Pittsuburgh racist to who? (Pittsburgh, Republic: employment, YMCA, wages)

[Orwelleaut]

Originally Posted by pinkygirl

I never became aware of recism UNTIL i moved to the Burg. my husband & i are an interracial couple, everytime we both went to look at an apartment, there were NEVER no call backs from the landlords. When i went by myself (being white) I constantly reieved calls back from landlords & management companies..... WHATS UP WITH THAT??????????

Stereotypes is what's up with that. Negative Stereotypes. There are many black males who are exemplary members of society and exemplary human beings. I have known and currently know some of these people. Unfortunately, there is also a disproportionately large population of young black males who are in prison, have criminal records, and are involved in anti-social behaviors.
While I feel bad for black males who are exemplary citizens in having to deal with these stereotypes, I also feel for those who hold the negative stereotype of black males. Most people in our society are just trying to get through the day. Some people also have a harder time getting a handle on who is trustworthy and who is not, so I think they tend to rely more on the sweeping generalizations. I have much less of a problem with these individuals than with those who have willfully engaged in anti-social behaviors, and have rightfully gotten burned by the criminal justice system. They are the ones who are creating and perpetuating the stereotypes that hurt good people.

As much as those who hold the stereotypes may anger you, I think it is best to place the blame on the source of the stereotype, and expect the young black males who are living lives of crime and bad behavior to get their acts together. The fact that there are many young black males who are, these days, living exemplary lives is proof that there is no need for the "gangster thug" routine. Unfortunately, until the "gangster thug" types become a much smaller percentage of the population of young black males than they currently are, the negative stereotypes will, I suspect, persist.

[Orwelleaut]

Originally Posted by simetime

Actually, Obama would not have won it if Bush did not mess up as bad as he did and his opponent had one foot on a bananna peel and one in the grave with an unqualified knucklehead in the wings waiting for him to fall.

Obama said many of the same things John Kerry had said 4 years previous, and these things were right on the money. IMHO, Obama is doing an excellent job so far, and I hope that he will get two good terms in office in which to turn our country around.

As good as I feel about Obama being President, it has bothered me all along that Kerry said the same things as Obama, had more experience in the political arena, yet was not embraced as an agent of change just like Obama. Kerry's "Stronger America" didn't seem to touch a nerve like Obama's "Change". Based on the comments I heard from some white ultra-liberal types around election time, it seems that Obama's skin color really helped him to win the election. Comments like "Kerry was such a dweeb, but Obama is so cool" showed just how his blackness helped him. IMHO, Obama would not now President if he were white.

[zip95]

Originally Posted by Orwelleaut

Stereotypes is what's up with that. Negative Stereotypes. There are many black males who are exemplary members of society and exemplary human beings. I have known and currently know some of these people. Unfortunately, there is also a disproportionately large population of young black males who are in prison, have criminal records, and are involved in anti-social behaviors.
While I feel bad for black males who are exemplary citizens in having to deal with these stereotypes, I also feel for those who hold the negative stereotype of black males. Most people in our society are just trying to get through the day. Some people also have a harder time getting a handle on who is trustworthy and who is not, so I think they tend to rely more on the sweeping generalizations. I have much less of a problem with these individuals than with those who have willfully engaged in anti-social behaviors, and have rightfully gotten burned by the criminal justice system. They are the ones who are creating and perpetuating the stereotypes that hurt good people.

As much as those who hold the stereotypes may anger you, I think it is best to place the blame on the source of the stereotype, and expect the young black males who are living lives of crime and bad behavior to get their acts together. The fact that there are many young black males who are, these days, living exemplary lives is proof that there is no need for the "gangster thug" routine. Unfortunately, until the "gangster thug" types become a much smaller percentage of the population of young black males than they currently are, the negative stereotypes will, I suspect, persist.

It's hard to argue with that. But, we also shouldn't forget that black culture wasn't always "gangsta thug" as you describe it. Things used to be different, neighborhoods used to be safe, downtowns used to be vibrant...until something happened in the 80's???? I think Reagonomics, crack, destruction of the family, and big-business funded gangsta rap had a lot to do with it

[simetime]

Orwelleaut, It is interesting that you said that but another major difference between the two is that Kerry let Rove attack his character through the lying "not to swift boaters" and Obama addressed every attack that the repubs came at him with from him being a muslim (which is not a crime, to him not being a us citizen). The other reason is that the American people as a whole are not totally stupid. I really believe that any compentent democrat would have beaten McClain and that unqualified fool of a running mate Palin. After 8 years of tomf*ckery and thousands of lives lost not to mention some of Bush's stupid choices it was time for a change anyway.

[simetime]

Zip you are absolutely correct! Reagan fueled the coke trade through California to fund that Iran Contra crap and it just spread throughout the country. I think the coke trade is not that much different then the prohibition on liquor, poor people found a way to get rich (i.e follow the American dream) most however got caught up in it. Due to racist sentencing many poor low level hustlers were sent to jail to learn other types of crimes.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by simetime

Zip you are absolutely correct! Reagan fueled the coke trade through California to fund that Iran Contra crap and it just spread throughout the country. I think the coke trade is not that much different then the prohibition on liquor, poor people found a way to get rich (i.e follow the American dream) most however got caught up in it. Due to racist sentencing many poor low level hustlers were sent to jail to learn other types of crimes.

I don't know how true this really is, but I do know that Reaganomics cut alot of the programs that benefited the inner-cities. Programs that The Great Society came up with were curtailed under Reagan.

[zip95]

Originally Posted by pirate_lafitte

I don't know how true this really is, but I do know that Reaganomics cut alot of the programs that benefited the inner-cities. Programs that The Great Society came up with were curtailed under Reagan.

In economic downturns (like now, or in the early 80's) it's always the poorly-educated working class that gets dumped on first and hardest... layoffs always start on the factory floor and in the mailroom... To see that this is true we need look no further than our own city and all the once vibrant river towns.

[Orwelleaut]

Originally Posted by simetime

Zip you are absolutely correct! Reagan fueled the coke trade through California to fund that Iran Contra crap and it just spread throughout the country. I think the coke trade is not that much different then the prohibition on liquor, poor people found a way to get rich (i.e follow the American dream) most however got caught up in it. Due to racist sentencing many poor low level hustlers were sent to jail to learn other types of crimes.

I agree with zip as well. Being in my late thirties, I was a teen during the Reagan Era. Reagan's policies hurt everyone who struggles to make it every day, and everyone who was not born into money and advantage. That whole "slacker" label that was applied to my Generation in the early nineties was another example of how Reagan's policies were about oppression of working people. My generation was labeled as young slackers when we struggled in the lean economy created by a president we were too young to vote for. I am very thankful that, now, we have a President who understands Generation X, and cares about our future.

[bboy36win]

Jeesh. Is everyone in Pittsburgh liberal? Am I the only conservative in here?

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by bboy36win

Jeesh. Is everyone in Pittsburgh liberal? Am I the only conservative in here?

The city is soldily Democratic and more liberal but I think is still traditional on some issues like illegal immigration and the bailouts. The suburbs are also more Democratic but people aren't as aganist a Republican like in the city.