I'm not oversensitive. I also don't have to worry about what my ancestors did because I like them was not an anglo.
The answer is there. There is white priviledge. I don't understand why you need to ask it. How many times have you read about the studies with people going for interviews? How many times have you seen a poster with a white man and a black man asking which commited the crime except they're both the same man? That makes me not want to examine something? No not at all. It makes me wonder why someone would ask a question that is the equivalent of "Is the pope catholic?".
I also don't oversimplify. I answered the first question and the rest well I don't have an answer for. Is that saying I can't think, haven't thought, or don't care? No. Not really. Is it saying I don't have an answer just like nobody does because if they did the problem wouldn't be there? Yeah really it is.
And I do like numbers. They prove something to me. If they didn't a whole lot of nothing could ever be proven in the world.
The topic of immigrants came up and I discussed that. Were you too sensitive on this issue? Well I don't know because I don't know you. I'm sure you are intelligent enough to give it thought. But given the fact that so many black youths are in jail, that so many black youths don't do well in school, then I can venture to say that one problem might be parental involvement. I didn't say all black have bad parents who don't care. But let's not look at everything through rose colored glasses.
So the issue is how does white privilege manifest itself and how can it be manipulated. How can you examine that without looking at other situations such as other immigrants? Even black immigrants. How can it be done without looking through a socioeconomic point of view?
Phasad I stand by my words. It does exist but not to the point that it's the reason for holding back an entire class of people. On top of that I believe in the freedom to choose who you can like. I believe in the right of someone to hate me for who I am...to think all the vile things that he can of me. I reserve the right to say it's shameful, to let others know the shame that he carries on his back. And when the day comes that this person chooses to burn a cross at my front door, harass me, go out and actively prevent my schooling or getting a job is the day I consider it crossing the line.
Your friend enlightenment is a bit quick on the gun. He likes to make claims that don't exist and I can think of several occasions where I've corrected him.
-Rudey
--And if you write longs posts, then so do I.
Quote:
Originally posted by Phasad1913
Rudey, Hi, I'm Phasad1913. I've never posted anything directly to you and I have only recently begun to post on the board although I've been an avid reader for a few years now. However, I wanted to say this: I think you have an over simplified view of things, and I think you want to oversimplify the way you look at things so you won't have to look deeper into yourself or at the issue at hand to try to understand them or others the issue involves. That isn't anything new, though...it's one of the main reasons why these sorts of problems don't get fixed. You may or may not even realize this but you do as indicated through your comment: "I don't know how to fix it..." and "You want your damn answer, Why do you ask when you know the damn answer?" You're getting upset about him asking a question that he clearly is curious about instead of doing what everyone else is doing and exploring ideas in an effort to think critically about this REAL issue.
Anyway, this bothered me because it's all too common. When people are required to think too much about a problem that they are sensitive about, i.e. race issues, they get defensive and try to deminish the credibility of the initiator of the conversation or trivialize the issue. This is not trivial to those of us who deal with racism on a daily basis...and I'm not exaggerrating.
I don't know how to fix the problem either, but I do feel its a worth while task for all of us who live in this country. As a Chistian who takes the notion of loving they neighbor and doing unto others as I would want others to do unto me very seriously, I certainly don't think whites who do harm to non-whites would want the same done to them and I'm willing to help them and whomever else get away from that sickness.
I don't think we really need statistics to substantiate Enlightened's claim of fear and threat because racism in America is as old as the country itself and racism in general is as old as time itself and it has been studied time and time again and the root has been determined to come from these sorts of feelings among other reasons. So, again, let's not try to disect things that we know or should know by now are definite indicators of the problem.
Also, yes, deep rooted cultural phenomena have a direct impact on plenty of societal areas, including education, but please don't generalize all black youth and/or people. There are PLENTY young people who live in so-called "disadvantaged communities" who do well in school, earn scholarships and go on to good colleges and do well. They aren't all being denied parental involvement, afterschool programs, etc. etc. and ESPECIALLY parental/community support and discipline for valuing their education. As a black person, member of the black "community" as well as heavily involved with community activities and programs for these very younth, I KNOW how much education is valued in our communities, homes and culture.
So, while I don't know you or what your experiences have been, I do know about my culture and young black americans (and there are all kinds of them) so I think you can take it from me and as far as Asians, their "success" in America is for their various reasons. They are not us. We have a different story, with different and other successes. While they show one set of stats and numbers, don't compare them to us, there are many Asians in inner cities who are just as lax in their educational pusuit as anyone else, whites too.
So, yeah this was mainly directed at Rudey, but hopefully others of you can appreciate my perspective and use some of what I've said, however long (lol) to help shape a broader view.
lata.
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