So...since I said I know what its like to be discriminated against I now know what the typical white lifestyle is.

Learn something knew everyday.

I said maybe. Maybe you know. Maybe you don't? :)

-Rudey

Again, you're missing the point.

It's completely OK for you to sympathize/empathize/understand the scenario/experience similar feelings or anger/play semantic games with any of the above. In fact, I think to deny this would be one of the worst acts you could imagine.

I'm saying that these feelings cannot be experienced in the opposite direction (majority to minority) with any degree of civility, however, and would be met with outrage (from both sides of the spectrum). Does this make sense, when broken down in this way?

My reason for bringing this point to the conversation is not pernicious, by the way. Instead, I feel that when the reciprocal relationship is met with outrage, feelings are forced under the radar, and it leads to more subtle prejudices and (ultimately) racism, which is both harder to identify and harder to attack. It's subterfuge, in a way, and to my mind it's far more pernicious than overt racism on a macro level.

How many posters have heard about this story on the news? I know it was all over the local NYC news, but I wonder if it's national.

When I first heard about this, I immediately thought of Colin Ferguson shooting 24 people, 6 of whom died, on the LIRR.

Nope - I haven't heard of this except for the blip of an article posted. I even watch GMA every morning and haven't seen it on there. And probably won't now, especially with the G8 summit and the subway/bus bombings in London. Plus locally, we have a serial killer that's hogging all the news too.

He's just one more in a world full of psychos.

I love how you just throw my name in stuff.

I didn't say I understood the "living the white lifestyle" stuff. I said I understand the frustration of living in a culture that treats you as a second class citizen.

I would disagree. I think that in the reverse situation, I wouldn't criticize someone for stating that they can relate to the underlying feelings of the person responsible. Unfortunately, I think a lot of times people must go along with the status quo, and any type of dissenting opinion is criticized or ridiculed.

I bet it involves driving a Subaru and carrying Vera Bradley. SHIT.

See, I knew I was missing out on something....

Let's not drag Vera into this. :(

I will go on a limb here and say that if one were to construct a situation in which a white individual became frustrated with his treatment by people of minority status, then committed a hate crime, and other white folks had experienced similar frustration, they would be eviscerated for voicing that kind of absurd connection to the hate crime.

Now, I realize that this would certainly be different from endemic issues concerning black Americans, and I realize that we'll never solve the "is there a uniquely African American experience?" debate on Greekchat. But honestly, read the above paragraph, and try to look at your statements objectively. If not sickeningly apologist, then it's definitely grandstanding on a tragedy. I'm sorry I can't relate to that better.

-RC
--Just saying. Not blaming. It's a "part of solution/part of problem" scenario.

Well then we will just agree to disagree. I never said that I was apologizing for or justifying his actions. I said that I know what it feels like to be treated horribly because of my skin color. And I'm not going to apologize for relating my personal experiences to a situation just because you don't think its "PC".

The better discussion would be on how we get to a point where race is no longer an issue.

Emmett's killers had seen other women being whistled at and sympathized.

-Rudey

IKEA!

Again, I don't want you to apologize for your personal experiences. I just want everyone to understand where I'm coming from, which relates to your point below.

I agree. This, in fact, was the center of my point.