An Example of Non-T Behavior

[quote]Professor X wrote:
His was probably the most blatant considering he actually thought that way of thinking was OK since other people in his suburban community spoke that way.[/quote]

You’re right, but this was the only post in this whole thread that spoke to the author’s racism. The ONLY one.

There is absolutely no evidence at all in any response in this thread save the one mentioned above that demonstrates your point. Not one. WHERE is it ever alluded to that the action of this one piece of shit is representative of the entire Black race? You’re seeing something that simply isn’t there, bro. I urge you to reread those posts as there is no malice intended by any, covert or otherwise. “Black” is used as an identifying adjective, nothing more.

Again, where is the implication ANYWHERE that this relation was made in an attempt to “make it seem as if these actions are equally distributed throughout society”? You’re pulling this out of thin air. For the record, Prof. X, YOU were the first one to mention the Rodney King case, albeit to make the point that this case was not an example of a hate crime (a point on which we agree). However, I used the Rodney King reference to make a point that the VIDEO of this incident is more telling of a hate crime than the VIDEO of the Rodney King beating. It is only with the additional evidence of past incidents and allegations that the status of that video gets raised to that of showing a hate crime. In the absence of any additional information (like we had with the R.K. trial), we have to at least concede that there exists an elevated reason to suspect a “hate” element given the attacker’s reference to the victim’s race when singling him out for a beating. Referring to the attacker as “black” and the victim as “white” in the context of this message board is clearly for the sake of identification. To avoid even mentioning something as obvious as race would constitute a self-consciousness that shouldn’t exist if race is truly to ever cease being an issue at all. Referring to the attacker is the “big, black dude” doesn’t seem to reveal size discrimination to you. Why do you jump on one adjective as being indicative of hatred, and not the other?

That may be true, although I still think this would be a story due to the existence of the video and the fact that the patrons ignored the beating. However, it would have been just as big an issue as far as race is concerned had the races been reversed. And you know this is true. What do both those things say about society? In my opinion, they say the same things: people are too hung up on race. Aleksander (sp?) is a perfect example. If every time someone mentions race in a certain context it’s considered racism, then racism will NEVER go away. You can count on that.

[quote]JMB wrote:
ChrisPowers wrote:
…that the myth endures that racism is a rampant problem in society to this day…

Myth? If you say so…

But let me guess, you’re a white guy.


JMB[/quote]

Can’t we all just get along?
Dammit.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
For the record, if “white motherfucker” is a racial slur, then there have been racial slurs all of the way through this thread. I never got the memo that stated, “If you mention a person’s skin tone before you call them a nasty name, it then becomes a racial slur”. Is Cajun Dumbass a racial slur? How about German Nitwit? Maybe Italian Fat ass? None of those are racial slurs, so why is “white motherfucker” now considered a racial slur?

Some of y’all can kiss my black ass. Whoops…I just insulted myself.[/quote]

What gives, Professor? These are your words, and the first time in the thread that the term “slur” was used to refer to what this cunt said:

[quote]JMB wrote:
ChrisPowers wrote:
…that the myth endures that racism is a rampant problem in society to this day…

Myth? If you say so…

But let me guess, you’re a white guy.


JMB[/quote]

Wow. Racism is now a myth. I’ll have to let all of my bretheren and sisters know that the fight is finally over. That is, because ChrisPowers says so.

Long live ChrisPowers!! Free At last, free at last, Thank ChrisPowers that we are free at last.

By the way, could I get that in writing. I need something to show the bitch at Zales jewelry store who acted as if she was about to call the police last Saturday because I just wanted to know my ring size.

[quote]JMB wrote:
ChrisPowers wrote:
…that the myth endures that racism is a rampant problem in society to this day…

Myth? If you say so…

But let me guess, you’re a white guy.


JMB[/quote]

Yes, I’m white. But be sure to read my entire post. I never said racism was dead. I said it’s a myth that racism is as rampant as it was. Come on, there was a time when Blacks were enslaved and lynched on a daily basis. We’ve come a long way since then. And until some Black leaders start acknowledging this, we’re going to continue to take a step back for every step forward.

And, by the way, if the implication here is that because I’m white, I don’t know what it’s like to be the target of racism, you can take that argument and chuck it out the window right now. I was raised and continue to live in a community with the most dense population of hispanics in The United States, and have been the recipient of more overt racism than I care to recount (and I’m not talking about the “look at that white guy” “racism” that is the subject of previous posts).

I guess that being brought up lower a class white kid that started selling drugs at an early age makes me a secondary target of the CIAs’ conspiracy. They must have known that I would start using them, become addicted, and destroy myself and my comunity. Those bastards owe me some reparations!
Or does that just make me a misguided idiot that saw an opportunity to make money, without the moral guidance to distinguish right from wrong?
I’m prety sure it was the latter.

Either way I have to live in the present.Getting hung up in the past isn’t going to help anything.Especialy if I make it my goal in life to point out how badly the Irish were treated when they came to this country for work and couldn’t even get jobs,or the ones that they could get were so low paying and dangerous that many were killed at work in mine fires and other industrial misshap.

All of this conspiracy theory shit is exactly the type of thing that is going to distract you from success and give a more than adequite justification for failure. The last time I heard shit like that was in jail. Comming from some black guy, explaining to me how he got there.The only difference is that he lacked a college education and wasn’t as well versed with the use of hyperbole. What he failed to realise is that I am white and in the cell right next to him.
Believe me when I tell you, this conspiracy type thinking isn’t going to help you succede in life, unless your idea of success is to be able to rationalize why you have failed.
A good idea might be to grow some thicker skin, regardless of what color it is. Failure doesn’t target race.
Love,
lillywhitecrackerassmuthafucka

Beware the reader who skips to the 8th page of a thread. Ya’ll got really off topic.

Okay, if you agree, then the above statement is altogether too damned bland. I mean, this is it, this is all you have to say?

An entire segment of society is written off by an official government agency, without so much as a second thought, and it was simply wrong.

Holy fuck. How much arrogance and discrimination do you think actually occurs for this type of thing to be undertaken by those in such a position of power.

Are you old enough to understand the “old boys network” system in most large institutions?

Everybody today is acting just like one of those bystanders in the pizza shop! Nope, I don’t see it, there is no racism, nothing wrong, people are just making poor choices based on skin tone.

There are at least two America’s, the one the privileged live in, and the one for everyone else. Most of us are standing around as bystanders pretending it doesn’t exist.

What a bunch of bullshit about stepping in and doing something. This isn’t even a life threatening situation and most of you are acting like pussies allowing racism and its consequences to be inflicted on large chunks of your population. Why? Because if you turn your back, don’t look, and pretend it doesn’t exist, it won’t impact you.

Hypocritical pussies. Just because it isn’t as visible as a punch out in a pizza shop, doesn’t mean it isn’t having a huge and painful impact on millions of poeople every day.

[quoteBy the way, could I get that in writing. I need something to show the bitch at Zales jewelry store who acted as if she was about to call the police last Saturday because I just wanted to know my ring size.
[/quote]

shit, Prof–I’m white, I live in an almost all white state and I get looked at that way when I go in jewelry stores too.
Let’s see…I work for a living, so I’m usually in paint and sawdust covered clothes, my hair is usually a little wild, and I have some sort of beard at all times, from stubble to 6 moths worth. I’m a big guy (not as big as you!) and look about as much like I belong in a jewelry store as nothin’ at all.
Last time I went in one I had 3 employees watching me the entire time I was in their. One from the left, one right in front of me, and one from behind.
I don’t think it was because they thought I was hot.
Not everything is related to racism. Maybe a large man just freaked the lady out?

So it seems everyone want to jump on one sentence that I wrote and take it out of context in an attempt to discredit me. Ask yourselves why people seem to feel the need to do this. Let’s lay it all out for those who don’t have the luxury of the time required to actually read my entire posts from start to finish. Here’s what I said:

“…the myth … that racism is a RAMPANT problem in society to this day.” (my caps)

Let’s take a few other quotes of mine (all taken from this very page of posts, mind you, and all readily available to anyone jumping on this particular bandwagon):

[quote]“I guess you’re not aware of it, but you’re the reason why racism still exists in this country to the extent that it does.”

“I am by no means saying that racism doesn’t exist,…”

“If every time someone mentions race in a certain context it’s considered racism, then racism will NEVER go away.”[/quote]

Now, commence with labeling me an ign’ant hick racist.

[quote]mindeffer01 wrote:
I guess that being brought up lower a class white kid that started selling drugs at an early age makes me a secondary target of the CIAs’ conspiracy. They must have known that I would start using them, become addicted, and destroy myself and my comunity. Those bastards owe me some reparations!

Love,
lillywhitecrackerassmuthafucka
[/quote]

Mindeffer, you’re right. You are a lillywhitecrackerassmuthafucka. Seriously though, I agree with you that more personal responsibility needs to be accepted by EVERYONE. I have never stated otherwise. I had a roommate who never went to class unless he was screwing one of the girls in it. He didn’t graduate college. “The Man” is not the reason he didn’t finish. He didn’t finish because Mortal Kombat was tight! However, I think you are missing the point being made by that dive into drug origins in the black community. In that particular vane of thought, while you may have been “collateral damage”, you were not the original prime target. You can argue against that if you wish, but that is the point being made.

Other than that, every individual has the responsibility to make the most of his environment and the gifts he is given. However, to act as if the black community has been leveled on the playing field just yet may be about 10 years premature. I do agree that we are no where near the edge we were leaning over 30 years ago. You would have to be blind to not notice how far we have come in that time. Usher is now outselling Justin Timberlake. Black NFL players get paid more than the president in some cases, and Beyonce Knowles can now get equal (or more) time on a make up commercial as her Brittany-esque rivals. Hell, I’m not even 30 years old yet and I make twice what my parents collectively did when I was born.

However, I have a young cousin right now back home who is in trouble, who came from a broken family and is on a different path. I recognize the obstacles out there and don’t try to pretend as if they don’t exist, or as if no one should find them substantial enough to hinder their progress. We aren’t at the destination just yet. Don’t get pissed because we point that out and the reasons for it.

[quote]
Yes, I’m white. But be sure to read my entire post. I never said racism was dead. I said it’s a myth that racism is as rampant as it was. Come on, there was a time when Blacks were enslaved and lynched on a daily basis. We’ve come a long way since then. And until some Black leaders start acknowledging this, we’re going to continue to take a step back for every step forward. [/quote]

Do you see how quickly this thread became polarized? The stance taken by white people and black people on this thread is quite different, or at least that’s how it seems to me. What does this tell me? There is as much racial tension as ever, but it’s just beneath the surface. Why? I would suspect that it’s because racism, rather than disapearing like some people would have you believe, has become more subtle.

Sure, there might be fewer people that will call you “nigger” to your face and try to lynch you. But that’s because they don’t have to. MTV and BET call you nigger all the time. Lynching? why bother? The police might do the lynching, and no one goes to jail. Or if not, they can just plant some shit on you, and then the courts will do the lynching.

I here you Prof., and agree whole heartedly. I hope your cousin finds his way through. With someone like you around he probably stands a better chance than most.

[quote]JMB wrote:
ZEB wrote:
After reading this thread I wonder how it got turned into a black/white issue?

This shouldn’t surprise you at all. Any time black and white people are even in the same room the undercurrent of racial tension is palpable.


JMB[/quote]

Is the tension really racial or is it just a lack of understanding and knowledge?
On both sides.

[quote]vroom wrote:
I agree, the outcome was likely anticipated and written off. That was wrong.

Okay, if you agree, then the above statement is altogether too damned bland. I mean, this is it, this is all you have to say?

An entire segment of society is written off by an official government agency, without so much as a second thought, and it was simply wrong.

Holy fuck. How much arrogance and discrimination do you think actually occurs for this type of thing to be undertaken by those in such a position of power.

Are you old enough to understand the “old boys network” system in most large institutions?

Everybody today is acting just like one of those bystanders in the pizza shop! Nope, I don’t see it, there is no racism, nothing wrong, people are just making poor choices based on skin tone.

There are at least two America’s, the one the privileged live in, and the one for everyone else. Most of us are standing around as bystanders pretending it doesn’t exist.

What a bunch of bullshit about stepping in and doing something. This isn’t even a life threatening situation and most of you are acting like pussies allowing racism and its consequences to be inflicted on large chunks of your population. Why? Because if you turn your back, don’t look, and pretend it doesn’t exist, it won’t impact you.

Hypocritical pussies. Just because it isn’t as visible as a punch out in a pizza shop, doesn’t mean it isn’t having a huge and painful impact on millions of poeople every day.[/quote]

Well said.

Ignorance is the breeding ground for racism…on both sides.

Vroom, I’m sorry, did I forget to fall on my knees and beg forgiveness for something that happened before I was born?

My post had nothing to do with whether there was racism or not in general. I merely was addressing the merits of blaming the CIA or the government as a whole, for drug/gang problems in the black community. Did the government fail to do its part to protect those communities? Yes. Was this failure due to the racial makeup of the communities? That is certainly possible, but by no means proven. Did the community itself CHOOSE(an important word here) to be infested with drugs? Yes.

For the record, I don’t doubt that there is racism, albeit somewhat closeted, going on even to this day, though I think its less of a problem, though still a problem.

To some extent at least, I agree with Professor X in that everyone has some responsability to take. The racism prior to the drug matter, and the negligence of some parts of the government made it possible for some black urban communities to make irresponsible decisions.

[quote]Aleksandr wrote:
Do you see how quickly this thread became polarized? The stance taken by white people and black people on this thread is quite different, or at least that’s how it seems to me. What does this tell me? There is as much racial tension as ever, but it’s just beneath the surface. Why? I would suspect that it’s because racism, rather than disapearing like some people would have you believe, has become more subtle.[/quote]

I don’t know who would have us believe that racism has disappeared, and I’m not so certain about the notion that this thread has become polarized along racial lines, but if racism is indeed simply more subtle, then it is more subtle on all sides, and not just in one direction, as your posts tend to imply.

And who’s responsible for that behavior? And for propagating the widespread, accepted use of the term “nigger”? BET is owned, operated, and was founded by a Black man. And “nigger” in its current use first appeared to the general public in rap and hip hop music. I don’t hear Tim McGraw singing “nigger” this and “nigger” that.

You think that Blacks don’t get lynched on a daily basis anymore because we White people have decided to just “let the cops do it”? Your point of view is extreme to say the least.

Moon, I will grant you that. None of us are responsible for actions taken before we are born.

However, the consequences of such actions are still prevalent today. If we ignore the current situation, during our lifetime, because we didn’t bring it about, it is still wrong. This is the part that remains equivalent to standing around the pizza joint.

Nowadays we, most of us, are simply responsible for our inaction. Excuse me while I step over this body to go order my pizza – since it was here before I got here, I’m certainly not going to concern myself with it.

[quote]vroom wrote:
There are at least two America’s, the one the privileged live in, and the one for everyone else. Most of us are standing around as bystanders pretending it doesn’t exist.
[/quote]

This is absurd. There’s plenty of opportunity out there for anyone, ANYONE to take advantage of. Everyone has their own obstacles to overcome, and those who fail to do so tend to be the ones who focus on those obstacles, rather than on overcoming them.

This country is literally filled with stories of people who moved from poverty to wealth–people of all races. Sure being born into privilege gives you an advantage, but pissing and moaning about your current set of circumstances is the number one reason why people fail to change their situations for the better.

The American Dream doesn’t come to those who expect it; it comes to those who earn it.