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Way to advertise your own thread. I'd like to know what was left out in the quote from Councilman Patrick Cannon above.
Cannon did not appear on TV so I did not quote him on the matter. I'm sure if you can find it, then it will be welcomed here for you to let us know what he said.
I don't want to go to a place that doesn't want me. There's no fun in that. So if wearing my hat sideways was such a critical part of my life, I just wouldn't go there any more. If the Epicenter doesn't want black people there, either passively or aggressively, then why would I (if I were black) want to go there anyway?
OTOH I don't understand the point of forcing a private business to not discriminate. It's their business, and if they lose customers and revenue because they discriminate, then it's their loss only.
Are you encouraging/accepting discrimination? Not in 2011 and not if the epicenter received tax dollars and/or has police officers on sight.
I don't want to go to a place that doesn't want me. There's no fun in that. So if wearing my hat sideways was such a critical part of my life, I just wouldn't go there any more. If the Epicenter doesn't want black people there, either passively or aggressively, then why would I (if I were black) want to go there anyway?
OTOH I don't understand the point of forcing a private business to not discriminate. It's their business, and if they lose customers and revenue because they discriminate, then it's their loss only.
If everyone adopted this simplistic attitude, I wouldn't be welcome in the vast majority of establishments in Charlotte today. Virtually EVERY venue I frequent on a consistent basis would not be available to me - and I should just accept that and move on? Heck, I could venture further and conclude that even the neighborhood I live in, and the schools my children attend, would be off-limits to my family. And this is a neighborhood I love, I am very glad to be a part of this community, MY community. Thankfully, people before me, fought to ensure that I could call this home, and be comfortable in doing so.
So no, just not going where one isn't wanted, is NOT the answer - EVER. And I make this statement without commenting on the particulars of what occurred at the EpiCenter, since I don't know enough about what took place there. I do know, however, that it is inappropriate to selectively enforce a dress code.
Thanks for a common sense approach. None of us knows what really happened, so all the conjecture on the last post is just that -- conjecture.
But selective enforcement, if discriminatory, is wrong.
Quote:
Originally Posted by saralee
If everyone adopted this simplistic attitude, I wouldn't be welcome in the vast majority of establishments in Charlotte today. Virtually EVERY venue I frequent on a consistent basis would not be available to me - and I should just accept that and move on? Heck, I could venture further and conclude that even the neighborhood I live in, and the schools my children attend, would be off-limits to my family. And this is a neighborhood I love, I am very glad to be a part of this community, MY community. Thankfully, people before me, fought to ensure that I could call this home, and be comfortable in doing so.
So no, just not going where one isn't wanted, is NOT the answer - EVER. And I make this statement without commenting on the particulars of what occurred at the EpiCenter, since I don't know enough about what took place there. I do know, however, that it is inappropriate to selectively enforce a dress code.
OTOH I don't understand the point of forcing a private business to not discriminate. It's their business, and if they lose customers and revenue because they discriminate, then it's their loss only.
Because it became a civil rights issue when the Epicenter called in the CMPD and the CMPD foolishly told Mr Agnew to turn his hat around. If it went down as Mr. Agnew states, then the city has an issue on it's hands with the police force. So the city, in response, chooses to investigate the Epicenter.
Without the CMPD angle, I don't think the city has any constitutional authority to investigate any private business on this matter.
What makes the Epicenter dress code racist? There shouldn't even be a discussion or investigation.
I have been there many times and have seen people of all color. No one seems to be shut out.
However, I do feel something is wrong when I see these stations on tv BET (Black Entertainment Channel) or BSC (Black Shopping Channel). The names alone imply racism.
Because it became a civil rights issue when the Epicenter called in the CMPD and the CMPD foolishly told Mr Agnew to turn his hat around. If it went down as Mr. Agnew states, then the city has an issue on it's hands with the police force. So the city, in response, chooses to investigate the Epicenter.
Without the CMPD angle, I don't think the city has any constitutional authority to investigate any private business on this matter.
If a white person is detained at Epicentre, told to change his hat, refuses to adhere to the policy and CMPD is called, could he allege his Civil Rights were being abused? And if so - on what grounds? That the dress code somehow violates a person's Civil Rights?
What makes the Epicenter dress code racist? There shouldn't even be a discussion or investigation.
I have been there many times and have seen people of all color. No one seems to be shut out.
However, I do feel something is wrong when I see these stations on tv BET (Black Entertainment Channel) or BSC (Black Shopping Channel). The names alone imply racism.
First off, being black myself, I know firsthand how folk can sometimes cry 'wolf!' (racism) where there is none...I only hope that this case comes to a frutiful conclusion for all concerned, and I fervently hope it's not totally a racial-discriminatory issue...
To address your second point, a little history...the dominant ethnic culture in the US has, for as long as I can remember, been whites...therefore, it is logical to assume that the lion's share of advertising dollars, film and tv, literary, what have you, has been pointed at the majority demographic...that ain't racist, sexist, or any other kind of 'ist'---it's documented fact...
When channels like BET, Teleumundo, the 'Black Shopping Channel' (that's a new one on me), etc, were conceived, they weren't done to spark cries of racism...it was because the targeted demographics for those stations had been severely underrepresented, and thus, those outlets were created so that they were able to see and interact with people of their own ethnicity...now, BET may have gone off the rails with some of its recent programming (and this is from a 50-something's viewpoint, so I may be a little outta touch here LOL), but its' initial thrust (along with that of, say, magazines like Ebony, Essence, Jet, etc, and other cable channels such as TVOne and the new station Centric) was to give black folk a chance to exhibit their lives and talents, and to give other blacks a beacon of hope that they too, with hard work and determination, could succeeed in the world...
You may not agree with me, and that's OK, but I'm sorry, I watch tv, read books and newspapers, and watch movies all the time...and I don't mind seeing my 'folks' doing well...and it detracts not one iota from the overall picture...that's not racist, it's called 'life in the modern USA/world'...I would be the biggest fool in captivity if I got PO'd and turned off the TV every time I saw a white face, or stopped reading books, listening to music, and a holy host of other stuff, simply because of whites' contributions to same...
To close, I thank god that I had parents who raised me to be a good citizen, neighbor, friend, husband, what have you, and NOT to cry racism every time something on TV or in real life doesn't go my way...it's counterproductive, loud, annoying, time-wasting, and just plain fargin' stupid to carry on like that
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Uhhh...Let's Not Go There, Shall We?
