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.
It consistently amazes how blind some people are to reality.
First, the conservative tribune's interpretation of the Flotus'es words is way off.
They couldn't let those words stand on their own, they have to explain what she really means using this irrational focus on white people(two words the First Lady never uttered).
The message she had was hopeful. It was the very message that conservatives say they want which was you have to define who you are as a person and strive despite how many others will see you, despite racism.
This is the basic divide on her speech as I see it.
Any black person that stands in front of other black people and says racism is irrelevant will have zero credibility with that audience.
For many other Americans, they find this extremely upsetting and want her to say racism is nearly gone in America, look at me and my husband.
But the statistics overwhelmingly support/prove that racial discrimination in jobs, housing, criminal justice system, etc is rampant in America.
Black Americans know this cause they live it everyday.
Many other Americans seem to be upset when a prominent black American acknowledges their own life experiences in which racial discrimination plays a role.
This is a weird and controlling desire in those Americans because they seem to want define black Americans' lives while ignoring what black Americans say about their own life experiences.
The real question is for those who insist racism is irrelevant, what statistics about American life are they using to reach that conclusion?
In America, there are huge gigantic racial inequities across the board in all areas of American life.
The likelihood that huge, widespread and across the board gigantic racial inequities would continue to exist in America given its structure and history without racism being the cause, is non-existent.
Here's the problem: these statistics do not prove racial discrimination. Showing that there's a higher percentage of black people than white in prison, or that black people are turned down for home loans at a higher rate does not prove discrimination. The facts are that, yes, there is generally more crime in black neighborhoods than white ones, and that black people, on average, have worse credit histories than white people do. Not everything is a racist conspiracy, despite what the Michelle Obamas and Eric Holders of the world want you to believe.
And there are large inequities amongst all kinds of different groups. On average Jews are much wealthier than white gentiles. Is that proof that gentiles are discriminated against? Persian Jews make up 26% of the population of Beverly Hills. Polish-Americans, my ethnic group, probably make up about 0%. Is this proof that I'm being discriminated against?
So: we have the wife of a nation's president whining about how awful that nation is to her and people like her. Has such a thing ever happened before in human history? Will it ever happen again? I doubt it.
But at least there's an upside to this: no matter who else is ever elected president in this fading country, we know that it can't get any worse than this.
Sarah Palin should point to the fact she is white and that is why she gets a hard time in the media.
I listened to to the entire speech. She wasn't whinning or preaching hate and division. She told those kids what the reality of their situation is and urged them to rise above it. Most of the posts on this thread simply reinforce the fact that there is a racist element that forever exists in some people in this country, and you never know under what circumstances you will encounter it, but it is still there and for the foreseeable future always will be.
I do not to support Obama's policies, I think he follows a different political philosophy than I do. But I don't hate him and his wife, don't think they are closeted Muslims trying to destroy America, I don't refer to the First Lady as Moochelle. I respectfully disagree with their vision for the country, but I do want to emphasize "respectfully."
It's sad other are so blinded by hate, they cannot see what their hateful rhetoric makes them look like to others.
Yes, of course. Black people, even extraordinarily successful black people, are perpetually put upon by evil white people. And people calling that assertion into question is proof that it is true. That's a bit circular, isn't it?
A speech about racism was not appropriate for a commencement speech. If she wants to discuss racism in America, find a different venue. Just by attending the school and graduating, those students have made great achievements and they deserved better than that.
It's not all about race and skin color. Anyone who stands in front of other people and says their attractiveness, intelligence, weight, height, mannerisms, accent, ethnicity, religion, politics, etc.. , "is irrelevant will have zero credibility with that audience." to make it about nothing but race was out of place, and inappropriate.
Yeah, poor Michelle and Barack, suffering the daily indignities of racial slights.... daily.
there is a place for a discussion about Michelle reciting a long-winded litany of her life-long perceptions of racial slights, but it was not here at a commencement speech.
No, it's not rampant, you just think it is because it's all you know.
Go to a foreign country and see what real racial, religious, ethnic and class bigotry looks like. Most all countries consist of an overwhelming majority of one single race or ethnicity. The USA is a huge melting pot of every race, culture, religion; this is not the norm around the world. Go to country like Japan, where the vast majority are of one race, culture and ethnicity, and live there as a minority to see what bigotry is really like. Or be a Christian in an Islamic state.
And yet we elected a black man as president, twice, and we have prospects of Latinos and blacks and women running for president this time around as well.
There will always be bigots in the world, but to focus on them and pretend they are the majority in this country is ignorant. The Hutu slaughtered the Tutsi, and it did not matter that they were of the same race. Even being the same exact race, bigots will invent tribal bigotry to set them apart from the others.
Lol, so you are the judge as to what is an appropriate commencement speech topic. Her speech wasn't about racism, but really did the audience of her speech have a problem with its content? Didn't seem like it from the laughter and applause.
What's not all about race and skin color?
I don't understand the rest of that second paragraph, who is saying those things don't count?
I think she was relaying how others spoke about her, plus her life experiences before 2009. You know the other 40+ years of her life. Lol
Again, she didn't do a litany of racial slights. She was relaying her life experiences which is generally what commencement speeches are about. And once again the audience seemed to enjoy what she said a lot.
No racial discrimination against black Americans in employment, housing, criminal justice, etc are all rampant
And the stats about those areas of American life tell this truth.
What's real discrimination? Lol
America has changed because black Americans with others fought to make it change. America doesn't get credit for changing as if it just happened easily. There was an opposition against black people being full citizens. That opposition is still in this nation.
America is changing demographically that's the main reason President Obama was elected twice.
The vast majority of white American voters didn't vote for President Obama in either election. In fact if only white Americans were allowed to vote President Obama would have lost in a landslide.
Your focus on individual bigots is an irrelevant.
Again, the stats in America point to wide spread and enduring racial discrimination against black Americans in employment, housing, criminal justice, life span, just run it down, there is not one area, not one area in American life where black and white Americans have anything like parity.
It's just not possible that given America's structure and history that there can be huge racial inequities across the board and that not be due to racism.
This is what Michelle Obama was speaking about overcoming that and defining yourself for you and still striving.
I just read that "article," or rather, propogated trash.
Except for what she quoted, which was:
"The road ahead is not going to be easy for folks like you and me,” she told the students of Tuskegee University, “because while we’ve come so far, the truth is that those age-old problems are stubborn, and they haven’t fully gone away.”,
the rest is complete conjecture.
OP, if you're going to post something, why not try to be objective? Or at least post something that is correct?
She's correct in that age-old problems, meaning racism, nepotism, classism, and all other -isms that have affected African Americans since we were forced into this country, haven't gone away.
Here's the problem: these statistics do not prove racial discrimination. Showing that there's a higher percentage of black people than white in prison, or that black people are turned down for home loans at a higher rate does not prove discrimination. The facts are that, yes, there is generally more crime in black neighborhoods than white ones, and that black people, on average, have worse credit histories than white people do. Not everything is a racist conspiracy, despite what the Michelle Obamas and Eric Holders of the world want you to believe.
And there are large inequities amongst all kinds of different groups. On average Jews are much wealthier than white gentiles. Is that proof that gentiles are discriminated against? Persian Jews make up 26% of the population of Beverly Hills. Polish-Americans, my ethnic group, probably make up about 0%. Is this proof that I'm being discriminated against?
Look in America, there is this view point that black people are broken, there is something wrong with the black race. That black people have internal black racial failings that are completely separate from American society and solely caused by what's wrong within the black race.
This racist viewpoint has dominated American life and is always trotted out to justify gross racial across the board disparities.
In America, this is always the explanation favored by racists, black people and their collective internally driven black racial failings are to blame for huge racial inequities.
The fact that black Americans with two year college degrees have a significantly higher unemployment rate then white people who merely graduated high school and didn't even attend college is proof of internal black racial failings.
The fact that black high school grads with some college have the same unemployment rate as white high school dropouts is proof of internal black racial failings.
The fact that study after study has proven that the exact same resumes sent out to employers with the only difference being the names. With some black sounding names and white sounding names and the white names consistently get many more interviews and job offers is proof of internal black racial failings.
The fact that study after study has proven that black and white people with the same credit scores are given consistently different loan rates is the result of internal black racial failings.
The fact that black and white people smoke weed in the same proportion and black people are why more likely to be arrested and charged is the result of internal black racial failings.
The fact that when police departments document their traffic stops that black people are way more likely to be stopped, and searched without being charged is the result of internal black racial failings.
I could go on.
The reality is that across the board in not one single area of American life is there anything approaching parity between black Americans and white people.
Given America's structure and history it's not possible that these widespread racial inequities aren't the result of racial discrimination.
Oh...so only whites can be racist. If one accuses a minority of racism it would have to be "reverse racism" and it would be completely unfounded of course. Thanks for clearing that up.
I agree with you. Racism goes two ways, and being racist does too. Any one who has experienced life experiences, at some point has experienced some sort of racism.
And yes it does go two ways, don't get me started here. Anyone who says it is a one way street, has their head up their rear.
Is it wrong yes it is, no matter who is doing it, remember the most qualified for the job, ought to get the job regardless of color.
When the shoe is on the other foot, it is acceptable, nah do not think so.
No First Lady should ever address black vs. white or any other color. The White House occupants should always consider the entire population as Americans...period! Anything less means to me they have no business occupying the White House because they are ignorant of what America under our U.S. Constitution really represents.
FYI, all presidents and a majority of the modern era first ladies have addressed ethnic organizations and persons in America.
Quote:
Originally Posted by california-jewel
I agree with you. Racism goes two ways, and being racist does too. Any one who has experienced life experiences, at some point has experienced some sort of racism.
And yes it does go two ways, don't get me started here. Anyone who says it is a one way street, has their head up their rear.
Is it wrong yes it is, no matter who is doing it, remember the most qualified for the job, ought to get the job regardless of color.
When the shoe is on the other foot, it is acceptable, nah do not think so.
The comment you quoted was directed towards me.
I did respond that I was speaking specifically to Rick as he constantly accuses black people of being racist.
I never said that black people aren't racist or other demographics.
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.
