Racism in Chicago: Give examples. (Berwyn, Brooklyn: sales, vs, housing)

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

Why do you assume white people see food stamps as a bad thing in the first place? AFAIC they are a critical part of the social safety net..

Because a lot of white people do see food stamps as a bad thing and they assume it's only black people who get them. There is a disdain for the poor and when people think of the poor and benefit programs, a lot people automatically think poor black people. People act as if poverty among whites doesn't exist and whenever there is debate about the food stamp program, it always goes back to lazy black people scamming the system.

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

I think the general bad PR food stamps get is when people see them being used to buy junk food..

No it isn't. People just don't want to see black people getting any type of assistance.

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

Just because someone carry themselves a certain way or has a certain look, that doesn't mean they get food stamps. And every black person that you think would be on food stamps isn't. That's just silly.

My point was that the assumption described by ChicagoMeO was likely more about class, not race.

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

My mom is an educated professional and a white man in line behind her in the grocery store insulted her for using an EBT card that she was using to buy food for her sister who is disabled and can't work a job ever in her life. He automatically assumed it was my mom who was on welfare just because she was black and had an EBT card in her had. The EBT card was my disabled aunt's not my mom's.

Did this person say something specifically racist to her? Even if he did, it does not mean that most white people think like this.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

Because a lot of white people do see food stamps as a bad thing and they assume it's only black people who get them. There is a disdain for the poor and when people think of the poor and benefit programs, a lot people automatically think poor black people. People act as if poverty among whites doesn't exist and whenever there is debate about the food stamp program, it always goes back to lazy black people scamming the system.

No it isn't. People just don't want to see black people getting any type of assistance.

You understand these are textbook definitions of assumptions, right?

I definitely agree that class warfare exists, but I think you just aren't having discussions with the right white people. Who do you think came up with these support systems in the first place?

Hint: FDR wasn't black.

[mjtinmemphis]

Do people usually pay that much attention to how the person is paying for groceries? I don't! I'm just trying to get checked out and get on with my day.

The only thing that irritates me is when people sell their link cards. That represents a small part of the users.

I pay taxes and understand some of my money goes to help those who are less fortunate. I feel that's part of my responsibility. Yes some abuse the system and hopefully changes will put be put in place to eliminate most of that.

I try not to judge by skin color and economic status because I know there is good and bad in all segments of the population. Pigmentation and income has nothing to do with ethics and morality! Too bad many people aren't more enlightened.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

You understand these are textbook definitions of assumptions, right?

I definitely agree that class warfare exists, but I think you just aren't having discussions with the right white people. Who do you think came up with these support systems in the first place?

Hint: FDR wasn't black.

I get that. When you have experienced racism your whole life, you can pretty much spot it from ten miles away.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

When you have experienced racism your whole life, you can pretty much spot it from ten miles away.

. You've got that right!

[A2DAC1985]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

Do people usually pay that much attention to how the person is paying for groceries? I don't! I'm just trying to get checked out and get on with my day.

Same here.

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

The only thing that irritates me is when people sell their link cards. That represents a small part of the users.

I know of two white people that are "a small part of the users". I believe they are no longer in a position to game the system like that anymore (aka, incarcerated). It's nice that they aren't costing taxpayers hundreds of dollars a month in food stamp fraud, but now the taxpayers are shelling thousands of dollars a month to feed them... and clothe, and shelter, and monitor them 24/7.

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

I pay taxes and understand some of my money goes to help those who are less fortunate. I feel that's part of my responsibility. Yes some abuse the system and hopefully changes will put be put in place to eliminate most of that.

I agree.

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

I try not to judge by skin color and economic status because I know there is good and bad in all segments of the population. Pigmentation and income has nothing to do with ethics and morality and character and how you present yourself to the world! Too bad many people aren't more enlightened.

My thoughts added in bold.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Atlanta_BD

I get that. When you have experienced racism your whole life, you can pretty much spot it from ten miles away.

And I get that, and appreciate that just because it isn't always possible to statistically capture racism doesn't mean it isn't real.

But in this case we're just having a discussion on the Internet, which lends itself to misinterpretations all around, so I try to give someone the benefit of the doubt.

[8loody]

Plot Twist: Race is something humans made up and there is no scientific basis for it.

[Atlanta_BD]

Originally Posted by 8loody

Plot Twist: Race is something humans made up and there is no scientific basis for it.

Yes. There is no such thing as different races among humans. Different ethnic groups but not different races. Race is a social construct developed by European imperialis to make themselves appear superior to darker people so they could have all the world's wealth by taking control (by force of course) of darker people's lands, their natural resources and forcing them into free labor to cultivate these resources. It worked unfortunately.

Racism has always been about money and power. It's still that way today, except poor minoririties in America for example have been made to believe that all things are equal now and any suffering they face is their own doing. Centuries of social conditioning that has made the whole world believe that people with the lightest skin should be the haves and the people with the darkest skin should be the have nots is completely ignorned. People want the believe this has gone away. It's never gone anywhere.

The constant debate and attack on welfare is a perfect example of this. Whenever a hatred of welfare is mentioned, poor blacks are always attacked. When people think of welfare in this country, they think automatically of black people. When people speak of poverty they automatically speak of black people. People in America equate being white with wealth and poverty with being black and lazy. People act as if poverty doesn't exist among whites and that poor whites don't get welfare