Am I a Racist?

[angryoldman]

Re: Am I a Racist?

Ah the politically correctness of the western world brings a nice level of pussification of the majority, especially on the white male caucasian middle class!

Again, lemme give props to my pally Vandoo on this. No one dare challenge what he says here? Can you even understand it? Lemme break it down for you:
Go to Harlem or Compton and stand in the middle of the street preeching how blacks are treated unfairly. Why 50 years won't make up the hundreds of years of oppression. First thing that will happen to a honkey, you'll get gutted. Then, they'll steal your wallet. Then, if your clothes are nice enough, they'll steal them to. All the while, you're on the ground, bleeding and dying, because you felt the need to stand on a soapbox and play the "I'm running for governor role. Vote for me." Blacks don't care whether white folks feel sorry for them or not. Don't act like you're concerned for the well being of blacks, Mexicans, Chinese, etc... If you felt so strongly about it, you would be working for some sort of peace relief group somehwere. Or donating your free time to preech the Martin Luther King speech and what he was all about. Not worried about what a couple hundred people in a chat room think. We are all so worried about Political correctness today.

[supasaiyan99]

Re: Am I a Racist?

Ok, we are on the same page now. I see where you are coming from now bro. I just look at it like this...what if those who were sold into slavery never were? It would mean that there would be significantly less Black in America and those that were here would not have the same opportunites they do. IMO. I think, as sad as it is to say, that slavery gave opportunities to Blacks that they may not have every had otherwise. In a way, I feel that the slaves paid a huge price for Africans to have a better life. And look at the consequences, Africa is very poor, starving for the most part and yet the decendants of slaves have the opportunity to be whatever they want if they just apply themselves. I hope that better explains what I was trying to say. Because I would never down play what happened to those slaves.

Yeah I see what you are saying. As my mom always says everything happens for a reason, whether good or bad!

[Stout1]

Re: Am I a Racist?

OK stout, if you want to take it all the way back then why not say that if black people were never brought here they would never have the opportunities they have now. And if I remember right they were sold to whites by there own people. In todays time there is no need to have anyone get treatment over the other. Like affirmative action, all that doesnt is discriminate against white men. If you are not qualified then you shouldnt get the job just because you are the right color or gender. This discussion can go on forever but as long as each of us try to make the world better ,thats all we can do.

So you don't think 300-400 yearrs of oppression/slavery/racism didn't play or doesn't play a role in PART of the plight of the African American? Now not all African Americans don't obviously have it bad but I don't see how 300-400 years of bull**** can be fixed in less than fifty years. It wasn't that long ago that blacks didn't even have the same basic rights as us. Hell our grandparents probably went to deseg schools.

I just can't come to, in my mind, how that long of oppression would be just "washed away" once we gave them all their rights.

[Stout1]

Re: Am I a Racist?

Ok, I'm not down playing what happened, I'm jsut stating the facts. The English had metals that Africa didn't and they were willing to trade their own people for those metals. That's all I'm saying.

The American's also killed of millions of Indians and lied to them in treaties to steal their land. America was founded on blood, lies, and deceit.

For if we didn't steal the land from the Native American's there would be no USA today.

The USA would be an EXTREMELY diff place if slavery never happend. At the time our economy depended on it.

[AlmostThere]

Re: Am I a Racist?

I think everyone is prejudiced to a certain extent with very few exceptions.

[Stout1]

Re: Am I a Racist?

I agree with that 100% and I'll tell you why it is. Immagrants come to this country and think 'wow', people who are born here think 'whatever'. It's true. Immagrants are 5 times more likely to be sucessful than American born people per capita due to their impression of the country, just as you stated. But it goes beyond the ghetto, it's most of us. We have everything a person could want, so we take if for granted. An immagrant comes here and is so blown away by all the possiblities that by the time someone tries to convince them it's not really a big deal, it's too late, they've already made it. That's why you had the mentality you did as a child, for you this country had endless possibilites, where as, just as you stated, someone with a history of their ancestors being degraded and treated like they were less than human is going to have some of that drilled in their head. It all goes back to up brining IMO. If parents tell their kids they can do anything they put their mind to every day and encourage them to do their best, those kids will do great. But parents who don't encourage their kids, or even worse, tell their kids they aren't going to do anythign right, they are setting their kids up for failure.

Agreed!

I got an uncle, well basically an uncle. Not married but might as well be, but anyways. He came over from Bosnia with NOTHING. Started washing dishes for $5.50 an hour. Did some other misc. jobs and saved up. Fast forward several years later he owns a BMW SUV (paid for). Bought a house in the suburbs that he tore down to REBUILD on top of, has his own construction crew of bout 15 guys and so on.

So if you want it bad enough you can get it. Just from what I see is either minorities, mainly lower class people, not even minorities, have no guidance or someone to steer them in the right direction.

I'm kinda on the fence with the issue. I see the racism and its STILL there. I see how the past still affects us today. But I also see that if my "uncle" can come here with NOTHING and make something than anyone can. It all comes down to how bad you want it.

[AlmostThere]

Re: Am I a Racist?

Agreed!

I got an uncle, well basically an uncle. Not married but might as well be, but anyways. He came over from Bosnia with NOTHING. Started washing dishes for $5.50 an hour. Did some other misc. jobs and saved up. Fast forward several years later he owns a BMW SUV (paid for). Bought a house in the suburbs that he tore down to REBUILD on top of, has his own construction crew of bout 15 guys and so on.

So if you want it bad enough you can get it. Just from what I see is either minorities, mainly lower class people, not even minorities, have no guidance or someone to steer them in the right direction.

I'm kinda on the fence with the issue. I see the racism and its STILL there. I see how the past still affects us today. But I also see that if my "uncle" can come here with NOTHING and make something than anyone can. It all comes down to how bad you want it.

He was motivated he knew what he wanted and went for it. The entitlement mentality is only for people born here.

[T-Man007]

Re: Am I a Racist?

So if you want it bad enough you can get it. Just from what I see is either minorities, mainly lower class people, not even minorities, have no guidance or someone to steer them in the right direction.

I'm kinda on the fence with the issue. I see the racism and its STILL there. I see how the past still affects us today. But I also see that if my "uncle" can come here with NOTHING and make something than anyone can. It all comes down to how bad you want it.

Exactly! If you want it bad enough, it's yours for the taking. That's the greates thing about this country....the only limits are those people put on themselves. Well, aside from the physically or mentally handicapped, there are no limits as to what you can accomplish if you want it bad enough.

I heard a theory a while back and I agree 100% with it. If you took all the money in the world and divided it up evenly amongst everyone. Over 95% of that money would end up right back in the same hands. The other 5% would be those hand me down millionaires who didn't earn it so they wouldn't know how to get it back and those people who had the know how but never got the break they needed. Besides those, everyone else would pretty much end up right back where they were. It all comes down to one thing, attitude!

[Rolsroyce]

Re: Am I a Racist?

So you don't think 300-400 yearrs of oppression/slavery/racism didn't play or doesn't play a role in PART of the plight of the African American? Now not all African Americans don't obviously have it bad but I don't see how 300-400 years of bull**** can be fixed in less than fifty years. It wasn't that long ago that blacks didn't even have the same basic rights as us. Hell our grandparents probably went to deseg schools.

I just can't come to, in my mind, how that long of oppression would be just "washed away" once we gave them all their rights.

why wouldnt it? It doesnt matter what happened to yesterday,the world we live in now offers us all these opportunities. Thats like saying if your great grandfather killed someone or wronged them then you owe that family. You dont that was your great grandfather that owed them. We today dont owe anything, If you want it go after it ,screw all the preferential treatment. There are lots of whites that get passed over for things because of their race these day. Like I say there needs to be no special treatment for anyone, we should all be considered equal in the eyes of the government and employers.

[T-Man007]

Re: Am I a Racist?

why wouldnt it? It doesnt matter what happened to yesterday,the world we live in now offers us all these opportunities. Thats like saying if your great grandfather killed someone or wronged them then you owe that family. You dont that was your great grandfather that owed them. We today dont owe anything, If you want it go after it ,screw all the preferential treatment. There are lots of whites that get passed over for things because of their race these day. Like I say there needs to be no special treatment for anyone, we should all be considered equal in the eyes of the government and employers.

Exactly!

[ottorotvic]

Re: Am I a Racist?

I get pissed about the reverse racism I see sometimes, but I think that part of it is a natural backlash to the way things have been for so long.

Bottom line, it's good to be white in America. Yes, there is a certain degree of racism and double standard against white people that goes untalked about, but how much is it really hurting our lifestyle? It hurts my feelings sometimes, but I know that we still run just about everything. Being white still helps me get jobs and gives me an immediate benefit of the doubt in the eyes of the law.

True racial equality on every level will happen eventually, but right now white people are the brunt of some hurtful attitues and a lot of resentment. I try not to let it bother me as I walk around my affluent white neighborhood.