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I couldn't believe how much this man's early life was like mine. I lived my first 15 years in a tiny town in Kansas where the closest black people were about 15 miles away. I had trouble figuring out why the black people in that town had to sit in one small section of the movie theater and when I got in high school I found that one black kid could sit anywhere he wanted to sit in that place. It turned out that he was the star running back on the high school football team in that town. That town had one of the biggest, best organized gangs in the state and the town ranked sixth in the whole nation for juvenile delinquency according to population figures. Not one black kid in that gang. When our family moved farther west, by about 180 miles, there still were no blacks in town. However, there was one in a neighboring town who I had to play basketball against and even had to guard. I always called him every derogatory name I had ever heard, and it wasn't many. He fired names back at me and we got to be friends after a couple of games.
Of course, there were some black people in the western Kansas college I attended, but not so many, at that. Then I went to the Army and in basic training my best buddy was a black kid from Oregon. Tex, he liked to be called Tex for some reason, and I had more fun together than any clothed people should be allowed to have and people of both races who worried that we were about to fight when we used those racist names for each other never did figure out what was going on. That was 58 years ago and I can still see Joe's, that was what I called him because it was his name, face very plainly and all the white faces from that time, have faded from my memory. I will never understand how a racist like I am, today, got that close to Joe other than the fact that he didn't have a racist bone in his body. I think that is why I liked Joe so much.
I couldn't believe how much this man's early life was like mine. I lived my first 15 years in a tiny town in Kansas where the closest black people were about 15 miles away. I had trouble figuring out why the black people in that town had to sit in one small section of the movie theater and when I got in high school I found that one black kid could sit anywhere he wanted to sit in that place. It turned out that he was the star running back on the high school football team in that town. That town had one of the biggest, best organized gangs in the state and the town ranked sixth in the whole nation for juvenile delinquency according to population figures. Not one black kid in that gang. When our family moved farther west, by about 180 miles, there still were no blacks in town. However, there was one in a neighboring town who I had to play basketball against and even had to guard. I always called him every derogatory name I had ever heard, and it wasn't many. He fired names back at me and we got to be friends after a couple of games.
Of course, there were some black people in the western Kansas college I attended, but not so many, at that. Then I went to the Army and in basic training my best buddy was a black kid from Oregon. Tex, he liked to be called Tex for some reason, and I had more fun together than any clothed people should be allowed to have and people of both races who worried that we were about to fight when we used those racist names for each other never did figure out what was going on. That was 58 years ago and I can still see Joe's, that was what I called him because it was his name, face very plainly and all the white faces from that time, have faded from my memory. I will never understand how a racist like I am, today, got that close to Joe other than the fact that he didn't have a racist bone in his body. I think that is why I liked Joe so much.
Do not try speaking for me, if you feel the shoe fits, by all means wear it, it does not fit me, I have never understood racist thinking, even as a child my logic board was working and racisim is illogical in the extreme.
My personal belief is that racism is BS. It has nothing to do with race, it comes down to culture, religion, family customs, behavioral patterns and the environment you are raised in.
It is when people are culturally just too far apart and we can not relate to others patterns of thought that this racist card comes out.
I don't think anybody can hate some one just for being white, back, middle eastern, Chinese or whatever...they have other issues and it is just convenient to place them in a racist box.
I see all people as my equals and even though I do not get along with all, I can interact with them and respect them as long as I see they are willing to accept and respect me as well.
The link is funny, but it's the same old nonsense that you hear over and over again.
The right wing keeps saying that if they disagree with Obama, then they get called a racist. I'm sorry, but it's just not true. If you disagree with Obama, and say racist sh*t, then yea, you'll get called a racist.
It's this sort of preemptive move they have on the right, designed to put you on the defensive. Again, i'm not going to call anyone a racist for disliking or even HATING Obama. I work in a place where 90% of the people hate Obama, and i mean outright hatred, not just simple dislike. Many of those folks are fine people and a few are friends. But if they venture into the area of saying something that i deem racist, i'm going to be a quarter of an inch from their faces about it. That's all there is to it. And if i say some thing racist, i'd hope they'd do the same thing.
There is no such thing as "race." There are only Kingdoms, Divisions (or Phylum), Classes, Orders, Families, Genus, and Species. "Race" only exists in the minds of the truly ignorant.
The United States has never had a national conversation on the matter of "race". If Obama had done one thing besides killing Bin Laden, it would have made a huge difference if our first President of Kenyan-American ethnicity could have brought to the forefront and discussed seriously the matter of race in this country.
People do classify each other in terms of "race", and it's wrong to do so as a matter of being scientifically accurate.
Socially, among people in an informal way "race" is used to put people into tribes, but frankly, we're all of the same tribe we simply have different ethnic customs and ways of socializing. There is no true broad understanding of our ethnic differences, and so people take the cheap and easy way around it and slap a "race" sticker on each other.
Race thinking needs to be reformed and eliminated. The government should abolish categories of race when interpreting our population and anthropology should be taught in school starting in Kindergarten through 12th grade in all public schools.
There is no such thing as "race." There are only Kingdoms, Divisions (or Phylum), Classes, Orders, Families, Genus, and Species. "Race" only exists in the minds of the truly ignorant.
Only someone living in an ivory tower would make such an ignorant statement.
I don't think anybody can hate some one just for being white, back, middle eastern, Chinese or whatever...they have other issues and it is just convenient to place them in a racist box.
Oh, but they do. Guess you've never had it happen to you. Just because you don't think that way doesn't mean it isn't true for others.
There is no such thing as "race." There are only Kingdoms, Divisions (or Phylum), Classes, Orders, Families, Genus, and Species. "Race" only exists in the minds of the truly ignorant.
Sure there are. In other animals we call that breeds and it is considered a way to place animals in sub-species.
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