Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So, we should change the laws because too many black men are getting locked up? As of now dealing drugs is still a crime and until that changes they will still be incarcerated, that is not to say I am not in favor of legalizing drugs to some extent. Until that time comes, I have a better idea, quit committing crimes, stop dealing/using drugs and get an education, get a job and be a productive member of society, or is that to difficult?
Ask yourself this. Why do we have those laws at all? Are those laws stopping anyone from using drugs? When they get out of prison, said persons start using drugs again. No one is saying "use drugs". No one is saying "don't get an education". We are saying "these laws are not working and they do no good".
Anyway, even if you don't believe antredd, if said person has done what he could do, can you blame said person for telling his child to defend himself? My point, and his point, is this: If the teacher and the administrator isn't doing anything about the bullying, what next? We aren't advocating violence. We are advocating self-defense. The incident with the child of Haitian descent, that is far different than a kid actually being bullied and being called the N-word. I can understand what antredd is talking about because I've been the child who was bullied and administration wasn't taking it seriously.
And ask yourself this. How do those fights start? Did not someone have to hit someone? And why do you focus so much on Black people having the "if you get hit, hit back" and not White people who have that philosophy?
And the last part of your paragraph. Please explain exactly what you mean by what you are saying about me, particularly the first sentence starting from BTW.
And something else, it has been hard for law-abiding Black people from day one in this country.
My belief is that EVERYONE needs to stop violent behavior. I have known a significant number of students who fought in Junior High, nursed grudges until adulthood, then replayed the battle with guns. In each case, one is dead and one is in prison, and another group of children are raised with no fathers in the home.
Regarding my comment starting with BTW, I recall reading that your sister will have nothing to do with black people, and you lament the fact that you are wrongly grouped together with criminals of your skin color.
Sorry if you were offended by that.
My belief is that EVERYONE needs to stop violent behavior. I have known a significant number of students who fought in Junior High, nursed grudges until adulthood, then replayed the battle with guns. In each case, one is dead and one is in prison, and another group of children are raised with no fathers in the home.
Regarding my comment starting with BTW, I recall reading that your sister will have nothing to do with black people, and you lament the fact that you are wrongly grouped together with criminals of your skin color.
Sorry if you were offended by that.
I would agree that we should have no violence in school. However, my point is what would you do if you were at a point where no one would do anything about what was being done to you? Would you just sit there and take it? That is the main question.
Personally, I haven't known people to nurse grudges that long, not Black people or White people. After high school, it is like those kids just went their separate ways. It is the stuff from adulthood onward that is an issue.
My little sister was picked on by other Black girls. It affected her self-esteem. From middle school to now, she has only had maybe one Black friend, a guy.
As for me, I've had problems on both ends. I was made fun of by both Black kids and White kids. I was just wondering where you were getting your ideas from.
I lament being lumped in with criminals who happen to look like me because I know that's not all that Blacks are about. I don't consider those criminals representatives of the Black population. I call them the very worst, those are the persons alot of Blacks want to avoid. I haven't been in trouble with the law. I don't go around assaulting people or getting into trouble. I shouldn't have to care what others think of me. Unfortunately, I find myself in situations where I often do.
That is not true. When I was growing up in a middle-class white neighborhood, all of the fathers mentored all of us, collectively. They coached our teams and chastised us if we got out of line. This occurs worldwide among people of every race. I witness it daily, among Hispanic fathers who coach soccer and other sports at my school. They live the adage: "It takes a village to raise a child".
It's not that hard, so why do you resent the expectation that you would want to help others achieve success?
Um........because what the heck difference does it make to me if Jerome up the block is selling crack? Skin color makes me responsible to mentor someone else? No thanks, i'll pass. On the HUMAN level, I might want to get involved, but for society to expect me to "jump in" because we look alike??
I guarantee that if one of the children from a white family in your story went awry and went on a killing spree, the entire white community wouldn't get blamed for it (because they aren't going to blame themselves)?
But if a black person did the same. Oh wow, here we go.
Where were the black teachers?
Where was the Pastor of the local church?
Where were the black social workers?
Where were the black fathers? Why didn't they stop this?
Blacks don't exist in a vacuum but are treated as such. Successful/law abiding black men OR women do not have a secret network that they can use to control other blacks so why be treated as if they do?
I would agree that we should have no violence in
school. However, my point is what would you do if you were at a point where no
one would do anything about what was being done to you? Would you just sit there
and take it? That is the main question.
Eventually, I would punch whoever was picking on me. I do not agree that adequate, alternative, efforts were made first, and again by a TEACHER!
Quote:
Personally, I haven't known people to nurse grudges that long, not Black people
or White people. After high school, it is like those kids just went their
separate ways. It is the stuff from adulthood onward that is an issue.
From age 14 to maybe 18 or 20? Not really that long, and during our peak testosterone years.
I have seen it repeatedly, and was once in the awkward position of having the daughter of a killer in class, with the daughter of the man who was killed. After numerous interventions, one of them was moved to a different school. I have students right now with parents in jail, or dead mainly from gang violence.
My little sister was picked on by other Black girls. It affected her self-esteem. From middle school to now, she has only had maybe one Black friend, a guy.
I am truly sorry that this happened to her. That was probably more painful than if her tormentors were of a different race.
Quote:
As for me, I've had problems on both ends. I was made fun of by both Black kids
and White kids. I was just wondering where you were getting your ideas
from.
I'm sorry this happened to you as well. I am sure it must be discouraging as well as painful.
Believe it or not, I enjoy reading your posts. They are well-considered even if I don't always agree with you.
Um........because
what the heck difference does it make to me if Jerome up the block is selling
crack? Skin color makes me responsible to mentor someone else?
No thanks, i'll pass. On the HUMAN level, I might want to get involved, but for
society to expect me to "jump in" because we look alike??
Because we share the same planet and have a moral obligation to help each other? I mentor kids of every race. I believe that all of us as men, should mentor fatherless kids regardless of race.
If you see it as not your problem, so be it. Can you look back over your life and say that no man ever gave you needed advice, or a hand up? If so, then I'm sorry for the life you've led.
Location: East St. Paul 651 forever (or North St. Paul) .
2,860 posts, read 3,388,588 times
Reputation: 1446
Quote:
Originally Posted by cometclear
And what criminal offenses are the ones that usually put black men behind bars? Drug offenses. What a colossal waste of lives and public resources. Not difficult to figure out what effect it has on blacks when so many black men are locked up for the better part of their most productive years for dope offenses.
Have you noticed that the right-wingers who are on here who are suddenly crowing about 4th and 5th Amendment rights have little to say about "stop and frisk" in NYC? See, they only care about such things when they think it will affect them. When it's those dirty Negroes or any of the myriad other groups they don't like, not only are some indifferent, many are fully behind trampling on their Constitutional freedoms.
I agree that minor drug offenses are immoral/unethical, and hopefully in the near future they are decriminalized, but I think it goes much deeper than that in the black community.
Because we share the same planet and have a moral obligation to help each other? I mentor kids of every race. I believe that all of us as men, should mentor fatherless kids regardless of race.
If you see it as not your problem, so be it. Can you look back over your life and say that no man ever gave you needed advice, or a hand up? If so, then I'm sorry for the life you've led.
I see how you simply glossed over the part where I plainly said that one should be helped on a HUMAN level, not on race. Very nice.
Because we share the same planet and have a moral obligation to help each other? I mentor kids of every race. I believe that all of us as men, should mentor fatherless kids regardless of race.
If you see it as not your problem, so be it. Can you look back over your life and say that no man ever gave you needed advice, or a hand up? If so, then I'm sorry for the life you've led.
Newton said that if an object is removed from equilibrium by a force...that it requires an EQUAL and OPPOSITE force to restore that object to equilibrium. As a race of people, blacks have been removed from their equilibrium with the rest of humanity. Globally, and I dare say in every nation in which we live in large numbers, we are at the bottom of the totem pole. Hence, I am cognizant of applying an equal and opposite force, which often means discrimination in favor of, black people. Thus, if there is a white business and black business selling a good or service that I need or covet, at least initially I am going to patronize the black business and will continue the patronage and favoritism as long as the quality of the good or service suffices.....and yes....I will make an effort to reach out to troubled black youth FIRST.
At least in regards to what you say in this thread.....I kind of agree with you. It goes back to the African concept of it taking a village to raise a child. I think one of the poisons of Western society is hyper individualism where individuals just worry about themselves.
Newton said that if an object is moved from equilibrium by a force...that it requires an EQUAL and OPPOSITE force to restore that object to equilibrium. As a race of people, blacks have been removed from their equilibrium with the rest of humanity. Globally and I dare say in every nation in which we live in large numbers, we are at the bottom of the totem pole. Hence, I am cognizant of applying an equal and opposite force, which often means discrimination in favor of, black people. Thus, if there is a white business and black business selling a good or service that I need or covet, at least initially I am going to patronize the black business and will continue the patronage and favoritism as long as the quality of the good or service suffices.
At least in regards to what you say in this thread.....I kind of agree with you. It goes back to the African concept of it taking a village to raise a child. I think one of the poisons of Western society is hyper individualism where individuals just worry about themselves.
Good point, and good post!
Fm
Rep coming your way!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
