its good to discuss all of this.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by coolyfett

I agree with a lot of what you stated. Taking that deep look is something I do all the time. Now that we have President Obama, some of the crap needs to stop. At the same time I think ghetto kids come from ghetto adults that refuse to break the cycle. Many Blacks have this PRIDE thing where no one can say anything to us. No one can correct us, or question some of the dumb stuff we do. Its good to discuss all of this.

Do you really think things will change THAT much with Obama as president? I mean, I voted for him of course and I think he'll be a great president...but if people think there are going to be massive changes in the way people act and the way government acts, they are going to be massively disappointed. The president only has so much power...

[coolyfett]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Do you really think things will change THAT much with Obama as president? I mean, I voted for him of course and I think he'll be a great president...but if people think there are going to be massive changes in the way people act and the way government acts, they are going to be massively disappointed. The president only has so much power...

No I don't think things will change Deacon, as sad and messed up as it is, NOPE I don't think so. Are things set in stone? Naw I don't think so. President Obama is proving that anything is possible in America, that includes some of us bettering ourselves, and encouraging others better themselves. Deacon you and I agree on a lot of stuff, I have read some of your other post. Obama Presidency is just a spark IMO. Did the economy get messed up in 2000? No it took 8 years to destroy it. Tell will tell with President Obama. Peace

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by coolyfett

No I don't think things will change Deacon, as sad and messed up as it is, NOPE I don't think so. Are things set in stone? Naw I don't think so. President Obama is proving that anything is possible in America, that includes some of us bettering ourselves, and encouraging others better themselves. Deacon you and I agree on a lot of stuff, I have read some of your other post. Obama Presidency is just a spark IMO. Did the economy get messed up in 2000? No it took 8 years to destroy it. Tell will tell with President Obama. Peace

I've noticed that we agree on most subjects...and I think that just having Obama elected president may be a motivator to many people. That is one way that this election may change the U.S. I'm all for whatever color president will represent us well with the rest of the world...even (people forget) a mixed-race president like Obama. Remember his mama is a white woman...

[coolyfett]

tru

[atlantagreg30127]

Remember, the topic is about someone questioning why race seems to be such an issue in Atlanta. Not about the Presidential election, 'cause if it turns that way of course, it would have to be moved to the Politics thread.

[Preoccupied]

Wow. Instigate much? Seriously though, next time you decide you want to start a ruckus with your thread for no reason other than your personal amusement, you shouldn't make it so obvious. Try to be more subtle about it and less cliche'.

IMO.

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

mceis,

I think you should also try to separate the difference between racism, and people talking about race.

People in this area TALK about race more openly and sometimes more often than they do in other regions of the country. People in the Northeast (in general) tend to bottle it up unless it's more of an argument. People on the West Coast think it's politically incorrect to talk about race issues at ALL (again, in general). The Southeast is different from any other region, and yes, race has and probably will for some time, be a topic that people discuss (and sometimes argue) about.

It doesn't mean all whites or all blacks are racist because it's discussed - or even if the discussions are somewhat heated. I think you'll find that in regions where it's not discussed, it's just quiet - people still THINK about the things that people here SAY. Which is better or worse? To discuss it, or bottle it up and pretend you never think about it?

Spot on, Greg!

I am sure a lot of you are familiar with the annual LINK trips that area leaders take each year to another metro to learn how we could do things a little differently here. These annual trips are usually attended by industry movers and shakers, Mayor Franklin, County Commissioners, etc.

A few years ago they went to Chicago, and were pretty much wowed with how Mayor Daley had cleaned up the city. One of the Atlanta reporters that went along asked a group of Chicago business leaders if there was anything Chicago could learn from Atlanta. The response - "We would give anything to be able to talk about racial issues the way you do down there. Here, it is forbidden."

Think about it.

[Sweet Atlanta Peach]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

The attacks come because this person and others love to imply that "ignorant, loud, ghetto speech" is the norm and comes from a majority of black people - when most of us know that it's a small minority of black people who act that way. Yes, it can be irritating to sit near loud obnoxious people of ANY color...and I don't feel embarassed just because my color might match theirs.

Those of us with a brain know not to blame the entire race for the ignorance of a few.

AGREED, AGREED, AGREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by kiitah

I was born in GA and grew up in Atlanta. I lived there all my life, and it wasn't until I was 36 years old that I moved away. Yes, I am white.

Flame me if you wish, but it was my experience as a native who was raised there that Atlanta has a lot of race issues. There are a lot of black people who perpetuate the stereotypes, and unfortunately, there are more blacks "like that" than there are proper English speaking, educated, career minded, non ghetto blacks. I don't doubt there is a race issue in Atlanta, because the cultural divide is so great between whites and blacks. Ironically, if a black person doesn't speak Yo Homey Ebonics, they are ridiculed as wanting to be white. And no, I didn't live in the "black neighborhoods". I lived all over metro Atlanta for decades, and this was my experience everywhere.

I realized just why I was so glad to be away when I came back to visit family, and had to listen to trash talking, cussing, classless, loud, and completely inappropriate for children ghetto speak on the Marta train. I was mortified and embarrassed by what these women and men were saying in front of everyone (and my child). My 7 year old actually asked if they were speaking English, so at least she couldn't understand them. And this is not because I'm anti-southern. My family has southern accents... The south is my home, but it's a love-hate relationship BECAUSE of the race issues.

Now I live in Phoenix and have just come to realize what it's like to have black and white people live together without such a divide. It's refreshing to just BE.

Maybe if Atlanta blacks didn't act and live so trashy, there wouldn't be so much friction.

It isn't just blacks. I can speak as a black man that there are alot of problems on both ends. I lived in the suburbs and I had to deal with problems from both blacks and whites. Some of the blacks would make fun of me for being "the black kid who spoke proper English,with no southern accent either" and I caught problems from some of the whites in my high school for the similar reason and just because I was black. It was both blacks and whites who were living in bad ways. Not all of them were doing this, but after I graduated, I made it my goal to leave GA. I'm still living here because I don't have the money to leave. I saw both ends of it.