Minorities living in Idaho, How is it??? (Moscow, Sandpoint: neighborhood, high school)

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by boi2socal

As I've stated before many people believe Idaho to be racist simply because the percentage of minorities is less than most places.

There is a lot of racism in SoCal and a lot of it is between other minorities.

I've always thought that Idaho is racist b/c i would always hear that retired so cal police officers move there. i heard this a few times from several, coeur d'alene in particular. in fact, mark fuhrman (avowed racist) of the OJ trials moved there. there was also much press about aryan nations having a compund there. that in combination with an overwhelming white population and mormons just adds to the notion that idaho is racist.

[boi2socal]

I've lived in both places and I can tell you there are more racist around here. I met a guy just today that said him and his buddies would beat up Mexicans and Asians in high school in Fountain Valley, CA.

A Mormon and white population does not equal racism.

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Originally Posted by wehotex

I've always thought that Idaho is racist b/c i would always hear that retired so cal police officers move there. i heard this a few times from several, coeur d'alene in particular. in fact, mark fuhrman (avowed racist) of the OJ trials moved there. there was also much press about aryan nations having a compund there. that in combination with an overwhelming white population and mormons just adds to the notion that idaho is racist.

Here we go again... Mark Furhman, an "avowed racist"? Really?...
Thats rediculous. Also to ASSume retired So Cal cops are racist is ignorant and offensive.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by wehotex

I've always thought that Idaho is racist b/c i would always hear that retired so cal police officers move there. i heard this a few times from several, coeur d'alene in particular. in fact, mark fuhrman (avowed racist) of the OJ trials moved there. there was also much press about aryan nations having a compund there. that in combination with an overwhelming white population and mormons just adds to the notion that idaho is racist.

I love the way the driveby media portray racism as being a whites-only issue.
As Sage and others have pointed out, there is plenty from all races and subcategories (e.g. light blacks vs. dark blacks, Irish vs. Italians, etc.) vs. all races, nationalities, and the infinite subcategories.

And I didn't know that all SoCal cops were racists. That's like saying all blacks are Jessie Jackson-style hatemongering race-profiteers.

From my observations in Kootenai County, a non-white is far less likely to get the treatment than a white in many black, hispanic, or oriental neighborhoods. Been there, done that.

My wife grew up in SF, and she says the oriental racism there is a sight to see. Irish not welcome? Try whites not welcome.

Please try to get over the notion that all whites are racists, and all the other races are a bunch of innocent angels who happen to be victims.

Media agitprop and congressional actions, such as hate crimes legislation, does nothing but feed the fire. (BTW, if anyone still remembers the US Constitution, all hate crimes legislation is illegal and unconstitutional law, as it violates the equal protection clause...another discussion.)

Responsible people must go beyond the propaganda.

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by Trace_Rinaldi

Here we go again... Mark Furhman, an "avowed racist"? Really?...
Thats rediculous. Also to ASSume retired So Cal cops are racist is ignorant and offensive.

Avowed: openly declared or frankly acknowledged.

A bit different from accusation, which I rekkin is what the poster meant.

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Originally Posted by Dwatted Wabbit

Avowed: openly declared or frankly acknowledged.

A bit different from accusation, which I rekkin is what the poster meant.

Im thinking if wehotex believes all So Cal cops are racist, he/she also thinks Furhem is openly racist, which as you say is much different than accused of being racist. As we know that is totally off base, unless having ever uttered the "N" word makes you an avowed racist.

BTW you used the "O" word which ASIANS now consider offensive(it was news to me too;-). I guess that makes you an avowed racist now..

[norcalmom101]

Originally Posted by Dwatted Wabbit

I love the way the driveby media portray racism as being a whites-only issue.
As Sage and others have pointed out, there is plenty from all races and subcategories (e.g. light blacks vs. dark blacks, Irish vs. Italians, etc.) vs. all races, nationalities, and the infinite subcategories.

And I didn't know that all SoCal cops were racists. That's like saying all blacks are Jessie Jackson-style hatemongering race-profiteers.

From my observations in Kootenai County, a non-white is far less likely to get the treatment than a white in many black, hispanic, or oriental neighborhoods. Been there, done that.

My wife grew up in SF, and she says the oriental racism there is a sight to see. Irish not welcome? Try whites not welcome.

Please try to get over the notion that all whites are racists, and all the other races are a bunch of innocent angels who happen to be victims.

Media agitprop and congressional actions, such as hate crimes legislation, does nothing but feed the fire. (BTW, if anyone still remembers the US Constitution, all hate crimes legislation is illegal and unconstitutional law, as it violates the equal protection clause...another discussion.)

Responsible people must go beyond the propaganda.

I personally would appreciate it if in arguing against stereotypes one didn't use stereotypes. I lived in SF for over 10 years, went to university there, and spent time in just about every neighborhood, including regularly doing my grocery shopping at markets in Chinatown, and living across the street from public housing projects in a traditionally black neighborhood as it began to become gentrified by many oblivious whites, and I never experienced anything like "whites not welcome."

If one is to engage in a legitimately serious discussion of this issue it would be advisable to first acquire a firm comprehension of the difference between racism and prejudice, as well as an understanding of how racism gets played out amongst populations which are not even necessarily racist but which find themselves contending for too few or inadequately distributed resources. It's pretty hard to oppress when you don't have any power.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by boi2socal

I've lived in both places and I can tell you there are more racist around here. I met a guy just today that said him and his buddies would beat up Mexicans and Asians in high school in Fountain Valley, CA.

A Mormon and white population does not equal racism.

I never said that I personally thought that Idaho is racist. Since I 've never visited there, it's really not for me to say. But I was referring to what i've heard and read, which paint a picture (although may be untrue) that idaho is less than welcoming for everybody. i can say that i don't think that i'd want to be in that panhandle area that gets so much bad press.

[norcalmom101]

Originally Posted by wehotex

I never said that I personally thought that Idaho is racist. Since I 've never visited there, it's really not for me to say. But I was referring to what i've heard and read, which paint a picture (although may be untrue) that idaho is less than welcoming for everybody. i can say that i don't think that i'd want to be in that panhandle area that gets so much bad press.

It's easy to clear this up though. Just think of all the cr*p that gets said about a place like SF or France vs. the actual experience of being there, or about other places similarly maligned by persons with agendas.

[Sandpointian]

There are so many more institutional dimensions to racism in areas with histories of race politics that date back many decades. The race issue in Idaho is really one involving Native Americans, but these populations are not so obvious to the average daily life. Mexican issues has shallow roots and owes its presence in conversation mainly to the media and to he baggage carried by transplants. African-American debates are even more distant. But we are susceptible to media's cartoonish image of race relations.

Up here, we are more likely to have the guard up owing to the existence of our tourist identity. This means many unfamiliar faces come and go...The inner warmth is reserved for those who become familiar and therefore more trusting. Of course, that does not mean we are not friendly, cordial, or polite. We are...sometimes effusively so...

Folks coming from big city environs or from politically correct areas tend to assume an upfront courtesy that we here won't give until it is earned. This presumption can sometimes be interpreted as a less than overflowing accomodation, i.e. as anti-whatever-you-are, when this is often not at all the case at all.

Now, I am not saying that we are devoid of racism and racists. It and they are here. But more than anything else where, we are protective of our personal space and our freedoms from "social obligation." The idea is this, "I'll be kind and welcoming, but don't you dare mandate this!!"


Because our population here is pretty modest (roughly 1/4 million in the four northern counties), not everyone sees people from different ethnicities or hears foreign accents that often. Curiosity and novelty does not racism make. I once lives in upstate NY. I saw some nasty instances of racism there...Sheer ignorance from deeply ignorant people...Ugly...

Finally, it may sound bizarre, but I actually "appreciate" our form of racism. It lacks violence and is not so overt. As such, it provides us with rather innocuous reminders--without great threats to life or limb-- that these things do exist in the world. Utopian ideals, while attractive sounding, always seem to generate strange and false senses of security which IMHO do more harm than good.

We all, each and every one, have racial biases and do racial "pre-judging." It is what you choose to do with those feelings that defines the humanity within us. And I would like to think that here in SP, we have a great slice of that humanity...