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People of African and other origins have been enslaved for centuries by people of all races, not just whites. In fact, slavery is still alive and well in this would. Take a good look at the Tai fishing industy and think about that the next time you go to purchase seafood at your grocery store. Look at the abuse of women and children worldwide as held against their will as "sex slaves".
My personal experiences with racism exibited by people of color absolutely has had nothing to do with "elites" but just average Americans. That doesn't color my view or make me suspicious that the next person, be they black or of any race, will be racist towards me.
I don't go through life focusing on what may or may not have been the experience of my ancestors a hundred or more years ago or even 60 years ago to form an opinion about an individual standing directly in front of me. Of course, YMMV.
Slavery in other places at other times is not germane to the socioeconomic conditions and inequality that exists in America today, between blacks and white. Enslaves and oppressed people, historically, had to migrate away to new lands away from their oppressors. I don't racall any oppressed group rising to equality among their oppressors and in the land of their oppression. It can happen....but I don't recall those example from history. White people were oppressed in Europe....and that is why many of them fled to America.....to find their own people to oppress to lift themselves up.
I wanted to read through every post before I responded. I find it absolutely ASTOUNDING that the OP's question has only been answered by 2 people thus far. Others have gotten defensive and/or veered off-topic. What I'm basically getting from this is that some white people don't want to point out what, in their belief is racism, but they sure as heck can tell a black person that what they experienced wasn't racism.
If many agree that racists do exist, why are claims of racism immediately denied by so many non-Blacks?
THANK YOU!!!
On many topics that cuts to the chase......the strategy seems to become obfuscation and digression. You hit the nail on the head. Humans obfuscate and digress when they don't want to deal with something. Maybe answering that question will EXPOSE a lack of foundation for their dissent and if one does not have a foundation for dissent....why are they dissenting?
Slavery in other places at other times is not germane to the socioeconomic conditions and inequality that exists in America today, between blacks and white. Enslaves and oppressed people, historically, had to migrate away to new lands away from their oppressors. I don't racall any oppressed group rising to equality among their oppressors and in the land of their oppression. It can happen....but I don't recall those example from history.
It would seem there are many expamples in Africa where both political power and lands have been returned and where those whose ancestors may have been of British decent are either minorities trying to hang on to their farms with their very lives or have been run off all together. One only has to look back at the last 30 years to find these examples.
As to not germane. Human nature is relatively consistent and history repeats itself all over this world.
You speak of the inequalities regarding poverty levels. Yet, in my district, the elected House representative is a member of both the CBC and the CPC. He is a former Mayor of my city. Funds he brings back to his district are unequally distributed and applied almost exclusively to the areas most heavily populated by those closer to the poverty level. Despite the money pumped in, the educational, social, and jobs training programs provided, the area continues to degrade.
There is a culture of poverty and the acceptance of out of wedlock births as well as crime and "no snitch" neigborhood policies that has been created and pervades in these areas of my town. Yet, if you go to agricultural rural areas of my state similar poverty, similar crime, similar generational welfare are becoming a fact. It cannot be explained by racism alone but rather by political policies of throwing money at a problem without giving a population the incentive to succeed on their own. I think family structure has a lot to do with it. In the 1950's parents had to stick together to feed and provide for their offspring. Now, government steps in and tries, very unsuccessfully, to be a surrogate.
I don't expect anything I have written to be accepted. It will be automatically bashed. This thread and others have proven that there is nothing that a person who is not of color can say or do that will satisfy those bent of seeing or finding racism around every corner they look. Good luck with that. Thus far it isn't serving our nation well, in my opinion.
Last edited by lifelongMOgal; 08-20-2010 at 08:48 AM..
People (read: everyone) need to stopmanufacturing offense and outrage. Jessie Jackson would be a prime example of the perpetually offended.
Yes, and reps to you. One day, years ago, I looked outside and commented on an impending storm and how black the clouds were. I was immediately corrected by a black coworker that the clouds were not black, they were dark.
I was not referring to anyone's skin color, but she made sure I was. No win situation there.
Yes, and reps to you. One day, years ago, I looked outside and commented on an impending storm and how black the clouds were. I was immediately corrected by a black coworker that the clouds were not black, they were dark.
I was not referring to anyone's skin color, but she made sure I was. No win situation there.
LOL...I agree about the overreaction on your coworker's part.....but I have always found it interesting that most things termed "black" were evil, intimidating, scary, etc............
I wanted to read through every post before I responded. I find it absolutely ASTOUNDING that the OP's question has only been answered by 2 people thus far. Others have gotten defensive and/or veered off-topic. What I'm basically getting from this is that some white people don't want to point out what, in their belief is racism, but they sure as heck can tell a black person that what they experienced wasn't racism.
If many agree that racists do exist, why are claims of racism immediately denied by so many non-Blacks?
Probably because the OP is known for loaded questions and for ignoring people who actually do answer. And its obnoxious- "white folks teach me." What is that? He is not interested in anybody teaching him anything. Nor are you. He wants to start a fire and you want to fan the flames. I love your examples- stares. Yea sure, its always stares. OMG! Stares!
And perhaps because a great many claims of racism these days are bunk. They are the result of a strategy that plays up the role of victim- the race card. Consequently, a great many of us are just tired of the whole business. The fact that we have a black man as President makes it all the more absurd.
The fact of the matter is there is no mass measure by whites against blacks. When black people are harmed, it is almost always by other black people. It is not white people shooting blacks dead and causing other aspects that is the dystopia known as black urban America. (Good Grief! The Crips and the Bloods have probably killed more black people than the Klan ever did.) It is not white people tricking black kids into disdaining education and thus getting nothing out of school. It is not white people forcing black men to have 5 kids from 5 different women.
I suppose we are through takeing responsibility for your lack of responsibility.
It would seem there are many expamples in Africa where both political power and lands have been returned and where those whose ancestors may have been of British decent are either minorities trying to hang on to their farms with their very lives or have been run off all together. One only has to look back at the last 30 years to find these examples.
As to not germane. Human nature is relatively consistent and history repeats itself all over this world.
You speak of the inequalities regarding poverty levels. Yet, in my district, the elected House representative is a member of both the CBC and the CPC. He is a former Mayor of my city. Funds he brings back to his district are unequally distributed and applied almost exclusively to the areas most heavily populated by those closer to the poverty level. Despite the money pumped in, the educational, social, and jobs training programs provided, the area continues to degrade.
There is a culture of poverty and the acceptance of out of wedlock births as well as crime and "no snitch" neigborhood policies that has been created and pervades in these areas of my town. Yet, if you go to agricultural rural areas of my state similar poverty, similar crime, similar generational welfare are becoming a fact. It cannot be explained by racism alone but rather by political policies of throwing money at a problem without giving a population the incentive to succeed on their own. I think family structure has a lot to do with it. In the 1950's parents had to stick together to feed and provide for their offspring. Now, government steps in and tries, very unsuccessfully, to be a surrogate.
I don't expect anything I have written to be accepted. It will be automatically bashed. This thread and others have proven that there is nothing that a person who is not of color can say or do that will satisfy those bent of seeing or finding racism around every corner they look. Good luck with that. Thus far it isn't serving our nation well, in my opinion.
You make observations without explanations. That has little intellectual value to me. Explain to me why one group does it better or does it worse....as everything is relative and everything has its reason.
I wanted to read through every post before I responded. I find it absolutely ASTOUNDING that the OP's question has only been answered by 2 people thus far. Others have gotten defensive and/or veered off-topic. What I'm basically getting from this is that some white people don't want to point out what, in their belief is racism, but they sure as heck can tell a black person that what they experienced wasn't racism.
If many agree that racists do exist, why are claims of racism immediately denied by so many non-Blacks?
Well what you have is an op who really isnt looking to understand, what he is doing is trying to educate the white folk...........some folks are stuck with a mind set that does not allow them to move beyond.....as I said in a previous post some times we have to look at ourselves and ask what are we doing.
Probably because the OP is known for loaded questions and for ignoring people who actually do answer. And its obnoxious- "white folks teach me." What is that? He is not interested in anybody teaching him anything. Nor are you. He wants to start a fire and you want to fan the flames. I love your examples- stares. Yea sure, its always stares. OMG! Stares!
And perhaps because a great many claims of racism these days are bunk. They are the result of a strategy that plays up the role of victim- the race card. Consequently, a great many of us are just tired of the whole business. The fact that we have a black man as President makes it all the more absurd.
The fact of the matter is there is no mass measure by whites against blacks. When black people are harmed, it is almost always by other black people. It is not white people shooting blacks dead and causing other aspects that is the dystopia known as black urban America. (Good Grief! The Crips and the Bloods have probably killed more black people than the Klan ever did.) It is not white people tricking black kids into disdaining education and thus getting nothing out of school. It is not white people forcing black men to have 5 kids from 5 different women.
I suppose we are through takeing responsibility for your lack of responsibility.
Probably because the OP is known for loaded questions and for ignoring people who actually do answer. And its obnoxious- "white folks teach me." What is that? He is not interested in anybody teaching him anything. Nor are you. He wants to start a fire and you want to fan the flames. I love your examples- stares. Yea sure, its always stares. OMG! Stares!
And perhaps because a great many claims of racism these days are bunk. They are the result of a strategy that plays up the role of victim- the race card. Consequently, a great many of us are just tired of the whole business. The fact that we have a black man as President makes it all the more absurd.
The fact of the matter is there is no mass measure by whites against blacks. When black people are harmed, it is almost always by other black people. It is not white people shooting blacks dead and causing other aspects that is the dystopia known as black urban America. (Good Grief! The Crips and the Bloods have probably killed more black people than the Klan ever did.) It is not white people tricking black kids into disdaining education and thus getting nothing out of school. It is not white people forcing black men to have 5 kids from 5 different women.
I suppose we are through takeing responsibility for your lack of responsibility.
And that ladies and gentleman , says it all!
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