Racism?

[Indignant]

unfortunately what Nisha said is true, however it starts hurting more later on in life when a black person starts working in the same position as your white coworkers and they climb up the corporate ladder while blacks are still kept where they started. yes the salary will increase every year, but not as drastically as the white person's. thus blacks buy houses in Inglewood, and whites in Beverly Hills.

[Cain]

The thing that pisses me off about race is that it's the answer to everything. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, for example, love to play the race card whenever they can. Remember the Jena 6? A white kid brought a noose to school and they basically beat him to a bloody mess. Sure, it was wrong for him to bring a noose to school, but what pissed me off is that people were saying they shouldn't get in trouble at all. Really? So, if I'm walking down the street and a black person calls me a cracker I should be allowed to beat him to a bloody mess?

[vashti]

But that's neither here nor there... I'm 1/16th black --- documented in my own genealogy... but does that matter? No, because I'm not that individual in my ancestry who was black, who was treated badly, and who was forced into slavery.

I may well have black in me too, but if I don't look black, I get all the advantages of being white, as did my parents and their parents before them. I don't care for people playing the race card either, but you can't deny that there are certain advantages that come with being white.

[Lipp]

Over here people just assume that I'm an aussie until they hear my accent (or lack thereof), there's a lil bit of a gap between the local and very prominent asian culture here, but you don't really see any racism on the streets, it's probably more so in the employment sector, and not terrible there either fortunately.

Might be a permanent resident/temporary resident kind of thing though, not necessarily racial.

[Aeradalia]

I may well have black in me too, but if I don't look black, I get all the advantages of being white, as did my parents and their parents before them. I don't care for people playing the race card either, but you can't deny that there are certain advantages that come with being white.

I had the luxury of being raised as a military brat when I was younger... so I had the idea of 'everyone being equal' instilled into me... so the idea of one race being treated differently than another (good or bad) is known, but still seems 'strange'. Albeit, I did spend some time in the country as well.. with a lot of whites, but had the luxury of having quite a few blacks and Hispanics living there as well. Perhaps this town was an exception, but the whites didn't really seemed bothered by these neighbors and friends... It wasn't until in my adolescence and later when I moved to different cities that I saw the race card being played so much. It struck me as odd and seemingly unnecessary (everyone was treated the same way when I was growing up... so why the special treatment all of the sudden... why the discrimination all of a sudden? etc).

I've seen what it's like for everyone to still be prideful of their heritage (I'm proud to be German... others are proud to be Hispanic, Black, Asian.. etc) but still considered one of the bunch (we're all equal here)... I don't care what your background is (other than a momentary... wow, you're descended from such and such country... ), all that matters to me is if you're a really nice person to get along with or a complete asshole... Just as it should be.

And yes, I do consider it to be shitty each race is treated differently... some favored, others looked over, and even more struggling to improve their status in society. This should be a non-issue... if you walk through that door and are qualified for the job then you should get the job --- why do they need to include your race here? If you're smart enough and determined enough, then you should have a shot at that grant --- race doesn't matter here... why is it necessary to bring it up? All that should matter is what you're capable of... what kind of person you essentially are... not the stereotypes associated with the multitude of races that exists... To include race in work, school, and marital matters is just retarded... Race does not define the heart and soul of an individual --- the individual does.

[ecojeanne]

black people were bought and sold. they were beaten, raped, and forced to work all day and sleep outside on the porch like dogs. forced to be separated from their family members.

and when they tried to get away they were chased by dogs.

i don't think it's the same.

have you ever heard of signs saying 'no dogs, no irish' puleeze look up irish history, we had it bad, but you know what!!? 'I' didn't have it bad and will not use that card against the english generation now coz it's fcked up to do so and extremely unfair. it's not their fault their grandparents were assholes, we have our freedom now and yes their grandchildren still have it easier but wtf do i care coz IIIII don't care as long as IIII am happy and my family are happy and safe, get over yourselves and realise we now have to just get on with things. i'm ok with the fact that a protestant girl my age has had better opportunities than me, i don't give a fck coz we have it a lot better now than we did 15 years ago and I'M NOT KIDDING, so give it up. it doesn't work on me

[The_bobb]

I agree whole heartedly with Eco, i was raised in a very open minded family... and it pisses me off when a black person RAVES about the injustice that MY people caused on the world. Or an Asian RAVES about those "camps" we put them in after Pearl Harbor. Or a Jewish guy RAVES about the Holocaust.

Get this, the only people that have ANY right to complain about these points in history (albeit very DARK and HORRIBLE), are the people that went through it!

I'm not saying minorities get treated the same as the majority.

But in my opinion, if you didn't grow up during the bad times, you have no reason to bitch about them.

[ecojeanne]

and btw i'm proud to say my dad made lots of money and is now making it his mission to buy up land the english stole from the irish where he comes from, good for him i say. he hates the english and i am very careful not to defend them in front of him out of consideration for his feelings and what he feels he missed out on all coz of the english. it's not his fault coz he has felt it first hand, however i haven't and so i can see the bigger picture, seeeeee the bigger picture...............please it's unfair to act like a frikin victim if you never were

[vashti]

I agree whole heartedly with Eco, i was raised in a very open minded family... and it pisses me off when a black person RAVES about the injustice that MY people caused on the world. Or an Asian RAVES about those "camps" we put them in after Pearl Harbor. Or a Jewish guy RAVES about the Holocaust.

Get this, the only people that have ANY right to complain about these points in history (albeit very DARK and HORRIBLE), are the people that went through it.

Oh bullshit. My kids are short relatives on their father's ENTIRE extended side of the family because of the Holocaust, which only leaves MY crazy side of the family. Obviously living in an era that murdered off such a huge percentage of an entire people will affect the way the survivors see the world (not to mention the nearly 2000 years that preceded it). Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Don't like hearing about it? Too bad. Tell your people (who are also MY people) to get their shit together.

[ecojeanne]

oh c'mon vashti can you honestly say it's good to hold grudges just so we don't forget, it's good to remember mistakes YES but not to the point that people start causing more animosity and hatred....think about it

[ecojeanne]

also i'm surprised at some of the responses considering WE KNOW things are different now, fck sake you have a black president, wtf is your problem???? things are better now than they ever were and we all know that, even tho the english protestant in ireland and white rich guy in the US have all the contacts....who cares, just stop playing the victim

[vashti]

oh c'mon vashti can you honestly say it's good to hold grudges just so we don't forget, it's good to remember mistakes YES but not to the point that people start causing more animosity and hatred....think about it

Sorry, but I think it is extraordinarily, absurdly arrogant that anyone should think they have any right at all to determine how long other people should mourn.

And yeah, things have changed, but they haven't changed all that much. If black people are angry that racism still exists, I don't blame them. It does. Should that stop them from moving ahead? No. Is it my place to tell them to get over it? Hell no.

[Cain]

Sorry, but I think it is extraordinarily, absurdly arrogant that anyone should think they have any right at all to determine how long other people should mourn.

And yeah, things have changed, but they haven't changed all that much. If black people are angry that racism still exists, I don't blame them. It does. Should that stop them from moving ahead? No. Is it my place to tell them to get over it? Hell no.

And it only exists for blacks? I remember walking through a black neighborhood when I was younger - about fifth grade - and having my life threatened by a group of four black teens simply because I was white.

Look, I don't care that they are mourning the past. What I care about is that they are using race as their reason for everything.

[ecojeanne]

well tbh i feel i have every right to tell them to get over it coz we suffered just as bad and for a LOT longer and what right do they have to judge ME! just coz i'm white

[vashti]

And it only exists for blacks?

No; I just used black people as one example.