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I think Morgan Freeman had it right when Mike Wallace asked him how do you defeat racism. Freeman’s answer was simple but made sense to me, “Quit talking about it.” People who are concerned about other people’s race, IMO, simply don’t have enough to do. Racism is a waste of time, energy and one’s life.
Morgan Freeman is right. I saw an interview of him by Piers Morgan when he said that exact thing...and in no uncertain terms. He sounded fed-up with all the race-baiting, hysteria, exaggeration, misrepresentation, nasty and inaccurate accusations, etc. etc.
Here's another concept that is deceptively simple: the people who focus on and talk about race continuously -- ARE, IN FACT, THE RACISTS; think about it. (And they exist in all skin colors.) The rest of us are living life and hardly noticing the skin colors or features of those we interact with.
Oh my God! I feel absolutely the opposite! I have been going out of my way to meet black people, become friends with them, just to do my share to show them that not all whites are prejudiced. I don't even discuss 'black' with them. They are just people to me. Race doesn't enter into it except that at some level I am trying to even the score of the damage that all the bigots caused.
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Originally Posted by BirdieBelle
Somehow in the past year I have become friends with more black people than I have in years, but I do always feel a wariness, like I am concerned about saying or doing something that would be offensive.
I haven't experienced any wariness at all. Just this year for the first time I dated a black woman (she immigrated from Guyana many years back) and she was a really nice woman! Yes we kissed and we both enjoyed it or she wouldn't have kissed me a second time. She found her man but we've still exchanged a few texts. And another young black man I met at Spencer's Gifts, we got to talking and introduced one another, shook hands. He gave me a clothing tip I really love, "Cut the sleeves off a t-shirt for a good, manly look!" I did and I just love working out with my "I get enough exercise just pushing my luck!" t-shirt! He runs a food truck and I want to go try his Thai fusion tacos!
I have one long time black friend who I have been trying to get together after some time of not seeing him. He and his GF and I attended Madonna's "Drowned World Tour 2001" concert together. And he wasn't my first black friend although I've lost touch with those who preceded him. I'd love to find them if I could, resume friendships if they're still alive.
Oh get this! He's black, his GF is white. I'm white and I'd just love to double date with them, my date of course being black. I would just LMAO perhaps dining out, watching people making mistaken assumptions!
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Originally Posted by Travel Crazy
If you're going to be a honest person, you'll openly recognize that our last President was the one who intensely stirred the racial pot and took the enormous progress this country has made back 20 years, at least. Things were continuously improving until he and his Party decided to conflate molehills into mountains for political purposes.
I wasn't going to say it and glad you did. Quite! My sister and I were discussing this exact same thing recently.
Wait! I just noticed something. What does this topic have to do with Trump?
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Originally Posted by High Altitude
OP, you are letting the politicians and the media control you. hook, line and sinker....... you are contributing to the problem now.
Indeed! You listen to that stuff and you are becoming sheeple. Just don't listen to it, step away from your TV and just turn it off! See? No more negativity!
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Originally Posted by LesLucid
I think Morgan Freeman had it right when Mike Wallace asked him how do you defeat racism. Freeman’s answer was simple but made sense to me, “Quit talking about it.” People who are concerned about other people’s race, IMO, simply don’t have enough to do. Racism is a waste of time, energy and one’s life.
I mostly don't discuss the subject in real life. If anybody I know turns out to be a racist I cut them out of my life.
No, OP, I don't get you. You seem to object to racism, yet at the same time it appears to me that you are feeding it by your behavior.
I'm just not like you. I am doing my personal part to bring the races together. And I don't mean just whites and blacks, I'm dating a Vietnamese woman at present and loving it! I'm online dating and hope to date a Latina in the near future. Races and ethnicity mean nothing to me except as artificial boundaries to be shattered.
Yes. I am a white woman but I view other white people as ones that I'd more-likely-than-not be well served to steer clear of. Especially white men - it is hard not to view them as enemies by and large. The demographic has shown itself to be toxic and destructive, if not flat out dangerous.
I have also been blown away at how the election exposed bad behavior of white women, too. It's not as sweeping as a feeling but I make damn sure I know whether a white woman is a closet trumphumper or a did-not-voter before I invest a lot of time in the relationship.
I also had to ditch quite a number of white women out of my social circle for those reasons. It's depressing to discover how many closet racists, misogynists, and just plain awful people I know.
Here's another concept that is deceptively simple: the people who focus on and talk about race continuously -- ARE, IN FACT, THE RACISTS; think about it. (And they exist in all skin colors.) The rest of us are living life and hardly noticing the skin colors or features of those we interact with.
Um, wow. You really have your head in the sand. You claim to not notice skin color eh? Sure you don't. I bet everyone around you is white so why would you notice skin color anyway - in your circles it's all the same. It's easy to claim that you aren't racist and that racism isn't a thing when you don't have to look at it or deal with it in any way. Guaranteed your internal biases are hard at work making you feel like you are an OK person who "doesn't see color."
The "I don't see color" white people are just the worst.
Just to add, I have found it necessary, even desirable, to navigate my political opinions towards the center. The current political climate has made that particularly easy, especially negative comments about my principal stock holding: Amazon. I'm not in the political arena any more except I'm for anything that helps our economy, and I'm for upholding our Constitutional rights as spelled out in the document and Amendments.
My new found centrism has been particularly useful in my online dating where I not only state but truly believe centrist views now. Oh I support some conservative ideas and I support some liberal ideas: I pick and choose among the agenda of the opposing camps, and I think for myself. Just because some media talking head says something may amuse me but it means nothing at all to me unless the person is talking sense, and you don't find that very often.
I was a bit disturbed in viewing my matches the other day when I found a really cute Asian woman and she had a great profile, right up until she said her dates must have black hair and almond shaped eyes. I was dumbstruck. I blocked her account meaning I will never see her profile ever again.
I like Asian women, black women, Latinas, whatever, not all of them just the ones I find attractive in an individual way. In no way am I going to cut off any entire race because who knows what you will think about somebody if you just quit thinking about race and start thinking about individuals.
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Originally Posted by turkey-head
I think it's for the best. This white man has no interest in getting to know people who worry about "micro-aggressions"
The "I don't see color" white people are just the worst.
I agree with this part ^^^. The ones who immediately begin to list "all" all their black friends are a particularly repellent subset.
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Originally Posted by Lovehound
I am doing my personal part to bring the races together. And I don't mean just whites and blacks, I'm dating a Vietnamese woman at present and loving it! I'm online dating and hope to date a Latina in the near future. Races and ethnicity mean nothing to me except as artificial boundaries to be shattered.
... or boxes to be checked off your bucket list???
Oh my God! I feel absolutely the opposite! I have been going out of my way to meet black people, become friends with them, just to do my share to show them that not all whites are prejudiced. I don't even discuss 'black' with them. They are just people to me. Race doesn't enter into it except that at some level I am trying to even the score of the damage that all the bigots caused.
why do you NEED to go out of your way to meet black people. Either you make friends with people or you don't, but to specify a need to go OUT OF YOUR WAY for a specific race is very problematic in itself. Likewise why do you NEED to specify the ethnicity of who you choose to date like you are some white savior.
I found that so odd when I first came to America and still do.
Where did you move from?
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Originally Posted by Spuggy
why do you NEED to go out of your way to meet black people. Either you make friends with people or you don't, but to specify a need to go OUT OF YOUR WAY for a specific race is very problematic in itself. Likewise why do you NEED to specify the ethnicity of who you choose to date like you are some white savior.
Exactly.
It just comes across as patting oneself on the back, as if the women are a mere novelty because of their race and he's some sexual United Nations.
It's SO offensive to say "I don't see color..." or "Just stop talking about it!" because it completely dismisses the experiences of a person who has no choice BUT to see color because that's what they see when they look in a mirror.
To suggest that there is not actually a race issue here only proves that the speaker is spouting off from a place of ignorance because they have not actually had to try to assimilate into a majority culture. You literally haven't walked 10 feet in another person's shoes, much less a mile. Trust for a minute that those who are experiencing this life differently from you just might have a point.
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