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.
See..i disagree. I think poor whites have ALWAYS been overlooked in this country and had excuses that were just as valid as everyone else's. A lot of people don't realize that before the New Deal and many of the projects that came out of that legislation, there was a tremendous white underclass in this country....much of it so poverty stricken that it's hard to imagine. My grandparents grew up with many of those people in the south.
Still though, as far as excuses go, we're talking pre civil rights here. Sure, poor whites might have had some type of excuses, but I wouldn't say they were equal. Also when you're dealing with government sponsored oppression and therefore politics, public perception will be centered around that. The white guy's excuses aren't even going to be heard, whereas the black guy's excuses are very visible in the political arena, and therefore in all the propaganda that goes along with politics.
Also when we really did start talking about a "war on poverty" and kicking off large scale welfare programs in the 60s, around the time of the cra etc, naturally there was a lot of focus on blacks around that time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
That underclass is considerably smaller, but it's stubborn and persistent even now if you drive around certain places. I've seen it in rural Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Arkansas, and other parts of the South.
I remember once as a kid going into a grocery store in rural Michigan near a town called Mesick, about 4 hours north of Detroit, and all of the people were mostly paying with food stamps. My dad and mom were talking about it in the car, and they were saying how there were so many poor white folks up there. Odd..since we were a black family that owned a summer cottage in the area. I'll never forget that. That was the first time i realized that white people were poor too! Before that, i'd always assumed that they were all like the whites i saw on TV.
Hence my point about it being less visible. Not only is it not on TV, but poor whites live in rural Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Arkansas, and other parts of the South.
I mean, who the hell goes there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
Even though more blacks live below the poverty line than any other group, the poorest people i've ever seen living in the worse poverty imaginable have been white almost to a man. Or Native Americans...but there is a different set of circumstances working there that are for another thread.
No doubt. I think part of that is the urban/rural type thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by desertdetroiter
I will say however, that it's easier to provoke whites into that mindset considering the privileged status that whites hold overall. I think there is something to be said about being born to a group that is privileged overall, and you're not getting a piece of the pie. That HAS TO work on someones mind at least to a small degree.
That's an interesting take on it, but psychologically the effect of that would be negligible. I would just chalk it up to isolation and therefore a lack of knowledge which only makes them easier to manipulate.
Keep in mind that as we both know they tend to be rural. All the white people they know are probably poor too. "White privilege" is not something they see regularly.
Ya know, it's funny that you say this, because although it's true, i've always had a different take on it.
Even though more blacks live below the poverty line than any other group, the poorest people i've ever seen living in the worse poverty imaginable have been white almost to a man. Or Native Americans...but there is a different set of circumstances working there that are for another thread.
Poor blacks live in city slums/ghettos. poor whites live in rural areas mostly and Native Americans live in the middle of nowhere. I don't think ti's fair to compare one to the other, we're talking different settings here. But I will say from what I've read Native Americans live in horrendous conditions leading to high suicide rates and unfortunately most people in this country don't know about it.
Poor blacks live in city slums/ghettos. poor whites live in rural areas mostly and Native Americans live in the middle of nowhere. I don't think ti's fair to compare one to the other, we're talking different settings here. But I will say from what I've read Native Americans live in horrendous conditions leading to high suicide rates and unfortunately most people in this country knows about it.
That depens where one resides. Very few black folks around here. The inner city ghettoes are mostly white with some hispanics and souteast asians mixed in.
They are no more bought than blacks are by the Dems.
And at the end of the day, the problem still exists.
Any solutions?
I agree. That's American politics, divide and conquer. The problem is much bigger than America. Every luxury we enjoy comes from the end of someone's misery.
That depens where one resides. Very few black folks around here. The inner city ghettoes are mostly white with some hispanics and souteast asians mixed in.
Yes but if you look at the top 50 major cities in this country. The inner city/ghettos are filled with blacks and some hispanics. That isn't to say there isn't urban poor whites and asians, but I'm talking trends here.
Good read. I think it's just ignored because historically, poor whites have had less of an "excuse" to be poor. But that's just not valid now like it was in 1960.
Edit - Also because white poverty is not "in your face" one tenth of what urban poverty is.
And I'd rather be poor in the city than poor way the hell out in WVA somewhere. There's just nothing out there. Zero opportunity. Those kids are pretty much hopeless.
The only reason it is not in your face IMO is because white media, both liberal and conservative channels do not want to recognize it. It serves a purpose to focus on the black poverty stricken people and IMO this media bias is a major contributor to the persistent prejudiced and racist attitudes of a lot of people in this country. When all you see is poor black people, you equate poor with black. There are many programs I have seen on TV that speak about the lowliness of black people, mostly on main stream channels and they are trying to shed light on some issue. But really it is not an issue. On the conservative front you will have many conservative media pundits point fingers at poor black people as the face of the user class and those using the most benefits. You can see evidence of that in another thread here in POC.
If more poor white people were shown this would not be such a "shocking" phenomenon. Poor white people have been around since this country was founded. It is not a secret, it is just ignored by those who are not poor.
I agree. That's American politics, divide and conquer. The problem is much bigger than America. Every luxury we enjoy comes from the end of someone's misery.
What a true statement. How right you are, it is American Politics that do divide us. But the problems should be conquered, by treating all of our poor created equally.
If more poor white people were shown this would not be such a "shocking" phenomenon. Poor white people have been around since this country was founded. It is not a secret, it is just ignored by those who are not poor.
Please, that's a tiny part of it at most. If poor black people lived way the hell out in the country, practically outside of civilization, they would go unnoticed too.
Most of the country's population lives in or around urban areas. Most of the poverty in urban areas is black or hispanic. Simple as that.
Still though, as far as excuses go, we're talking pre civil rights here. Sure, poor whites might have had some type of excuses, but I wouldn't say they were equal. Also when you're dealing with government sponsored oppression and therefore politics, public perception will be centered around that. The white guy's excuses aren't even going to be heard, whereas the black guy's excuses are very visible in the political arena, and therefore in all the propaganda that goes along with politics.
Also when we really did start talking about a "war on poverty" and kicking off large scale welfare programs in the 60s, around the time of the cra etc, naturally there was a lot of focus on blacks around that time.
Hence my point about it being less visible. Not only is it not on TV, but poor whites live in rural Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Arkansas, and other parts of the South.
I mean, who the hell goes there?
No doubt. I think part of that is the urban/rural type thing.
That's an interesting take on it, but psychologically the effect of that would be negligible. I would just chalk it up to isolation and therefore a lack of knowledge which only makes them easier to manipulate.
Keep in mind that as we both know they tend to be rural. All the white people they know are probably poor too. "White privilege" is not something they see regularly.
Sure, white privilege is not something they see "regularly" as you say, but with the proliferation of media, they've gotta at least realize it exists! Right?
Hmmm. I have to say that i'm in no position to argue with you. The last thing i'm qualified to do is argue about the mindset of whites in poverty with a white person who would obviously know better than i would. Especially since you come off as someone that has some familiarity with being on the bottom, or at least has had some brush with the white underclass.
I can say that i do think the white underclass being mostly a rural phenomenon is changing quite a bit. I know in Detroit, suburban whites have been hit incredibly hard and find themselves experiencing things that they've always associated with the inner city of Detroit. That's been the case in the Phoenix, and Las Vegas areas too. A lot of it comes from what happened in the housing boom and it's aftermath.
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.
