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how do you post on a thread like this without getting in trouble. the thread is loaded in such a way unless you say throw the woman under the bus, you are condemned already. i so wish we could discuss this stuff without all the anger. women that dont want to sit next to me might have a reason, i have known women that have been violated by men that looked like me. why condemn them for having fear issues or mental disability issues?
Seems to me this thread was created with the express purpose of tripping up those who might possibly post something disagreeing with the fake story. Then they would be pounced on. Easy pickings for those who enjoy such. If racism ended, such opportunities would not exist.
Seems to me this thread was created with the express purpose of tripping up those who might possibly post something disagreeing with the fake story. Then they would be pounced on. Easy pickings for those who enjoy such. If racism ended, such opportunities would not exist.
No: initially I posted it because my teacher posted it, for some reason, on my FB page. And then later I drew an analogy between racism and lack of educational training, not because I wanted to denigrate people with less of this training, but because I was hoping it might occur to someone that if this analogy were correct, then maybe it's wrong thinking, to be racist. I think most people got that.
Racism, in my view, is based on fear and in some cases, anger and resentment, because the person did not have the opportunities that many people who are trained at a good level, have had. Usually through circumstances and no fault of their own, they didn't get that training. I'm sure academics have studied this at length.
No: initially I posted it because my teacher posted it, for some reason, on my FB page. And then later I drew an analogy between racism and lack of educational training, not because I wanted to denigrate people with less of this training, but because I was hoping it might occur to someone that if this analogy were correct, then maybe it's wrong thinking, to be racist. I think most people got that.
Racism, in my view, is based on fear and in some cases, anger and resentment, because the person did not have the opportunities that many people who are trained at a good level, have had. Usually through circumstances and no fault of their own, they didn't get that training. I'm sure academics have studied this at length.
This is the way I *wanted* society to go (since I'm like 12), and I'm very happy to see it. About time. There's no excuse for racism; we (humankind) do not have time for this; it's simplistic thinking, and it's mean, and it's baseless. Time for it to go away, and the sooner the better.
THOUGHTS?
No one had the right to put their values on another person. People who have never had a bad experience with a racial situation do not understand being racist. If you have never had a negative experience, good for you. But everyone is not you. Sorry.
how do you post on a thread like this without getting in trouble. the thread is loaded in such a way unless you say throw the woman under the bus, you are condemned already. i so wish we could discuss this stuff without all the anger. women that dont want to sit next to me might have a reason, i have known women that have been violated by men that looked like me. why condemn them for having fear issues or mental disability issues?
This thread is insane. Depending on whom you read, it's either acceptable as a "paying customer" to refuse to sit next to somebody on an airplane based on race, or anybody who thinks Obama's policies are bad for the country (I do) is motivated by racism. I don't know which view is crazier.
This is the way I *wanted* society to go (since I'm like 12), and I'm very happy to see it. About time. There's no excuse for racism; we (humankind) do not have time for this; it's simplistic thinking, and it's mean, and it's baseless. Time for it to go away, and the sooner the better.
THOUGHTS?
I'll set the fable aside with a true story and then explain how best to get racism to end.
Prior to Thanksgiving one of my weekly commutes home on public train transit the following occurred. As the large group of commuters entered and filled the train passenger car, there was already about six black teens seated mid train. I sat next to one, on the aisle, there was one in seat in front of me, another further up and three across the way. One across the way occupied a whole seat and was functioning as 'court jester comedian''. His non stop attempts at humor were punctuated by the 'N' word seemingly every 30 seconds.
The train, being full, had some people standing. A middle aged black woman was about three seats ahead of me on aisle. Shortly after, the seat in front of her had a space available and a late 50 ish looking white man, formerly standing in the aisle, in his attempt to get into the seat, apparently stepped on her foot. The youth serving as court jester (spewing all manner of disgusting attempts at humor) across the row immediately verbally jumped on the 50 ish guy to apologize to the black lady whose foot he stepped on inadvertently.
The 50 ish white turned around and apologized to the black lady. Now, said court jester wasn't satisfied and thinking he (in the midst of crowded rush hour train could have some fun and intimidation began to harass the white man. Basically it ran the gamut from taunting "we didn't hear you say you were sorry / apologize" etc... At one point he goaded the man for then even looking his way and suggested he (the white guy) would like to perform sex acts on him. Mind you this is going on in full train, as so called 'amusement'.
Now, most of his former audience was getting a kick out of this. To the point that he felt emboldened to continue - like most bullying types. As he went on berating this man about showing some 'respect' to the black woman, who he already apologized to. I simply said loudly, "Why don't you respect yourself?". This caused some visible consternation in the bully who then went on about why don't I mind my own business. All I did was keep looking at him run his mouth. Sure enough he went on wildly about "I do respect myself".
At this point his former audience seemed to lose interest in goading him on. I could sense physically the youth next to me sit up and lean more into the window. As the 'court jester' got up and announced his getting off at the next stop he subsequently half heartedly challenged me - that, if I had a problem with him, we could settle this 'man to man' outside, I simply said, "Good we'll all be glad you are gone".
Now for context, the train is filled with primarily a working class mix of white , black, other minorities etc... After 'court jester' left there was a slight pall of quiet over the car. When I got up a few stops later I myself accidently stepped lightly on a black man's shoe who had his legs in the aisle cause he was hauling a suitcase for travel. As I turned to apologize, the black man looked up at me with a hearty knowing smile (he was only about 2-3 rows behind me) and slight chuckle said "no problem brother".
What's the point you may ask? Here was classic reason why racism continues, basically, people of any type are too afraid to call out the those behaving badly and making themselves or their 'tribe' look bad. It doesn't matter if white, black, brown, yellow red etc... It is the elementary fundamental truth issue MLK got to when he said "I hope to one day live in a nation where all children will be judged on the content of their character and not the color of their skin".
While, there will likely be those small minded who continually use the race card as reasons for their sorry lot in life. There are countless others, who even under the most dire circumstances make something of themselves. I have friends and acquaintances that are black, but who are immigrants from Africa who are upstanding family oriented hard working great examples. Unfortunately, they don't seem to get held up as exemplary in the black community, but rather, are often mocked for being 'white'. So the problem is the cultural values that are being accepted and promulgated in communities whether black or white (Nazi racists etc...).
At it's simplest, racism dissolves over time when people voluntarily are exposed to others of different ethnicity and come together on agreed upon behavioral and community cultural standards and economic conditions allow opportunities to move upward on merit. The animus is fostered and promoted by forced social engineering types who, while often their intentions are in the right place, have no concept of helping draw people together through shared values, but rather by trying to make those behaving badly feel good about themselves. This crosses the entire color spectrum.
I've met whites who are racist, and I've called them on it, and in my younger years I've said things I'm not proud of. Lowering standards to make people feel better about themselves doesn't solve it, nor does allocating set asides and variations of quotas. Racism dissipates when every individual is judged on their merits and abilities. And humankind is directed toward: achievement not entitlement betterment not 'bitter'-ment
Imagine if the NBA instituted quotas to reflect the white population? How would that be looked upon?
The problem is many political leaders purposely foster the 'us versus them' to keep their fiefdoms. When you have generations repetitively sinking socio economically and moving backwards with all manner of assistance and money thrown at so called problems. You will get more racism because the root problems are not being addressed. These begin in the home, places of worship, educational systems etc... that should uphold achievement, merit, decency and civility. Sadly, some 'cultures' don't seem to hold these qualities up to the same level.
Again, it all gets back to "judging individuals on the content of their character - not the color of their skin".
With that in mind, one way to overcome racism is by military / social service where youth of differing backgrounds can get exposure to others in a team goal oriented environment that is constructive. Whether building outdoor trails, cleaning up the environment, helping those in need within the communities etc...
Will we ever get rid of racism? Probably not, as people historically, seek out differences to identify for ridicule. Whether it's things like people from Ohio making fun of people from West Virginia / Michigan etc... to outright unreasonable dislike of some ethnic group due to a small data set of exchanges to millennia of bad experiences (middle east).
The biggest problem is 'prejudging'. I try my hardest to not prejudge someone on characteristics that they have no influence on. Fortunately, this is where the home / parenting issue comes to forefront. As an American of European ancestry my mom would repeat what her mother, who only had an 8th grade education, but had much wisdom passed on to her: Don't make fun or judge others on something they have no control over (color of skin) there's nothing nothing they can do about that. But do pay attention to the behaviors of those you "surround yourself' with, because what you 'surround yourself' with you will become like.
People of any group need to start first by policing themselves. It gets to the same reason there is so much corruption when unions protect the non productive workers, industry associations, and partisan politicians protect those amongst themselves behaving badly as PR damage control.
A middle aged black woman I passed one day who I overhead talking to her friends said it best, "I hate it when they do that - they make us all look bad". So now matter the color of ones skin, nor the heritage / ethnicity it will best be addressed when those among each group - especially leaders within these groups - take a stand against those behaving badly (from the criminal element right on down the line).
Racism will never go away. Since, we humans are just glorified primates with delusions of grandeur, we are tribal by our inherent nature, as primates are. True sometimes the tribes fall along racial lines, sometimes they don't.
But we'll always be dividing ourselves up into tribes and arranging ourselves into social hierarchies. Egalitarianism is just a fantasy. It's not what we are.
Best post on here. I agree that the majority of humans will always be judgemental, regardless of legislation and social pressure.
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