Wolverine wrote: “You are doing alot of finger pointing about slavery. Did you know it was your own race who sold you into slavery? SoI guess all your opression is “whitey’s” fault. Get a life, slavery is over the only thing holding down the black race is itself!!! “
-I don’t understand your point. You accuse me of finger pointing and then you do the same. I am done with this topic because I have presented my side. If you want to know how I think about any of it, all you have to do is read above. Anyone else calling me out with responses like this one can keep it because obviously you just wanted your name in the thread along with everyone else‘s.
ryan to Prof X wrote:”Dude, please explain to me what the number of black owners of professional sports teams has anything to do with what the anonymous poster’s message was. I don’t understand what you are trying to say.”
As I just wrote to Wolverine, I have already expressed my side. It is already written in this thread. I don’t see the point in carrying this on unless you just want to argue. My point, simply, is that it is all about money. The magazine, the basketball game, all of it comes down to money. Yes, there are tons of players but someone is making more money than they are. That is the point. You obviously believe that all things are equal, and who knows, as of today, you just might be right. I might never get another “scared” look from some old lady in the mall or ever feel as if I am ever discriminated against for the rest of my life. Hell, this one thread may have ended all bigotry on the entire planet and now my time is just as good as yours all over the world. If that is the case, then there is nothing left to say except, scream, “we did it!” into the air as I run to apply for a CEO’s position. Oh, yeah, I am making light of it because I am tired of being asked so many times in this thread, “could you clarify” as if I didn’t type clearly the first time. All of us are human and as such we get pissed. You are lying if you say you don’t. You get pissed when you are late to work because of traffic. You get pissed when the dog shits on the carpet right in front of your new girl friend. You get pissed when the grocery store runs out of milk and I bet damn well you would be pissed if you had to explain yourself over and over because of things that had happened to you directly that everyone else want to brush off as non-existent. If you want to know what is going inside the head of a black man, all you have to do is ask. However, here is a word of advice, when you do, don’t make a habit of trying to tell him that all of his thoughts are wrong and all of yours are completely right. In tends to set up a block. Peace. One more thing, to everyone who was able to carry on this discussion without insults, you have my respect, regardless of what color you are.
Okay, guys. For the sake of argument, let’s eliminate slavery from the mix. (It seems like in a lot of you guys minds, it was some kind of “equal opportunity” evil with equal responsibility from both races…unbelievable that someone would argue that…but I’ll concede that, just to get to some of the most devastating and destructive parts of our history). After all…I should be grateful to Massa anyway. If it wasn’t for him, I would NEVER know the ecstasy of fried chicken, watermelon, playing the banjo and swimming swamps (hell…that was probably pretty good cardio anyway)…thank ‘ya, suh…
Perhaps even more devastating than slavery in many ways was POST “Emancipation”; this included, but was not limited to: a series of Jim Crow laws, meant SPECIFICALLY to prevent the learning of reading and writing, certain financial transactions, voting, and legal protections afforded others ; separate but un-equal institutions (especially educational), that spanned from business to sports and the all important field of education; legal indifference and often downright legal support of the unconstitutional treatment of minorities; domestic terrorism in the form of lynchings, killings, bombings and harassment; almost total lack of access to financial markets and major buisness; the list can go on. And these were things that were 1) VERY slow to dismantle 2) RECENT in our history and 3) rear their ugly heads from time to time, with the major difference being the changes in laws and their enforcement.
I have conceded that as a people, we can be our own worst enemy. And I agree that a people’s history should not be an “excuse” to not move forward. But DO NOT insult my intelligence by arguing that the history of a people should have NO bearing on where they are at the present; or that America has some now done some kind of racial “flip-flop” that has placed the White Male at the bottom of the evolutionary, political, business and social ladder. (Maybe Prof and me can show you guys how to sing some ‘ole Negro spirituals?).
I’m with Prof; thank you to you guys who carried on this very lively discussion without insult…and I wanted thank my parents and grandparents for suffering through a whole lot of injustice so that their kids didn’t have to…
Mufasa, I got in this kinda late so I missed the opportunity to share most of my thoughts and seeing as how angry Prof X got at my message my missing this thread may have been a good thing(BTW there was no sarcasm in my post, I have heard people use that in talks of discrimination and I wanted someone to explain to me how it is a form of discrimination). But I just wanted to say a few things concerning your last post but I will not talk about slavery b/c it seems that people hold different beliefs other than the fact that white men owned black slaves. Yes black people did have problems with advancing in society even after they were freed, and things that held them back were things that you mentioned in addition to others. I don’t know if you were trying to defend affirmative action but here is my take: It was something that was needed went it was implemented but may not be needed anymore(can’t decide). I think the main reason that it was necessary was b/c black people had little to no experience in many fields of business and that is usually at the top of the list when an employer looks at new applicants. Most people I talk too about AA don’t seem to realize this. Of course there was the extreme possibility of racism in the work place(and I’m sure it existed) but I would like to think that that is now at a minimum today. Of course I can’t help but think that people still elect Strom Thurmond(he’s about to die though) into office and he held the longest filibuster of all time to delay a bill that had to do with some form of integration. But AA soon needs to go the way of the dinosaurs but I can’t tell you what needs to be put in its place. I think underneath all of the bitching white people do lies in the fact that they hate when black people play the race card. Sometimes it is true but sometimes it is just bullshit. Unfortunately, most people hear only of the ones that make the biggest headlines and these are usually bullshit. Sometimes I think it is jealousy b/c if a white guy tried to play the race card people would laugh at him and some would brand him an awful racist. As for the things that started the thread: who cares. But I do think its kinda strange that black people want equal but go out of their way to promote a “BET” or “Black Maxim” which is a form of segregation I think. In closing, I do think its kinda foolish to think that I can speak for you or any black person b/c I haven’t lived your lives but I must disagree with you on some things. And don’t take too hard what the guys have said here; 3 of my friends walked in as I was typing this post and I let them read what the general topic of the thread was and…well… let’s just say that what everyone has said here is kind in comparison. You are still among friends.
Prof X, I didn’t appreciate the tone of your post but I’ll let that slide since it has been you and Mufasa(and a couple other one time posters) against everyone and I know that could get overwhelming.
to Prof. X I think your point about the owners of the teams making the money is irrelevant. You wont find me feeling sorry for those “poor” oppressed pro athletes anytime soon even if they are working for whitey owner, not on their salaries buddy. And the business side of pro sports, sure, someone took an investment risk and purchased the team, hell should I complain because I don’t own a pro team? not a chance, I don’t have the capital to do so, therefore I don’t own one and go to work like most everyone else. Pro sports is quite obviously a business like any other and should not they be subject to A/A too if the system were truly fair, or again is it just selective useage when it benefits you only? You wanna gripe about who all the money is going to, how about everyones 401 K’s and stock portfolios? Did you know the single largest (capital wise) investor in the country is a black man? Bet you didn’t know that. I’m talking private investor here, not someone who manages funds like Warren Buffett. How much would you wager he was smart enough to be short the market through the devastation and collected hundreds of millions if not billions from John Q Uneducated Public Middle Class Whitey? Should Whitey then complain, hell no, we have no basis for complaint. The man was a great deal smarter than the rest of us and is being rewarded for it.
OK guys I’ve stayed completely outta’ this crap, but I’m starting to get some bad views about fellow T-men. I say we let this all die here and go back to bodybuilding before some serious wounds are opened or barriers built.
Mufasa, “…thank ‘ya, suh…”???(Maybe Prof and me can show you guys how to sing some ‘ole Negro spirituals?).??? What’s up with all that? I am getting a very negative opinion about many regular posters on this forum. I understand all about anger and frustration but don’t alienate yourself from everybody who is different. We are all different, and all the same.