THE 2 STEPS BACK AWARD GOES TO...
 

Ok I know you have all heard the saying you take one step forward and then something happens and you go 2 steps back. Name some famous people or people you have seen in public who take us 2 steps back as a "people".

Oooooh I better not....
 

Never mind; I thought better of myself :D

Let's just say if I see someone ELSE post what I was thinking, I'll concur ;)

Yep...I'm chicken. I'll admit it! Don't feel like being a lightening rod this evening!

Re: THE 2 STEPS BACK AWARD GOES TO...
 

I need some clarity. Are you asking us to bring further attention to people who are already embarassing? :confused:

Clarification
 

Yes, people that are already embarassing or examples you have seen in public. I'm still thinking of good examples that haven't been played out which is why i haven't posted yet. I got the idea from the Chris Rock show.
However comma pause for effect...one day when I was in the grocery store I was standing behind a lady with 2 baskets full of food. Me, I had one of those little hand carry baskets. Anyway, she goes into her D&B purse and pulls out her welfare card! I was like OH HELL NAH! She had a purse that costs $100s but WE are paying for her damn groceries! :mad: I'm done ranting now.

Re: Clarification
 

*sigh*

You don't know how that woman got that purse. Just because she had it doesn't mean that SHE bought it. She could have even bought it from Goodwill.

Re: Re: Clarification
 

Yes, it could go that way, buuuuuuut...I think that we've all seen some examples of folx doing or owning things that they have no business doing or owning. We can of course give this sista the benefit of the doubt b/c anything can be the case. However, there is no denying that some people have their priorities out of order.

For example:

- kids in school w/no lunch money, no college fund, etc. yet w/the latest Jordans on (or whatever else is hot these days)

- folx w/fur coats on the bus (I just don't understand this b/c Id be concerned about being robbed, or just getting my coat dirty)

- sistas that can't pay the rent or keep the lights on, but have their hair and nails done regularly and stay dressed in Baby Phat or Juicy Couture

- or even the young lady on American Idol who was about to be evicted, but yet she was auditioning w/her family wearing t-shirts spelling out her name

I think that perhaps The General was alluding to these general situations that we see all of the time as an example of 1 step forward; 2 steps backwards. :)

Flavor Flav should win this award without question.

Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

All I see in these posts are a bunch of assumptions. Neither of you know HOW people get what they have.

Those items could be from charitable organizations. They could be things that were acquired, before going through financial hard times. They could be borroed items. They could be purchased from yard sales or thrift stores. They could be purchased at department stores at a severe discount. The point is, none of us know.

I am not fond of folks playing the guessing game or making assumptions about other people's finances. I certainly don't agree with the fact that someone has to look the part, if they are supposed to be of certain financial means. Just because someone is wealthy doesn't mean that they should always wear Chanel suits. And just because someone isn't wealthy doesn't mean that they are supposed to wear tattered clothing (no offense to the bruhs. Tattered clothing can be the hotness. lol), non-designer clothing, or poor quality clothing just to play into what someone feels they should be wearing based on their finances.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

But sometimes you DO know--or at least sometimes I know--I won't speak for you. Sometimes you know because people tell you--or tell someone else and you over hear them.

And I'm sorry, but I don't know of any charitable organizations that are giving out hair weave and matching T-shirts to go on a TV show and even if they are, it is about PRIORITIES. Speaking of homegirl on American Idol, the first thought in my mind when I saw her was "why didn't y'all use all the money it took you to get there/buy them tshirts to pay the rent??"

To the orginal poster, there was another thread about being embarassed by folks. Sounds like your post was in line with that. The link is http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ight=embarrass

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

I know of several organizations, including certain Delta chapters, that implement look good, feel good style programs that will get low income families or women make-overs for job interviews and such. Several charities also participate in CHristmas gifts and back to school clothing and supplies for low income people. Not to mention, we don't know when or how she got that shirt. Let's assume that she did buy that shirt, while she was "poor." Are you saying that she shouldn't have invested in herself and her gift, by trying to look presentable for AI? That shirt couldn't have been more than $20 to $25. I doubt very seriously it would have covered rent. And apparently her investment in herself, assuming she recently purchased the shirt, paid off. She's going to Hollywood.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

I know of organizations that do that too. My church does it on a regular basis. But weave? Every week? In different colors? My church also gives out clothes and yes, sometimes they are brand new, with the tags on, designer stuff. No, there is no way to tell if someone got their goods that way, or if they had their priorities misaligned, but I refuse to believe that everyone that is exhibiting the behaviors that Marie mentioned got their stuff that way.

I'm not saying that the young lady should not have invested in her self for AI. Shoot, it's well documented that Fantasia was on welfare when she went to her AI audition, but when you travel to another city, some 10 - 20 deep and they all have on matching, custom shirts and you comment on getting kicked out of one apartment and the fact that you are about to get kicked out of another, I find it hard to encourage that type of "investment". My idea of a good investment would be get an education, save your money, delay gratification, etc. but that's just me. Plus, going to Hollywood means nothing more than a free trip. There are no guarentees for getting ot Hollywood or making it to the top ten for that matter.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

No investment comes with guarantees. That's why they are so risky.

Unless you know exactly what her financial situation, or anyone's financial situation, entails, then it's best to not come with a whole bunch of assumptions.

Matching custom shirts doesn't mean that they spent a boatload of money. Custom could even mean that they customized the shirts.

Ward Connerly, Brian McKnight, 50 Cent & Mike Tyson should get honorable mentions.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

I understand not wanting to make assumptions about anyone's particular situation, but I don't understand the need to deny that this happens at all. I mean, I can personally give the 2 steps back award to my cousin who I KNOW opted to spend her last dollars to get her hair done and then had to borrow money from her mom to buy her son pampers. This wasn't a twist of fate, or unfortunate circumstances, or charitable givers that created that situation. She made that decision and created that set of circumstances. Now of course I still love her and will help her in anyway that I can. However, that doesn't prevent me from acknowledging that she, and many others like her, have their priorities all out of wack.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

Well give the award to your cousin, since you KNOW of her personal financial situation. She's trifling, but that's hardly indicative of us as a people. So I'm not feeling the whole "she makes US look bad" brand of (il)logic.

I never denied anything existed. I stated that you should refrain from assuming where people get things that you don't think they should have, based on their financial situation. Please point out where I denied such things existed.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

But some investments have less risk than others, wouldn't you agree? Now some will say with greater risk comes greater reward, but I certainly don't think that is universal.

GC is filled with assumptions. The entire thread about PIKE coming to Howard is about nothing but assumptions.

I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

Bowing out is a very courageous thing to do. You're aight with me. :D

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

My bad, I must have taken your meaning differently than you intended. Outside of the description of the girl from AI, the 1st 3 examples that I listed were of general situations/examples of people with misplaced priorities. Although I might not know someone personally in each situation, I'm sure that we can find folks right here on GC who do. When you said that all you saw were assumptions, then I thought that you were saying that those general situations don't occur.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

LOL Now that was funny!

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

LOL Now that was funny! But now you are making assumptions. ;)

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

Apology accepted. :cool:

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Clarification
 

It was actually more of a joke than an assumption. I guess it didn't go over too well, huh. :(

I nominiate the ZPB president. She has put a spotlight on their sorority, not in a good way. Unfortunately, people remember the bad you've done more than the good.

Yep. Remember how they did "us" after the incident in Cali? You never know when it's "your" turn to take us 2 steps back.

They= greeks, the media, non-greeks

I nominate you, for being a sidekick/do-girl to a bunch of men who should be taking care of their own business. Willingly loaning yourself out in God knows what ways is embarassing to me and other Black women who work hard to present ourselves as capable women.

Stop rocking that letter and a heart and representing that illegal organization, THEN you can POSSIBLY be taken seriously. :rolleyes:

Que?
 

Whatchu talkin' bout Willis?

Boom,

It obvious that you need someone to talk to and argue with. That person will not be me. You dont know me. I dont know you. Lets leave it like that.

ETA....Assumptions.....hmmm.

Re: Que?
 

The situation with the Zeta president.

Re: Que?
 

You've probably already found this thread, but just in case...this is the situation that she is referring to:

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...=&pagenumber=1

I think we have all been guilty of taking two steps forward and two steps back. Progress is a constant struggle and we all have different starting points that will shape our progress. The Lord is faithful and just despite us.

Sorry to be so serious. I'll come back when I'm feeling more judgmental and can post something negative about someone who keeps falling down after they have just gotten up. ;)

You do that...

Oh...I just re-read the OP.

As a "people," I think we need to stop carrying the weight of every black person on our shoulders. There will always be negative images and blacks who go against the grain (which isn't always a bad thing because blacks aren't a monolithic group). Since those things won't change, we need to work on getting ahead to the point that no one can really send "us" two steps back as a "people."

Well said. :) And I agree. :)

I'm back and I nominate you. :p J/K

CLARIFICATION
 

ALL,

I was rushing when i wrote my first clarification. The example I put was a tangent...not following the topic. I am aware that there is already a topic about everyday embarassments. However, (assuming someone bought that purse for her) if I had a family member or friend in that situation, I wouldn't be buying a purse for $100s. It goes back to PRIORITIES like someone mentioned. Just because you're financially challenged doesn't mean you have to look like a bum, but it shows how being materialistic can keep you in certain conditions. Some should practice delayed gratification...that's another topic

The examples of Flava Flav and Mike Tyson are ON TOPIC...keep it going.

Re: CLARIFICATION
 

Everything in this thread is ON TOPIC...keep it going.

I think there's room to carry "some" of the weight. Personal responsibility is always paramount, but knowing that I walked through doors that were opened by others, requires that I look out for the next person coming up who may need a break.

Particularly in this here America, even despite our expanding diversity (a good thing) I hope we never lose our sense of "community."

How do you decide who to carry?

I don't confuse a sense of community or acknowledging who opened doors with a need to carry weight on my shoulders. This is how I can NOT feel embarassed when a black person says or does something stupid. This is how I can NOT panic when a black person does something that other blacks feel has set "us" back. We need to keep moving forward and accept the fact that there will be casualties along the way.

We make these decisions individually based on our own criteria...who asks us for help? who reminds us of "us" back-in-the-day? I think the means of how we do it is less important than not losing the collective sense of "community."

I understand your not feeling embarrassed when a black person says/does something stupid, but do you not feel a vicarious sense of "pride" when someone who looks like you achieves greatly?

No. I have plenty of people to talk to.

What's obvious is that you need to check your hypocrisy at the door. You came in the Pikes cominr to HU thread on some ol' can't we all just get along type isht, now you want to come on a Greek messageboard and talk about the Zetas' president. How is that keeping the peace.

Just like you don't know me and I don't know you, you DON'T know Sistagreek Barbara C. Moore, yet you're nominating her for this award.

Don't dish it, if you can't take it.