Discrimination

[Beestie]

Until you have heard a white person confide his racism to you its hard to understand what black folk have to put up with. I grew up in backwater Georgia and I've had things told to me "in confidence" that I really didn't need to hear. Things that were pretty shocking in terms of what they revealed is really going on out there.

What I'm hearing a lot of in this thread is many people who do not harbor racists viewpoints attempting to advance the argument that racism really isn't that prevalent anymore. An easy trap to fall into - I don't see it so it must be paranoia on the victim's part.

Its not the obvious James Byrd stuff. Its much more subtle and much more insidious than that. Sometimes I wonder if all Dr. King did was push racism underground. Again, until you have enountered a true racist you are not seeing the whole picture.

As Chris Rock said while onstage to a mostly white audience, "I'm black and I'm rich and not one of you mother-fuckers would even think of trading places with me." He got a big laugh but he also got a lot of people thinking.

The problem that victims of racism need to try their best to avoid is using it as an excuse. To do so is to be nailed twice - the first by chance and the second by choice.

[FelinesAreFine]

Blacks aren't the only victims of racism.

[juju]

No one's saying that.

[Pie]

Originally posted by Beestie
[snip]An easy trap to fall into - I don't see it so it must be paranoia on the victim's part.
[...]
The problem that victims of racism need to try their best to avoid is using it as an excuse. To do so is to be nailed twice - the first by chance and the second by choice.

Applause. Very well said.

Work needs to be done on both sides of the fence.

Don't condone racism (or be a racist)
Don't fall into the trap of labeling yourself as a perpetual "victim".

(I've actually seen both sides of the race issue. Most people can't tell what my background is.)

- Pie

[russotto]

Originally posted by ladysycamore


Ever been called a nigger? Again, my father hasAND I HAVE, so if the answers to those questions is NO, then NO I feel that you DON'T know racism at it's deepest and nastiest.

Well, I guess that answers your own question about where my claim that you said you could only understand racism if you're black comes along.

For the record, I'm not black and I've never been called a nigger. I have been called a number of other things, including "dago" and "wetback". I didn't know what those were; I was pretty amused when I found out the idiot calling those that had used the _wrong_ racial slurs. How many points towards college admission is that worth?

[dar512]

The question is not "does racism exist?" We know it still does.

The question is not "is racism bad?" We all agree that it is.

The question at hand is "do people of a particular color/origin/faith deserve special privileges because some people of their color/origin/faith have been subject to racism?"

People of my color have been put down, therefore society / school / government owes me a greater chance at school awards, scholarships, government contracts etc. as compensation for being the target of racism.

[lumberjim]

Originally posted by dar512
snip

People of my color have been put down, therefore society / school / government owes me a greater chance at school awards, scholarships, government contracts etc. as compensation for being the target of racism.

a better chance than your predecessors had, or a better chance than people of other colors?

[dar512]

A better chance than anyone not of my color/faith/origin.

That is, does the government etc. owe me an advantage over other applicants.

[lumberjim]

no.

[xoxoxoBruce]

It's not easy being green.

[FelinesAreFine]

Dang, Bruce. I was gonna say that.

[xoxoxoBruce]

You can say it too.

[OnyxCougar]

I think the point of the first post was that the kids got busted for promoting a TRUE african-american student for an award that is only eligible to "african-americans".

But he wasn't eligible because he was white.

And the kids saw the problem in that.

Had I been those kids parents, I would have thrown the biggest, baddest, famous lawyer-gettin-ist hissy you've ever seen.

Bust my kid because YOU (as an administration) are racist?

Oh yeah. I can hear the settlement now.....


And by the way:
I am white, but I HAVE felt the sting of racism. You see, I was married to a black man, and I have a half black child. I've been spit on and called "nigger-lover". And yeah, it sucks. When people see me out with my 3 children, they assume I'm simply babysitting the little girl, just because the boys are blonde like me.

And I think that school's policy of only giving the "award" to black kids is disgusting. It PROMOTES continued segregation. If they offer a "black only" award, they better have a "white only" award and an "asian only" reward and a "pacific-islander only" award and an "middle-eastern only" award and while you're at it, make a "half white and half black" and "half black and half asian"........etc. Or else just offer a fuckinig "best student" award.

[FelinesAreFine]

What she said.

[elSicomoro]

I don't think we're at the point where Affirmative Action should be dropped. I think the whole concept sucks ass, and I hope I'll see the end of it in my lifetime. And I'm glad to see that society has become more tolerant and understanding of minorities (of all types) in my lifetime, but I think we still have a long way to go.

It's a small price to pay for a mammoth fuck up.