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Because black Americans once were slaves and you can't be a rich slave?
Historical perceptions change very slow (if they change at all).
This is why I think Black Americans are perhaps the most amazing group of people in the world. Considering all that has happend over the last 500 years and you mean to tell me the poverty gap is 24% to 10% vs whites and blacks? I'd say that's pretty freaking amazing. Knowing the history of this country i think most would expect it to be much different and much higher. It is even more amazing when you place black americans along side english, german, and french whites or other blacks of the world. I've always thought this is the biggest reason to continue such stereotypes, because what would happen if we all started the race on the same foot? Poor people, black people, white people, asians and etc. How would the end of the race finish? (I know another topic for another day)
No, the issue is of proportion, not of "raw numbers".
If we were to examine Japan, there's a pretty good chance that near 100% of their impoverished citizens would be Japanese. This doesn't bespeak of anything inherent to the Japanese, but rather to the demographics of that particular country... You'd have to be a complete retard to infer otherwise.
The fact that blacks exhibit a higher degree of poverty in relation to their population in the United States (or, basically, anywhere else they occur) is a serious issue and the one that causes the most discussion.
Pointing out that the majority of impoverished citizens in a majority-white country just so happen to be white is like saying that you're more likely to find fish in a lake rather than a desert. Gosh, go figure.
The issue is that any given black person is far more likely to be in poverty (or a rapist, robber, murder, arsonist, etc) than any given white person- which very, very much makes it a "black issue". To maintain that the issue has do to with "raw numbers" - thus removing the onus from social behavior and placing it on raw demographics- is incredibly intellectually dishonest and MOD CUT.
What make you think that poor whites aren't just as likely To Be Rapist Robbers Murders and Arsonist as Poor Blacks , and what about the rich whites who are Rapist Muders Robbers And Arsoists....What is their's excuse.....
Last edited by Howest2008; 01-16-2008 at 12:00 AM..
Reason: Typos
Why are blacks used as the stereotypical symbol of poverty in the US? This is a touchy subject, but something i've always wanted to know and hear reasons as to why. I also have six additional questions? The reason i quesiton the use is the following.
1. Why do liberals champion poor black over poor whites?
2. How do poor whites feel as a forgotten group?
As another posted said before, it's the Southern Strategy. In the 60's and 70's the GOP courted the "silent majority" of disgruntled whites, many of whom were racists. It was an unspoken partnership between rural and blue-collar religious reactionaries and Wall Street multi-millionaires- give us permission to rape you and exploit you, and we'll give you an occasional Supreme Court nominee and keep fighting the Godless Libruls. The GOP has usually taken their support for granted. Mike Huckabee is one of the few GOP candidates who isn't taking this support for granted, and this has Wall Street types a bit scared and nervous- they didn't want their $100 plate dinners going to corn pone candidates and issues. Take their votes, but don't give them anything. Evangelical conservatives are upset because they suppossedly had a lock on power, but they don't have bans on abortion yet, nor do they have prayer in schools or atheist and gay burnings like they wanted: they are being taken for granted.
What make you think that poor whites aren't just as likely To Be Rapist Robbers Murders and Arsonist as Poor Blacks , and what about the rich whites who are Rapist Muders Robbers And Arsoists....What is their's excuse.....
Because they often also are serial killers? Or end up as serial killers?
I believe that studies have shown that serial killers fall into the category of being white, male, early 30's, above average intelligence, highly organized and the like.
Thank You Truthurts I Bet That You Are Having More Fun Than Christmas Morning With This Thread About Black Poverty And Prison Statistics And If Poverty Was A Bono Fide Crime I Bet That You Would Be Lining All Of Us Black Up For Transport Straight To State Prison. LOL
MOD CUT Read the question asked and how i answerd it. This is a poverty issue. I'm just posting the facts. Deal with it! Honestly you're so silly i'm not even sure how to respond to such non-sense. I guess best policy would have been to ignore and hope a butterfly flew in front of your computer screen, so you'd go away.
PS Howie, the only person i'd line up is you, because stupidity should be at least a misdemeanor.
Last edited by NewToCA; 01-16-2008 at 05:08 PM..
Reason: personal attack
As another posted said before, it's the Southern Strategy. In the 60's and 70's the GOP courted the "silent majority" of disgruntled whites, many of whom were racists. It was an unspoken partnership between rural and blue-collar religious reactionaries and Wall Street multi-millionaires- give us permission to rape you and exploit you, and we'll give you an occasional Supreme Court nominee and keep fighting the Godless Libruls. The GOP has usually taken their support for granted. Mike Huckabee is one of the few GOP candidates who isn't taking this support for granted, and this has Wall Street types a bit scared and nervous- they didn't want their $100 plate dinners going to corn pone candidates and issues. Take their votes, but don't give them anything. Evangelical conservatives are upset because they suppossedly had a lock on power, but they don't have bans on abortion yet, nor do they have prayer in schools or atheist and gay burnings like they wanted: they are being taken for granted.
Mang, great point! This is no different than the Democrats and the "black poor vote." They have never done anything to help the black poor. Sure, the democrats have helped the black elite no different than the repubs helping the white elite, but yet the middle classes of each groups are to silly to see this and continue to vote in hopes of nothing its a total shame. Just look at affirmative action this program has never helped the black poor in great numbers, but it has helped the black elite (a group I might add that did not need this cructch or sort of help to begin with)
Why are blacks used as the stereotypical symbol of poverty in the US? This is a touchy subject, but something i've always wanted to know and hear reasons as to why. I also have six additional questions? The reason i quesiton the use is the following.
1. Why do liberals champion poor black over poor whites?
2. How do poor whites feel as a forgotten group?
3. Is this done to maintain some sort of imaginary status quo?
4. Is anyone informed of this information?
5. If this is true why are blacks defacto scapegoats for welfare?
6. Is this the reason the news perfers to use percentages of pop as opposed to total raw numbers?
All total Families Below Poverty Level
1.Whites 53%
2. Blacks 26%
3. Other 22%
Even when you combine 2+3 whites are still the majority of poor people
Even when you combine 2+3 whites are still the majority of poor people
United States
Families below poverty level 6,620,945
Individuals below poverty level 33,899,812
Work Force Population 138,820,935
Blacks (alone -non hispanic)
Families below poverty level 1,777,105 26% of poor families
Individuals below poverty level 8,146,146 24% of poor individuals
Labor Force Population 14,905,895 10% of labor force
Total Pop 34,658,190
Whites (alone -non hispanic)
Families below poverty level 3,548,532 53% of poor families
Individuals below poverty level 18,847,674 55% of poor individuals
Work Force 108,079,326 77% of labor force
Total Pop 211,460,626
I think YOU ended up supporting the OP's underlying premise.
Black Americans are regularly criticized and condemned for not considering ourselves Americans first, and for not touting America's goodness. Yet when the opportunity arises to address a problem like poverty, way too many [non-Black] folks prefer not to see it as an American problem, but as a Black problem--as indicated by your rebuttal.
I think blacks are more like 12 or 13 percent of the total population. But you make a good point. Blacks are Americans and their problems are America's problems.
As a percentage of their population, blacks are more likely to be unemployed, more likely to be chronic welfare recipients, more likely to have illegitimate children, more likely to be less educated, more likely to have AIDS or other STDs, more likely to commit crime, etc.
Much is being done to address these problems but obviously not enough. The illegitimacy rate among blacks if over 70%. AIDS and other STD's are epidemic in the black community. At about 12% of the population, blacks account for over 50% of the violent crime.
You are correct. This is a huge problem for America. While there may be more poor whites in raw numbers, I think America should address the biggest problem first. More needs to be done about the problems in the black community. Do you have any suggestions?
The statistics in the opening remarks have carefully excluded the fact that 70% of the people in the US are white, so whites are under-represented in any class in which whites comprise less than 70%. Which makes it a very deceptive and disingenuous and dishonest representation, and therefore not worthy of any other comment. It's like saying there is more poverty in America than Somalia, because there are 30-million poor people in the US and only 7-million poor people in Somalia.
Which is exactly why we should solve poverty here first and to h3ll with Somalia.
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