Neicy, since you keep bringing this stuff up and incedents actually are out there or most of these things I fealt like I should respond with examples.
I think these issues that you are giving are not something that is perpetrated by people who are of a certain race... Rather people who have both POWER and HATRED.
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How have blacks contributed to the genocide of millions of people?
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Rwanda, Congo, etc... All you have to do is look at some of the middle and southern African countries and tribal warfare. Different tribes trying to completely wipe eachother out (aka genocide).
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How have blacks benefitted from "black privilege"?
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Not really sure what "white privilige" is so I won't respond because of my complete ignorance on this issue.
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How have blacks made whites victims of police brutality?
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Well you probably won't like my example very much BUT this is a perfect example where someone with both POWER and HATE have come into play. South Africa... There has been a massive exodus of whites from South Africa following the end of apartheid. These people fear for their lives and there really is quite a bit of crime there. And yes, there is black on white police brutality.
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How have blacks negatively stereotyped whites in the media?
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I watch programs like "Def Comedy Jam" and other black comedy programs on BET, etc. Yes, I see PLENTY of negative stereotypes about white guys. I really doubt white guys came up with these stereotypes. We can't dance, can't jump, talk like we've got a stick up our asses, etc...
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How have blacks made whites feel like second class citizens?
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How have blacks created systems of oppression for whites?
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Again you PROBABLY won't like my answer (because the bastards probably deserve this treatment) but South Africa after the fall of Apartheid has done EXACTLY these things. I realize that my statement here is very much an oversimplification of a VERY complex issue... However, I do so to state that it isn't a thing that white people do, it's power and hate and/or ignorance that drive this behavior.
The reason I bring this up is to say that as long as we think of ourselves as black, white, asian, whatever and divide ourselves along racial lines there WILL be inequality. As Dr MLK said we should judge people on the quality of their character and not by the color of their skin.
I'll be the first to admit that I absolutely don't think there's a level playing field. I was really truly awakened to this one night in Memphis about 4:30AM when I pulled over for gas right after I drove through downtown heading East. A part of Memphis that I believe is called "East-Central" if you're familiar. Long story short there were a lot of black folks hanging out at this gas station.. There were cops driving around EVERYWHERE... the place looked like a war zone or an occupied territory durng a war. Within about a minute of trying to get gas we had gotten the hell out of dodge. I'd had some Ice (some kind of drug that I'm not really familar with) offered to me and had a group of about 12 guys walking towards my car (as I drove off some of them were actually hanging on the side of my car). That's the only contact I've ever had with the real "ghetto" (I don't think our inner-city really compares here in Oklahoma City).
I feel very sad for these people. They need help. They did not choose this life... They were born into it. Now do I believe that it is white people that keep them there? In a way, yes... Where do people in the suburbs go when they need to buy drugs? The ghetto... They don't give a damn that this is what poisons this society and ruins the lives of so many there. This woman that tried to sell me ice saw my big red SUV at 4:30AM in her part of town and assumed (an example of her prejudices) that I had come to find some drugs and may put food on her plate.
Breaking this cycle is the responsability of society as a whole and I sure as hell don't have the answer to this. It is an entire culture that must be changed for a level playing field.
My entire point here is that I don't necessarily believe that this institution exists because of race (as a whole). It is something that occurs with each individual and his individual ignorance, power and possibly hate. My definition of racism (which I've actually modified since reading this thread) would state that yes... a black person that attacks a white person, brutally beats them, etc...for the color of their skin (like in the LA Riots) is JUST as much a racist as the policemen that beat Rodney King. Each group in each instance possessed both power and enough ignorance and hate to accomplish the deed.
But of course I will admit this is all just a semantical debate and we can't really convince eachother that we're right or wrong.. Just try to understand better where eachother are comeing from.
This discussion pops up every couple of months but I REALLY think this dialogue is some of the most interesting and valuable stuff on GC.
LHT
Kevin