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I think we have made improvements over the years but there is still racism in this country. I would imagine there are still black people that get a knot in their stomach when being pulled over by the police. I wish racism would totally go away, there is no reason for it.
Why are you still residing here? I'd take a legal Hispanic, or any other nationality over you any day of the week, any month of the year.
And, by the way, I did go back and read through the whole thread. However, I will not recant my statement. First you blame it on replying in the vein you did by being a first poster, then you blame it on your computer for "locking up", then you say it was just sarcasm, silly you. Sorry, no I'm not sorry, you fubared your statement, sarcastic or not, and I for one really don't appreciate it. You only get one chance to make a decent impression. Your impression to me, if no one else, is very indecent.
Your fury is noted.....I get the idea. I'm not completely sure what you mean by my "being a first poster", since I was neither the 'first poster' on this thread, nor was the post I DID make, my 'first post'
Nevertheless, your displeasure has reached here, loud and clear. I'll consider myself 'spanked'.....
I think we have made improvements over the years but there is still racism in this country. I would imagine there are still black people that get a knot in their stomach when being pulled over by the police. I wish racism would totally go away, there is no reason for it.
I wish it would go away, too. (It has affected me and my loved ones, on occasion).
May I suggest ONE reason it does NOT? Part of the rerason, at least, is Political Correctness...that's right, good old "PC". Just like so MANY terms used in describing our culture, (I could probably name two dozen or so, in a few moments....Hate, Xenophobia, any number of "phobias" and "isms"...)..the term "racism" has come to be applied SO broadly, in SO many ways, that it has lost its "punch"...It can mean anything from a KKK mob's wild night-time "furies", to an incident of disrespect from a nasty waitress. It's a term so vague nowadays that it's finally become just a term 'thrown out there' for effect.
Of COURSE there's racism today...I've felt its 'sting' myself...but there's an awful lot of 'silliness', too...and the silliness takes focus away from the REAL stuff. Too bad it has to be that way, but that's what 'we' do, when we throw around REAL words this way. Teenagers USED to do this..( "My mom is a MONSTER"....."My teacher is a SLAVE DRIVER, etc)..but now it's ALL of us, with the media bearing a lot of the blame, IMHO.
When a group of burly 'cops' beat a motorist because of his race? Or when someone loses a job, due to his race? That's racism.
When menacing-looking people in gang-attire are 'questioned' before being admitted to an amusement park? That's not racism...that's 'acting bad' and being treated in kind.
If I go out in the woods and get shot, that's murder. If I go out in the woods during hunting season, dressed in my "deer costume", and get shot, that's not murder...that's stupidity.....MINE.
Yes, we have our problems but to all of the "blame America firsters" out there who think that the whole country is full of bigots and that we should strive to be "tolerant" like Europe, please watch this video. It's really eye opening. This crap would NEVER happen in this country today. NEVER!!!
Major League Soccer is starting to see similar issues so America is not immune from this type of behavior. Racism exists everywhere and I don't conform to the insinuation that America should be proud "we're not this racist". All forms of racism are equally bad to the recipient; sometimes words are worse than sticks and stones...
Well I do not know of a specific Black athlete that has happened to -- I was speaking hypothetically. However there was Johnny Gammage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia where he was a cousin of one of the Pittsburgh Steelers (Ray Seals) who was driving Mr. Seals' car through the Brentwood/Baldwin-Whitehall area south of downtown Pittsburgh...which is notorious for having a police force that targets Black people for no reason...even before this incident.
Heck, there are two people in my family that ran into issues in this area. The first, is my father -- when he first came to this country, he didn't really know about the police profiling issue. It was in the early 80s and he drove a "suped-up" '73 Camaro SS (with all the bells & whistles). Purchased a newspaper from a gas station and got into his car and started reading it. Well, the station attendant was worried that he was going to rob the place and called the police. They came and started with the "Hey, what are you doing here"...etc., etc. Well my dad was confused but he agreed he would be on his way. The police then proceeded to follow him (seriously...he even made some odd turns) for as far as he could (borough limits). My dad then stopped and the cop stopped. It wasn't a good exchange and my dad ended up getting his car towed away basically.
The other incident was with a second-cousin who is a sociology professor at University of Pittsburgh (and a born-again Christian) who was driving through the area. Now physically...she is very imposing...she is about 6'4" tall and 300lbs (easy). They said she was speeding. She was reaching for her insurance...registration and what not and the police kept barking at her to keep her hands where he can see what she is reaching for. After she couldn't find her insurance card (and was nervous being that this cop was barking at her that he couldn't see what she was doing...she is huge) he had paged back-up and had her get out of the car and had 3 men come restrain her. She should absolutely no hostility because we know her....all her life....and she is a mouse of a person despite her size. She didn't even play sports in high school, because she simply wasn't aggressive enough. The police kept asking her what she was doing there and where was she from and what different bags were in her car. Thankfully they found the insurance card and that was the end of it. But it started out as a "speeding ticket" pull over.
So, you have that example, oh wait, it was just hypothetical.
By the way, white dudes get harassed by the police also when the police figure they should not be in areas of town because they always stereotype every white guy that is in a black area as being there to buy drugs.
Yes I did and many others similiar to it, but if it makes you feel better at night to beleive otherwise, then go ahead. I pay paticular attention since I am a soccer fan.
I think it is even more funny when blacks in Europe harrass the heck out of newly arrived African immigrants, quite a few think lesser of those directly from Africa. The Carribbean crowd I think are the worst about it.
Anyone here ever been to a European soccer game? Just wondering.
Yes, we have our problems but to all of the "blame America firsters" out there who think that the whole country is full of bigots and that we should strive to be "tolerant" like Europe, please watch this video. It's really eye opening. This crap would NEVER happen in this country today. NEVER!!!
I wouldn't say America is "racist", just incredibly tolerant of some supremely ignorant racist people and a divisive, racially-insensitive political party (Republicans).
One would have to be truly naive to think that racism does not exist in this country. It always has, and it always will. The same applies to other countries. That being said; we have made tremendous strides, and I am optimistic it will only improve through the years, albeit never truly eradicated.
Nevertheless, there is no other country in this world I would prefer to live in. Racism will end when human beings become infallible -- which is never. I simply strive to treat others as I would like to be treated. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail.
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