Black People

[bunny]

Agree with the phenomenon, disagree with the interpretation. I think the bigots are distracted. If the middle east and illegal alien problems were solved or just not focussed on by the media, theyd quickly get back into anti-black prejudice. In Australia we have a history of asian prejudice, this has also subsided in recent years, but I doubt we've become more tolerant - we're just focussing on a different "them".

[The Bandit Fish]

[ QUOTE ]
David, first let me state that you are my personal hero.

Next, I think your opinion is wrong. I think if you travel through just about every part of the south racism is still very prevelent and not going anywhere. While it may not be as bad as it was in the past it is def. still around.

[/ QUOTE ]

Having lived both in the north and south I can tell you that people in the north are just as racist as those in the south.

In the south you mostly have loud mouth idiots and the assumption is that because that one guy was a loud, racist idiot that everyone there must be. In the north it's not shouted out loud, but there is at least an equal amout of racist people there.

[The Bandit Fish]

[ QUOTE ]
We are all racist to some degree because we are human.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prejudiced would be a better word to use here.

[andyfox]

I would hope that you are right, but my sense is that you're not. It's only anecdotal evidence, but I am constantly disappointed by how people, in privacy, talk about "diversity."

[adios]

Seriously, I realize that I insulate myself from a great deal from that kind of talk so I'm probably unrealistically optimistic.

[ill rich]

i think racism in america is dwindling but not because of what you said

i'm 21... turning 22 in march

and i think its because my generation is coming into adulthood and were not bringing racism with us

we go to mixed schools... my highschool was 40% black

so we are used to all types of people and dont really see black people like white people used to back in the 60's

then, it wasnt a big deal to be racist

now, its offencive, even if youre white, to hear people say hurtful things about peoples race

[crusevegas]

[ QUOTE ]
The way I see it, racism (or at least prejudice) is a natural human trait. If you are not from my tribe I'm suspicious of you. It's a defense mechanism. The fact that David even noticed the percentage of Blacks in town, tells you something. It was obviously an issue with him.


[/ QUOTE ]

Read three of your posts on the thread and you make a lot of very good and logical statements.

I am very curious as to how you came to the conclusion that it was obviously an issue with David. I thought it was an observation from a very or even over anylitical person.

[J_B]

As a whole certain ethnic groups do tend to act in certain ways. This is where stereotypes are derived from.

For instance, I used to live in a hispanic neighborhood. I got along well with them. Great people. But, the stereotypes were true, the polka type music, tequila, 4 families in a house, disappearing to Mexico a week here and a week there.

Another group is Indians (not native americans.) Their homes do tend to smell of curry. Why? Because as a group they tend to use more curry in cooking than any other group.

So, my point is that it is these types of things where prejudices are derived from. We use our previous experiences to try and help us make decisions about people and areas. We are always on the defense. This is due to the utmost rule of self preservation before all else.

Examples of this can be a fear of heights because you fell when you were young or maybe a fear of water because you almost drowned and so on.

Things (and people) that are different are unknown. This invokes our defense mechanisms.

Also, fwiw, on the whole, the most racist group of people I have known was NOT the whites. I refrain from saying which group in a public forum.

Much of our attention and general distaste as of late has been directed towards people of middle eastern and Indian descent.

After all, if you got on a plane, who do you want filling the rest of the seats? The blacks(1), whites(2), Indians, or mid easterns?

(1) I state blacks here because just as not all hispanics are Mexican, not all blacks are from Africa.

(2) I state whites because not all whites are of european descent.

[jackaaron]

[ QUOTE ]
To find out how colorblind you really are imagine the following scenario:

You have a chance to move all black people back to Africa, let's say to Liberia or any other african country of your choice. Everyone of them would have instant amnesia and forget that they have ever been to the US and nobody would ever find out that you did it. Would you do it?

I'd say if you make a poll amongst white americans, the outcome would be a landslide. It wouldn't even be close.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know if I'm in the minority of 30 something white males, but I couldn't possibly dream of moving blacks. I need diversity, as I have had it my entire life. Sure, I may have disagreements with certain aspects of another race's culture...but that's all they are, disagreements.

The way I know I couldn't stand it is, at one point in my career I started to make a lot more money. I moved from where I grew up, essentially, into this very high upper class area 10-15 miles out, almost all white (even the black people were white people).

I hated it.

I felt like every time I went to the local grocery store, people were staring at me (they were). It's as if they were saying, "Oh, there's that guy that use to live in the inner city." Throughout the area, there was this arrogance that I just could not stomach, an arrogance I never had to put up with while living amongst a diverse group of people.

I eventually moved back to a more diverse area (not my original one) and was much happier.

[Shandrax]

There is no doubt that the black community in the US makes life more "colorful". On the other hand, if you get stabbed and robbed at night, chances are it will be a black guy.

Poverty leads to crime, so moving the poor blacks back to Africa would drastically lower the crime rate in the US and maybe even save a few lives.

Funny, isn't it?

You can't do it of course, because there is an unwritten moral codex that doesn't allow stuff like that. It is similar to the unwritten agreement amongst people not to eat dogs. It makes no sense, but everyone respects it...except a few chinese, but they don't count.