Say Anything Blog

Well, Ron, I’d have to say that you need to have that hot button removed from your knee if you hope to have a reasonable discussion of anything touching on race. But then, from your declaration, I can see that venting is more what you’re after.

To report the evidence of one’s senses in the locale one lives in is not racism, it is simply stating what one sees around one.

Another way of doing it would be to data-mine the welfare rolls of Florida and remove the percentage of different races receiving public assistance.

This would vary in different parts of the country. In the Adirondacks, for instance, this would tend to show a very high proportion of whites on the dole. Why? Because they constitute the highest racial proportion of the poor needing the dole.

In Florida, it would work the other way.

In New York City, where I lived for 30 years, the dole was dependent on the neighborhood. In Brooklyn’s Williamsburg which is overwhelmingly Hassidic, welfare was virtually unknown even though most of the families were extremely poor.

If you turned a corner and walked a block into the nearest ghetto, welfare was the way of life and had been for generations. It was just the way that it was. It was how people had learned to get by.

Those that could, got out. Those that could not, for whatever reason, just stayed and continued with the life.

That they were all poor and black was beyond question. Why they were black was not at issue, but why they stayed poor was more complicated.

I won’t rehearse all the ways in which the government system of handouts, as it was structured and restructured over the years, continued this inertia in the projects, only that it did.

As to the subject of reparations, well, that’s been putting money in the pockets and paychecks in the bank of all sorts of professional race-hustlers for years. Pushing the reparations issue is job security for these folks. As a result, we’ll see this cute little notion kicked around for decades. In time, they may even convince the society to cut the ghetto a check. God knows they have before. And if you think you might get a big check from the government, you tend to stay with that hope.

So let’s say that happens. Let’s say that in some great getting up morning every person in the US who can establish African-American descent from before Emancipation (We will see the rolls of those swell enormously once this is seen to be coming down the pike.), let’s say they all get a check. Let’s say that even after the flotilla of lawyers take their big bite, the check they get is for serious money. Then what?

Well, then I suppose we will see a certain period of time during which that money will make the projects a more prosperous place… until it all runs out. And it will run out… and then?

It will be back to the way it was before but even more hopeless than it is now.

Why is it hopeless? The absence of families plays a big role. The lack of passing on anything of lasting importance and of real value from one generation to the next plays a big role. It all plays a role.

But what doesn’t help any of it at this point is for people to stop discussing it for fear of being labeled a racist no matter what one says.

So Ron, I have to say that for whatever reasons you may have running about in your mind, it doesn’t strike me that salting comments with obscenities in order to get them yanked and then coming back with some lame explanation of why you did it actually pushes the peanut out of the square.

Indeed, I’d have to say that it is such a young comment and ploy that you’re probably not ready to have this discussion yet.

It was a test.

I knew you’d delete my post for using a swear word while leaving Seth’s comments alone.

“I live in Florida today, it’s hard not to notice that the majority of the people wanting handouts appear to be black. And the largest group of those supporting these handouts appear to be black.”

So you don’t think this was racist, huh, rob?  Perhaps you skimmed over these two sentences.  I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that you will change your mind.

Ron,

If I say, “statistics show Black males have a higher propensity for colon cancer”, is that racists?  “Most menthol cigarettes are smoked by Blacks.” Is this racist to state the facts as I see them, or as I understand them?  I see more women in supermarkets then men, does this mean I am sexist?

No, not racist. Political correctness has never been about the truth, just about control and supression of dissenting speech.

As for the question you didn’t ask—Yes, Ron Brynaert is racist. He knowingly, and willingly makes false statements about a group of people because of the skin color of that group.

It’s not racist. It all comes down to the parenting. I have kids and I notice all the time things that other kids are allowed to get away with that is setting them up for failure in the future (I’m sure there may even be things I am doing that are not 100% correct as well).

The real problem is that the parents aren’t held accountable by anyone. My mom would kick my ass if I let my kid hang out with friends after dark on a corner. She would also kick my ass if she caught my young ones throwing words like bitch, whore and damn out.

I am held accountable to at least one person, their grandmother. I suspect some of those kids parents aren’t held accountable to anyone until something happens that puts them in prison. Then they ave the nerve to try and blame it on the system or some other thing all so that they don’t have to blame themselves.

I’m not just talking about black, I’m talking about every kid in America. Things are getting worse and worse and it’s because parents have not been allowed to properly discipline their children. All the “no spanking” hacks, over-reacting single people who says things like “how dare you smack your child” when they mouth off to you in a store and no stay at home parent at home to care for a child, are reasons I believe for the downfall.

This breeds a bunch of disrespectful, “get away with anything” generation. A generation that, having dropped out of school and not learned proper manners or etiquette for a workplace or working with others, now has no idea what to do. By the time they find out all of the mistakes of their past it’s too late.

They of course have children or maybe already have 2 by the time they’re a legal adult and not having had a good role model their children are doomed to repeat the process.

Speaking specifically of the black community I feel that someone is starting to step up and be the person that is going to hold them accountable, and that person is Bill Cosby. He caught flak for his recent speeches telling black parents to start taking responsibility for their children’s upbringing. I was kind of taking aback by the amount of black leaders that seemed to spurn him when he said those things. Telling someone they need to take care of their kids and that it is their responsibility is wrong?

Well I’ve ranted on long enough on this. In the end it comes down to a role model, a mentor or a parent that has been to, or is, where you want to be in life and then following how they got there.

P.S. Choosing an athlete or an actor, while admirable is more of a crapshoot than a true role model however and I think too many children are allowed to put all their eggs in the one basket of being discovered. They need to be taught at least one way to be self sufficient as well as reaching for their sole dream of discovery.

Ugh..sorry for all the grammar and spelling mistakes. It’s late and I was in a passionate fury while typing.

I would add… Digger, you are my friend, so I am going to be suave with you on this one:

Speaking specifically of the black community I feel that someone is starting to step up and be the person that is going to hold them accountable, and that person is Bill Cosby. He caught flak for his recent speeches telling black parents to start taking responsibility for their children’s upbringing. I was kind of taking aback by the amount of black leaders that seemed to spurn him when he said those things. Telling someone they need to take care of their kids and that it is their responsibility is wrong?

Before you choose an icon to make your point, do your homework, are you aware of Cosby’s own out of wedlock child that had to fight to have him take care of her....

No body needs to STEP UP and hold my RACE accountable. That statement in and of itself implies that the entire African American community has problems with child rearing, which is not true.

I am working on a post on this with some of my guest bloggers, so I will not write too much here.
I will say this. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Cosby, but his comments were not only out of line, they were innacurate in many of their assumptions. Silver Rights and Prometheus 6 both did excellent analysis of Cosby’s remarks shortly after he made them. I have been unable to find the exact post, but will include their analysis and links when I do.
Where I had a problem with Seth’s comments were in the broad generalities they used. There are many factors that go into establishing crime rates, rates of public assistance, etc. To make blanket statements as he did are racist, but lets look at the word. To say that someone has made a racist statement does not imply that they wear a conical hat and burn crosses on the weekend. We all have a bit of racism in us, and this is a natural product of our own experiences. I take offense at broad statements being used to paint tha African American community, especially when they are not based on any objective analysis and when they are used to hammer home a negative point.
Seth and Rob’s comments in private email to me imply certain things that are just not true. Ergo… comments abotu Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson and other so called Black Leaders. The time of Black Leaders in past. Black people are a diversified group with diversified interest an priorities. While at one time It could be said that we all marched to the same drummer, this is no longer true, and is in fact insulting. Is it fair to say that Tom Delay is YOUR leader? He is white, conservative, a leader, etc. Does that make him your leader? Perhaps to some, but it can not be made as a blanket statement.
One of the things my friends on the right can not understand, and it is understandable that they dont, since they have not shared the same cultural experience, is why we find some things offensive that perhaps were not meant that way.
I have tried to explain this on ISOU in many post, but so many are unwilling to accept it, despite the fact that they are not qualified to JUDGE my feelings and perceptions.
You have no right to tell me what I should and should not find offensive, you can simply state that this was not your intention.
Anyway, this is already too long. I have no intention of crucifying Seth or calling him a KKK member, but it is important to understand different cultural groups sensitivity to certain issues, and it is also important to NOT paint an entire race with the same brush.
You want to impress me, instead of making blanket statements, back them up with meaningful statistics to back up your assertions.

Digger, I thought so too, but I couldn’t find it!  All I could find was a bunch of places saying it is a Chineese proverb.  I guess it could be both.

Facts and statistics cannot be racist.  They are merely observations of the truth.  It is only racist if you note that blacks receive handouts, and want to keep it that way.  Those who support handouts are supporting a system of black oppression that will continue to keep the black man down while pretending to be helping him.

The Chinese proverb seems apt: If you give a man a fish you’ll feed him for a day, but if you teach a man how to fish you’ll feed him for a lifetime.

If you ignore or deny the problem, you’re merely helping to perpetuate it.

I’m sorry David, you’ve taken my meaning out of context.

“Speaking specifically of the black community I feel that someone is starting to step up and be the person that is going to hold them accountable, and that person is Bill Cosby.”

By them, I meant irresponsible parents, as I was discussing in the paragraph before that, not them as in the whole African-American community.

And Mark that’s actually a bible quote, not a Chinese proverb.

hmm maybe you’re right.

I thought it was said when Jesus recruited the apostles and said “you’ll be fishers of men” or whatever.

Maybe I’m wrong.

While I can agree with Seth partially on his comments, I did find some error with on of his comments.  “I know the statistics that say that there are more black prisoners than white. I know this isn’t PC, but couldn’t it just be the case that more crime is committed by blacks than whites?”

The fact is that most crimes are committed by whites, however blacks have a higher crime rate in their own race.  Official statistics indicate that 64.4% of all arrests for index crimes in 2001 were white people.  Black people who account for 12.3% of the population make up 34.3% of all arrests.  So if you look at who committs the majority of crimes then it is white people.  If you look at which individual race has the highest crime rate, then it is black people.  Also, these statistics aren’t entirely accurate, because they don’t include white-collar crime which frequently goes unpunished and is almost always committed by white people.

I bet white’s have more drunk driving crimes as well. I think the type of crime has a lot to do with the prison count as well.

A lot of crime isn’t punishable by prison time, but would be listed in those stats above.

I like what you have to say Digger.  The key word, which you used several times, is ACCOUNTABILITY.  We all need to be held accountable for our actions and our non-actions.  Everybody, whether they be white or black, need to step up to their god given jobs as parents.  We are given these kids in trust and it’s up to us to make sure they are taken care of and taught right from wrong.  I mean loved, cared for, with parents who would die for them

I’m 100% Norwegian and I have an acquaintence who is German.  Because I tell her not to let her kids climb my fence and tease my dog and I being racist?  Does that mean that all German mothers are bad.  Of course not.

Should I shout racism when I hear an Ole and Lena comment? 

The kids will one day be leaders of our country.  How can they lead if they have not leaned that they need to be accountable for their own actions? 

Forgive me if I seem scattered.  This is a subject that gets my blood flowing.  I’m also using my brand new laptop and having difficulty with the keyboard

Okay, here is the post I was talking about. I think it would be very educational for you all to read this post:

http://silverrights.blogspot.com/2004_05_30_silverrights_archive.html#108614397307965766

Ummm...David?  That link goes to the blog of one miss Mac Diva.  Not exactly the most level-headed person in the world.  When I used to write at Blogcritics she once accused me of calling her dirty names on my blog.  I had to prove her wrong by linking to Google cache, etc.

She’s a troll, a hyper-partisan and not a very nice person.  Maybe she makes some good points in the post you’ve linked but she’s not someone I’m going to listen to otherwise.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

In addition, I should add that parenting and accountability can be applied to every race, not just African-Americans.

Count the number of spoiled white kids screwing off in college, getting DUIs and public intox records, frittering away mom and dad’s money on beer and mp3s.  Count the number of rich kids bullying their parents into buying everything under the sun.  Count the number of beamers and sports cars in high school parking lots.  Look at the parents willing to hire expensive lawyers for their kids to clear drug records, abuse records, and truancy records.  Then let’s talk about parenting and accountability.

It’s my opinion that wealth and entitlement does more to “ruin” kids than the words and influence of a few high-profile political leaders.

Believing that any one person can speak on behalf of an entire group’s experience is ignorant in itself. 

Further, having never personally experienced or seen racism doesn’t mean it no longer exists.  I live in the midwest and have seen plenty directed at friends and family.  Are “ethnic jokes only directed at ethnicities” excusable?  Are they based on stereotypes and outdated modes of thinking?

MarkJ:  Facts and statistics cannot be racist. Sure they can, especially when statistical gathering and analysis are biased or poorly written from the beginning.

As far as the “facts” being racist or not, the key is when someone places judgement on the facts, including awfully reductive statements like, “Blacks think they deserve more handouts.  [And should be denied so-called handouts because] They’re at least one generation removed from slavery” etc.

Is “political correctness” really about suppressing speech, or the expectation that all people are deserving of respect?

What I’m seeing here is the misunderstanding of the need for political identity.  Not all African-Americans feel the need to have one, but when one is historically denied access to particular routes of success based on one’s race, a race-based political identity is sometimes in order.  See the same for other areas of identity inclusing ethnicity, gender, and religion.

Remember that the days of Jim Crow were only ended fifty to sixty years ago and that racist laws are still on the books in many states, regardless of whether they are still enacted (they can’t be).  Furthermore, racist attitudes deny many routes to success even in America.  To pretend that this doesn’t exist allows it to continue.

If anyone is interested in further reading, I have plenty of book recommendations to make.  Websites as well, but I don’t think this stuff can be summed up neatly enough for a packaged site.  I also have information about blackness in the economic and business world that shows just how ridiculous racism can be.

Racism is no longer an overt act - it is far more subtle and nuanced than that.

I hope you read the article Rob, if you didnt, then there is no need to continue this conversation, as you are just as close minded as you accusse her of being.
As for Lauren’s comments, well stated as always. I think she has pretty much addressed my feelings without need for further comment on my behalf.

I think the issue here is what Seth’s comment implies - namely that somehow blacks are predisposed to being lazy and claiming handouts.

There is a problem for Seth here, because (correct me if I am wrong) it is poor people who generally claim benefits, and are in favour of receiving them. Blacks happen to constitute a large, and disproportionate, section of the poor, primarily for historical reasons.

I would suggest, therefore, that the ‘fact’ that blacks seem to be at the forefront of people claiming benefits has nothing whatsoever to do with their race, and far more to do with the social situation they were born into.

Perhaps Seth should have made this clearer, to avoid the implication that blacks are somehow ‘a lazy race.’

David,

Individuals who want to believe black people are inherently inferior or naturally pathological are having a field day courtesy of Bill Cosby.

I did not understand Cosby to have suggested that Blacks are inherently inferior.  In fact, I stated the opposite, but still agree with Cosby. 

There are those who think that Blacks don’t play with a full deck.  They have the mind set that Blacks are incapible of playing on a level field.  These people enact “Racial Quotas”. 

Racial Quotas equate to this.  You and I are going to play a game of chess.  I am not equal to you because I came from a poor family, so to start the game, you don’t get to keep your queen.  I have a queen at the start, you do not.  Is this a fair contest now? 

When legislation is enacted to ‘HELP’ any group of people over another group, this too is racism.

I have seen reports where black students are given passing grades so that no one yells “Discrimination”, while the child has not learned the material.  Does this better prepare the student for life in the real world?  I suppose it does if it’s easier for him to get a job in a corporation… but it also lays the groundwork for him to claim that it’s someone else’s responsibility or fault that he’s not succeeding to the level of those that deserved straight “A“‘s in school.

What I have been talking about all along, is that progress of the individual is restricted when that individual can claim that his race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or anything else, are the reason for his failure to succeed. 

You want to turn it around on Cosby… all he’s saying is, get educated and you can’t fail, regardless of you background or genetics.

But, hey, it’s WAY easier to blame someone else for the choices you have made. 

The things you saw in your youth, could destroy you… or they could make you stronger.  Which is it?  It’s PERSONAL.  No matter what you witnessed, if you lived through it, you can become stronger for it, be a greater success because of it, and teach others the same. 

Cosby grew up in a poor neighborhood.  Today, he’s rich.  If he believed that others were responsible for holding him down (before he made it) then he would NEVER HAVE TRIED.  To give up before you try is the most perfect failure.

I read the article.  I can’t say that I agree with it.  It sounds like someone calling Bill an Uncle Tom… and if that isn’t racist, I don’t know what is.

I read the article. Seems like typical “everything wrong today is because of white people” crap.

I’m sorry, but it’s just not true. Keep teaching your kids that and spreading it around and you just allow racism to continue to flourish.

Two kids from the same school with the same grades have an equal chance at success or failure in this world, unless you keep pointing out the fact that one should get an unfair advantage over the other because “they’re not as good”.

All you create in that case is animosity and the continued belief, by some and even the one that received the advantage, that the only reason they got ahead was because of others actions.

It’s all self-imposed racism.

David, if anyone you should know all of this as a business owner. When it comes to a job, business or success, it all comes down to how much you can help someone else get to where they want to be as well. Without skills or the proper ability to work with a large majority you are limiting yourself (or your child) to only those you/they can work with.

Limited market equals limited success, and that’s what it all comes down to in the end, getting an education and skills to work with others to give yourself the largest marketability.

When someone does something on their own, they walk in with a “here’s why I deserve this job” attitude not a “can you please give me this job” attitude. In the end continued hand outs, repeated denigration of self and blaming of others will produce the latter attitude and perpetuate low pay, barely surviving living conditions for life.

Digger if thats all you got from it thats all you got from it. I am not going to continue this argument any more becuase truthfully it is like speaking Spanish to someone who speaks Ukrain. You guys will never understand any of this no matter how reasonably presented. This started as a discussion on why one would consider Seths words racist. It has become a debate over sociology, and Seth continues to make idiotic statements not even worthy of a response. Digger you know my position on Affirmative Action, and you also know my personal story. I am a success not becuase there was/is no racism, but despite it. And how someone who is not black who has never had to deal with racism and who wants to stick his head in the sand and pretend it doesnt exist or has negligible impact feels frankly is of little consequence to me.
I could give you a million examples, including the times before I started my company, when I practically had a job offered to me over the phone after a few phone inteviews and my resume, only to get a cold reception when I walked into the room, before a WORD was said… My imagination… Me being too sensitive? You keep thinking that, if it makes you feel better.
I once had an Indian (As in Asian Indian) friend tell me after he reccomended me for a VP job, and I all but won it over the phone, that the CEO of the Company didnt think a Black VP would look good to his International Clients.
So I am done… I am not going to argue this any more.

You know what I’m tired of?  Being told I can’t understand racism because I’m white.  I know I may lack a small amount of perspective because I’m not black, but don’t patronize me.  Telling me that I can’t understand a concept like racism because of the color of my skin is, in and of itself, sort of racist.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

No one said you cant understand racism becuase you are white. That in itself is a straw man comment. What I said was you can not understand the perspective of a Black person if you are not black. Just as I dont pretend to understand latin culture even though I speak fluent spanish and have lived more than 9 years in Latin America. I may love the music, I may speak the language, I may even study the culture, but as the old indian parable goes, I can not truly understand them until I have walked a mile in their shoes.

About as ridiculous as saying you understand racism from the perspective of a person who has experienced it becuase you have experienced other forms of discrimination. You know what Boys, I have said it before why dont you guys carry on your little conversation amongst yourselves since the one big thing you lack is a willingness to try and understand another perspective from someone who has been there. I am sure it will make a delightful conversation as it is nothing more than an echo chamber. If I had known Rob intended this kind of conversation I would never have agreed to participate in it.
I am unsubscribing from the thread. Rob you are a friend but please dont waste my time with suppossed honest conversations on issues, when you have your mind made up from the begining. I am not interested in conducting an argument, instead I hoped to conduct a meaningful dialogue, I am seeing more and more that there are only a few conservatives like the Commissar who are mature enough and open enough to have these conversations without them turning into ridiculous diatribes by people who insist on presenting their predjudices as something other than that, rather than listening to the other side and at minimum trying to understand what someone is saying even if you dissagree with it. You asked as a friend if I would be interested in having a conversation on race, not be lectured to by people who havent got a clue what the issues are. And Mark, grow up!
Dont bother responding, unless you are simply doing so to impress the choir, becuase I am out, and doubt if I will be back.

I don’t think you need to have “walked a mile in their shoes” to have an idea of what racism feels like.  I think everyone at some point in their lives has been excluded for something they were born into, such as poverty, wealth, religion, family name, etc.  That’s all racism is… excluding or hating someone because of something as meaningless and unchangeable as race.

I may not understand racism exactly as someone who has experienced it firsthand, but I can empathize.  Personally, I think that because my mind is not clouded with anger from having experienced racism, nor clouded with hate from having committed racism, I have a valuable perspective on the matter.  I have witnessed racism, but am not involved with it, on either side.  Insinuating that I don’t have anything to contribute to the discussion because I lack the bias of someone intimately involved with the issue is ridiculous.

About as ridiculous as saying you understand racism from the perspective of a person who has experienced it becuase you have experienced other forms of discrimination.

Now who is using a straw man argument?  Don’t put words in my mouth.

You seem to want us to understand your perspective on this issue, but call us names when we hear your side, and disagree.

There are those who believe that Affirmative Action and other forms of “reverse” discrimination are justified because they help offset the parts of our society that still have racist tendencies.  I happen to hope for a solution that doesn’t punish people for the sins of their fathers.  It’s unlikely that either of us is going to be swayed by arguments, so all you can do is present your side and try to keep from resorting to ad hominem attacks.

I was asked to drop by and offer whatever insight I can in regard to this emtry.  And, I will do that.  But, before reading every comment on the thread, I want to say that I am not unfamiliar with Rob.  He has ‘starred’ on Silver Rights several times because of bigoted remarks he has made at Blogcritics. 

As I’ve said before, I believe there is a continuum of racism.  There is the ‘I believe I’m better than people of color, but will pretend I don’t’ bigot.  The graspers at claims of genetic superiority, who are mainly obsessed with falsely elevating themselves.  (I’m better than millions of people because they were born the wrong color, they tell themselves.) The ignorant bigot.  By that I mean persons who have no grasp of American history and the role racism has played in it from its inception.  And, are unaware that every societal indicator of well-being is still partly determined by race, proving that much of what a person can achieve in the U.S. is determined by what color she is born.  (These are examples of types.  There are many more.) I would classify Rob in the last category.  From my initial reading of Seth’s remarks, he seems to be the same sort.  In addition, he seems rather childish and puffed up on pop psychology feel-goodism.  A desire to be mean-spirited is also evident.  But, before I say more, I want to reread Seth and read the other comments.

I posted bigoted things at Blogcritics?

Here is a list of every post I ever made at Blogcritics.  I challenge you to find one bigoted post there.

Of course, if we want to take a trip back in time, we could go back to where you, Mac Diva, accused me of calling you a “bitch” (among other things) when clearly I did not.  And I proved as much.

Mac, you make things up.  You’re a liar and a hyper-partisan.  You are not someone who’s opinion I would ever respect.  Though you’ve already proven that by coming here and labeling two people “bigots” before you even, by your own admission, read the entire discussion.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Part I:  A history lesson

Seth, again, seems very childish.  Or maybe it is all the pop psych he has subscribed to.  I will wager that his reading list consist only of that kind of thing.  Feel good rhetoric is no substitute for facts.

The research on class says most Americans don’t change in that regard.  Eighty percent of us remain in the economic class into which we were born.  Twenty percent change, but that is as likely to be a drop as a climb.  The chances of being able to climb are limited by gender, race, and equity.  Families with some stake in society, even if it is just a home and car, are better equipped to take advantage of the small opportunities to increase the opportunities of their children. 

African-Americans have a particular problem with the matter of a stake.  The slaves were freed with nothing to their names.  Some plantation owners even took back the clothes they were wearing.  What equity do you pass on to your descendants if you have nothing yourself?  The sharecropping system came next.  Most sharecroppers earned just enough to eat, rather poorly, and clothe themselves as cheaply as possible.  They did not own either the land or cabins they lived in.  Very few sharecroppers were able to buy land because the purpose of sharecropping was to enrich the landowner at the expense of the croppers.  Fast forward from Reconstruction to the 1930-40s.  The rise of the Klan.  Maiming or murder for blacks who stood out by showing intelligence and initiative.  Terrorism to stop blacks from voting.  Segregation.  Most African-Americans still live in the South and are stuck sharecropping.  Factories in the North need labor.  As war looms, that need is even greater.  Thousands of blacks walk off those plantations and take trains North.  It is the biggest migration of so many people in such a time period in world history.  That should say something even to the biggest numbskull.  People who are lazy do not move en masse thousands of miles away to find work.  There is work in the North, but there is also ghettoization and exploitation.  By the 1970s, work that is more than subsistence has become harder to find.  The passage of Title VII helps those who have a foot in the middle-class.  But, the poor are mainly left out.  They still have no equity.  In 2004, about a third of African-American families would be considered middle-class by national standards.  The rest have the same problem they’ve always have had—no stake.

Meanwhile, white Americans were not suffering the disabilities imposed on African-Americans because of their race.  They, including immigrants fresh off the boat, were benefitting from being white.  Most of them got a stake.

Since its clear that you like to make things up, Mac, I’m going to have to ask that you include links to sources (at at least sources suggestive of your conclusions) if you’re going to state statistics and historical assumpstions as fact.

Also,

Meanwhile, white Americans were not suffering the disabilities imposed on African-Americans because of their race. They, including immigrants fresh off the boat, were benefitting from being white. Most of them got a stake.

Spoken like a person with no comprehensions for the realities of being an Italian or Irish immigrant in New York at the turn of the century.  Not that this discounts any suffering the blacks went through, but your assumption that all white immigrants got a fair shake is so wrong its laughable.

If you’re going to lecutre the rest of us about history I suggest you actually read some of it.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Part II:  Blacks and the criminal justice system

From slavery on, blacks have had an interesting relationship with the criminal justice system.  Under slavery, there were special slave jails.  The penalties meted out to slaves were much more brutal than those for whites.  But, maiming was more common than execution.  A slave who has a foot cut off, for example, can still work. That does not deprive his owner of his labor.  But, a dead slave is worthless.

Furthermore, the purpose of the criminal justice system in the South, and to some extent the North, was to keep the slave chattel.  The biggest crime a black person could commit was to try to free himself.

That attitude still influences the law, especially in the South.  After Reconstruction, many Southern states had prison systems that were based on selling the labor of the freedmen back to the plantation owners.  To provide labor, blacks were often convicted of crimes with little or no evidence.  Angola in Louisiana was particularly well-known for its rent-a-Negro system.  To this day, many offenses that are defined as infractions elsewhere are treated as misdemeanors and felonies in the South.  The loaf of bread stolen in Nebraska will be subject to a much lesser penalty than if it had been stolen in Alabama, especially if the accused is African-American. 

One must also consider people involved in implementing the law.  In just about every city, the police, lawyers and judges are disproportionately conservative white men intent on maintaining the status quo.  To treat their decisions about arrests, charges and convictions as sacrosanct is to be a fool.  Their biases enter into the decision-making process every step of the way.  Juries have not been much better for most of history.  First, blacks were excluded from them and allowed to testify only under limited circumstances.  Now, though there has been some reform, peremptory strikes can have the same result.  Every objective study made of convictions has shown that race is a factor in the length and severity of punishment.  The majority of persons killed under the death penalty have been blacks whose victims were white.

So, to look at crime statistics and interpret them as telling the whole story is, again, to be a fool.  There may well be a higher level of some types of crime among minorities.  The poor are more likely to commit property crimes, and acts of violence, regardless of race.  That’s been true of immigrants, and, in a way, blacks are permanent ‘immigrants.’ (I will also wager that most people on this thread don’t know why police vans are called paddy wagons.) The truth about criminal justice stats is that there is a higher incidence of some crimes among minorities, but also that racial bias inflates them because of its role in arrests, charges and convictions.

Racist, Bigoted, Childish… Why don’t you add Sexist too?  I believe that Women are genetically superior to Men in raising and fostering children.  Does that make me Sexist?

Most African-Americans still live in the South and are stuck sharecropping.

My point, Mac, is that NO ONE is stuck anywhere until their mind says they are.  With education and determination all doors are open.

What has been done to Blacks was horrible and despicable. Nothing like that should ever happen again, although it does in other countries, and I’m not blind to the fact that there are still racist whites here. But, as I have mentioned, I started my adult life with NOTHING except an average education. Are you telling me that Blacks require a playing field slanted in their favor because they are black?  Because their great, great grandparents had nothing to hand down?  Isn’t that racist?

Many of the Irish immigrants worked in Coal and Iron mines, under incredibly harsh circumstances. Blacks have never been alone in bad treatment.  In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe has done the same thing to white farmers.  Strangely, I don’t recall much of a uproar about this from the anti-racism crowd.

Mac,

I said,

Every black today is at least a generation removed from slavery.

I never discounted the horrible treatment of people.  But you can’t let it ruin your life.  If you do, that is your choice, and I pity you for it.

V.  Addendum

I had not meant to write a pamphlet when I agreed to look at this thread and offer my analysis.  However, there is so much sloppy thinking going on here I felt I had to. 

I wrote this material with people who are interested in race relations in mind.  I am not naive.  I realize Rob and Seth are interested in race baiting, not race relations.  Mark and some of the other commenters do seem to be interested and might want to copy the sections with links for future reference.

By the way, the references are because most of my legal career was as a brief writer. I am not allowing myself to be bossed by Robbie Port.  That will never happen.

Rob referred to me by another slur at Blogcritics, and I mistakenly recalled it as that one.  But, the slur part is accurate.  So is ‘bitch.” It just happens that another member of Rob’s circle used it.

The server double posted an entry, Part III.  Delete one of them.

And, last, but not least, I had no idea Rob knew David until today.  It is amazing to me that Rob has alienated two bloggers of color in totally separate incidents.  If he were capable of learning from experience, I think that might suggest he does have a problem with racism even to his closed mind.

“I had not meant to write a pamphlet when I agreed to look at this thread and offer my analysis.”

Yes, you were actively sought out for your expert analysis and expected to write a diatribe.

Throw your opinions out there and then wait for a response. No one is going to change anyone’s mind by writing a 15 point article in someone elses comments section.

Part III:  A second history lesson

An examination of Seth’s remarks leaves no doubt he a person who has read very little, and, knows next to nothing about American history or race relations.

Let’s get a few historical facts straight.

~ Slavery did not end a generation ago, as Seth says.  The Civil War ended in 1865.  Slaves in all parts of the U.S. were freedmen at that point.  (Which led some slave owners to take their technically free slaves to Cuba and Brazil so they would not have to free them.  There is no underestimating just how evil those who imposed and benefitted from the peculiar institution were.) The Thirteenth Amendment made the freedmen citizens of the U.S.

~ Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) affirmed segegrgation of blacks in American life under state laws.  No whites, native or immigrant have ever been subjected to racial segregation.  During World War II, black soldiers in the South were segregated.  Their German prisoners of war were not.

~ Brown v. Board of Education (1954) made segregated schools unconstitutional.  But, years passed before meaningful enforcement occurred.  Desegregation failed in much of the U.S. due to white resistance.

~ Black people were largely deprived of participating in the electoral franchise until after the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.  Their ability to influence how badly they were being treated was extremely limited.  False imprisonment, being driven out of town and even death were the penalties to be paid for challenging white power.  So, nearly a hundred years passed between the end of slavery and achieving and maintaining any meaningful political rights. 

~ Title VII passed in 1964, but was immediately challenged.  Actual enforcement took until the 1970s.  Until then, blacks discriminated against in employment had no legal recourse.

*I am using the word ‘black,’ but all people of color in the U.S. were subjected to segregation and discrimination.

IV: Real life and Bill Cosby

Seth said:

What I have been talking about all along, is that progress of the individual is restricted when that individual can claim that his race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or anything else, are the reason for his failure to succeed.

History and just plain common sense prove that is pure poppycock.  Race, gender and sexual orientation are all determinative of how people are treated in society and what options are open to them.  Currently, my blog friend Lauren has an entry on her blog titled, ‘Anyone can be president.’ It is tongue-in-cheek. Unlike Seth, Lauren and the participants know that only white males from upper-class backgrounds have much chance of becoming president.  (Bill Clinton was a rare exception.) The same rule applies to most positions of power.  A few women and minorities have risen to high levels of corporate and government life during the last few decades.  But, they did not do it unscathed.  Neither of the women on the Supreme Court could get jobs at law firms upon graduation despite their high grades.  Colin Powell served in a segregated military and did not challenge the status quo. 

Seth says:

You want to turn it around on Cosby… all he’s saying is, get educated and you can’t fail, regardless of you background or genetics.

More poppycock.  African-American adults with a college degree often learn less than whites who only finished high school.  Once race enters the picture, the logical assumptions about education and income go right out the window.  The most successful minority group, Japanese-Americans, also earns less than whites with comparable education and experience.  Furthermore, a study earlier this year said that whites with a felony record have an easier time getting a job than blacks with no criminal record.

Something explains why merit seems to have little impact on the collective status of black America.  That something is called racial discrimination. 

In regard to Bill Cosby, his remarks were those of someone embittered by the loss of his own son.  (Murdered by a young white thug.) But, that does not excuse them.  He singled out the most vulnerable people in American society, the minority poor, to kick.  Nor are the things he said true.  They are the kinds of anecdotes white racists trade to try to justify their attitudes.  Most poor black families don’t have $500 free to buy basketball shoes or anything else.  David alluded to Cosby’s paternity suit.  Cosby has also been involved in extramarital affairs with other women.  The entertainer and real person are separate.  Cosby is not a perfect parent of perfect children.  One of his daughters was a drug addict for years.  Like the rest of us, Cosby and his family are subject to real life, not the fantasy world Seth subscribes to.  Extramarital affairs.  Outside children.  Drug addiction. Random murder of a loved one. 

I would be remiss if I did not also point out that Bill Cosby did not succeed in the professions, or found a business or make a significant scientific discovery.  He succeeded as an entertainer— the only area white America has pretty freely allowed blacks to succeed in during and since slavery.

Asking a civil rights lawyer to wite about this topic seems logical to me, Digger. 

The material I’ve posted is pretty second nature to me.  I’ve written about it and taught it so much it flows from memory. And rest assured, my writing is not confined to the comments sections of blogs.

The definition of racism is to believe that one ‘race’ is superior to another or others.  Everything I’ve read by Robbie Port in regard to race implies such a belief.  It is true that he is ignorant, but his constant obsessing over race and disparaging remarks about African-Americans, particularly, let’s me know that ignorance alone is not a complete explanation. 

I am no more incapable of knowing when I have been insulted than David is.  Rob’s declaration that he decides whether other people are insulted by his words is ludicrous.  We do.

As for Rob’s citation of a blog that asserts people of color are genetically inferior as a reference, that speaks for itself.

It amuses me that a certain sort of person in the blogosphere—usually a white male of little achievement—will inevitably focus on my career path.  I was educated as a journalist and worked in that field before going to law school.  I also write and have done some adjunct teaching.  I’ve never claimed otherwise.  Considering the poor writing and analytical skills of Robbie Port, I gather that jealousy is at play.

Haha, I stand corrected then!

Asking a lawyer to be concise is akin to asking my kid to “take just one piece” from their halloween candy bag.

Anyone visiting the links I provided will find two things very clear:

1.  I never called Mac Diva any names.

2.  She made up a lie about me calling her names because she was losing a political argument.

A simple google search for Mac Diva’s name will show that she has claimed to be many things and has lied about situations many times.  I am not the first blogger she has accused of this sort of thing.

Its also highly doubtful that she is a civil rights lawyer.  Could be, but I know she’s claimed to be many other things in the past.  Conveniently enough, the expertise she claims often lines up with the subject she’s debating at the moment.

As for race baiting...I’ve written well over 2000 posts on this webiste.  There are also well over 3000 comments here.  I welcome anyone to search through them and find a single instance where I ever engaged in race baiting or racist behavior in general.  I let my writings speak for themselves.

Further, please check the Blogcritics link I provided above.  Never once have I engaged in racist behavior.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Oh, it has been a very long time since I even thought about that Gweilo guy.  He runs a porn blog that focuses on Asian women. I wrote a single entry criticising it.  He put up his hate page in response.  Boy, do you know how to choose people to cite, Rob.  Who’s next—Matt Hale or David Duke?

A porn site with Asian women? Where? I must investigate your allegations mac!

Lauren, he said women are genetically superior for raising kids, he did not specify anything about keeping them moral. Maybe he meant breastfeeding and stuff. Which I would argue women are superior at *detaches newborn from breast* It’s not working too good :(

Perhaps I should amend that.  Does that make you sexist?  I don’t know. That’s judged by your actions and attitudes. Is the statement sexist?  Absolutely.

And, citing a blog run by racists that promotes the claim that people of color are genetically inferior over and over again proves, if anything, that you are a fellow traveler with them, Rob.  Apparently, you are foolish enough to think it helps your position.  It doesn’t.  I am pleased to have found out who the bigots who run Gene Expression are and to have published their names.  They can throw as many tantrums about is as they like. 

Nor does anything you’ve said on this thread help your position. Any person sensitive to issues of race relations looking at it will form the same opinion David and Lauren did.  Every time you open your virtual mouth you dig yourself in deeper.

"Women are genetically superior to Men in raising and fostering children. Does that make me Sexist?”

Actually, Seth, yes. 

Women are not born with an instinct that tells them how to raise morally adept children.  We fumble it up just as well as men do.

That’s like saying men are genetically disposed to watch football and foul up dinner.

Just go back and review what you’ve written here with your blinders off, Rob.  That alone would be enough to raise doubts to a race and culturally sensitive person.

But I thought I had posted racist and bigoted comments on Blogcritics and here?  You and I disagree about the alleged racism of Seth’s comments (and there’s plenty of people who agree with me on this one) so point out where I’ve ever been racist anywhere on the internet.

And why should we believe your comments about the above linked bloggers when you’re clearly willing to make unsubtantiated claims of racism against me.

Just post some proof Mac, or shut up if you can’t.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Oh, so the bloggers at that link are racist too?

Let me ask you something Mac, is everybody who disagrees with you racist?  Because you sure seem to throw that term around a lot.

By the way, still waiting for a link to one of my posts where I’ve used racist or bigoted terms or ideas.  Just one link, Mac.  I’m waiting.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Mac, I challenege you to link to one place where I have ever insinuated that whites are better than blacks, or any minority for that matter.

As for Rob’s citation of a blog that asserts people of color are genetically inferior as a reference, that speaks for itself.

Maybe you’d like to point out where I cited this blog you’re talking about?

As for your career track, I have to admit that I don’t know much about it.  I do know that you’ve claimed to be a lot of things that seem unlikely.  A simple google search reveals a lot about you, Mac.

Here’s some examples:

http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/000626.html

http://www.gweilodiaries.com/archives/001132.html

But, once again, I’ll leave it to you to prove that I’m a racist.  There’s a library of 3,000+ posts on this website.  I surely can’t edit them all before you look at them and I’m sure they’ve all been google cached.  Feel free to search the site all you want.  If I were a racist I would think that you could come up with at least one link.

Just one, that’s all I’m asking for.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

I am not going to hassle with hard to locate Blogger archives over someone I don’t consider worthy of the trouble, Rob.  But, as you know, I took issue with bigoted material from this blog months ago.  I recall that I thought it strange that you, someone who lives in a state where there are few African-Americans, would be so obsessed with black people and finding fault with them.  I remember joking with someone that you seemed to be expecting an invasion. Feel free to locate those entries for yourself if you feel a need to refresh your memory.

Still waiting for that link Mac.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

It is not your blog entries that would interest me, Rob.  It is my analysis of them that would.  That is what you should be trying to locate, since you are one who wants the information. 

But, you really should attend to the matter more directly at hand.  I’ve posted a wealth of information providing history, context and explanation of civil rights issues.  But, for some reason, you seem to be overlooking it.

Lauren, he said women are genetically superior for raising kids, he did not specify anything about keeping them moral. Maybe he meant breastfeeding and stuff. Which I would argue women are superior at *detaches newborn from breast* It’s not working too good :(

ROTFL! Stop!! the visuals in my head, Stop!!

Digger, Lauren, what I meant was that there is a genetic difference between the brain functions of a man and a woman.  The brains work differently.  Women are, in general, more emotional in their expressions of love.  This type of expression is more attuned to the developmental process of a newborn thru six year old child.  A newborn needs the feelings that a mother provides for comfort.  It is part of the development process of the Human psyche, and women are better at it.  I did not say a man can’t do it… just that they are not as good.

There are a lot of things that Women and Men are different in.  Stating these things is not sexist.  Just as saying that Black males have a higher propensity for colon cancer.

Some people are going seriously overboard on being politically correct.  It’s gotten to the point that you can’t say hello to someone walking down the street.

Hello!

Hard to find Blogcritics archives?  I think that if you scroll up to the comment I posted on today’s date at 11:59am you will see that I provided you with a direct link to an archive containing every post I ever wrote for Blogcritics.  An archive that is specific to me, no other bloggers.

Guess it wasn’t that hard to locate after all, was it?

As for you taking issue with racist comments on this blog “months ago,” I would sure like to know when that was.  You have commented here...well I’m not sure that you have ever commented here.  Certainly not in the last couple of months.

But if you’d link to the racist content in question and maybe even your response to it I’d be more than happy to discuss it with you.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Oh, and I know this certainly won’t sway the opinion of some, but, I have never read anything that Rob has written that would indicate that he holds an opinion of any person based upon their race, religion, creed, ethnicity, gender (or lack thereof)… Though, his is something of a democat-ist.  Perhaps that’s something you could work on, Rob. 

I find it personally offensive, Mac, that you would make accusations against our host, in his house, without proof.

Ok, let me get this straight. You cassue accuse me (along with Seth) of being racists and bigots.  As proof you cite numerous blog entries where I have expressed bigoted feelings.  When I ask for an example of one you say that you cannot find one and that it isn’t important that you find one because all that really matters is your opinion anyway.

That’s rich, Mac.  You’ve become a parody of yourself.  Congratulations.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Mark J you’re a damn racist! How dare you say that human beings can be different than each other!! We’re all 100% identical!

*sarcasm*

I think the reason that Irish and Italian immigrants have done so well, despite early discrimination, is that no one helped them.  They discovered that if they were to ever advance themselves, they would have to help themselves, and each other.

Have you been drinking?  Just shot up heroin, perhaps?  Brain shuts down after dark?  There must be some exculpatory explanation.  Surely no one could post that after reading the historical material I posted.

No one helped white immigrants? It seems to me that, since immigration laws largely kept nonwhites from immigrating to the U.S. until the 1970s, that being white would explain why the Irish and Italians were allowed to enter the country in the first place.  That’s an oversight on your part, right?  You know all about the quotas on nonwhite immigrants?  You just mistakenly failed to consider that being allowed to immigrate under racially discriminatory laws is an incredible help to people down to their last potato in Ireland or their remaining bottle of olive oil in Sicily, eh?

So, once the white immigrants were here, not being subjected to segregation, or deprived of the vote, or prevented from joining unions, ghettoized, falsely imprisoned or lynched at the drop of a hat, etc., were of no help? 

You sound really sure of yourself, Mark.  But, your reasoning makes no sense considering the historical record.  I’m baffled. Explain how all the forms of discrimination they were not suffering did not help white immigrants.  Take all the space you need.

No.  What I’ve done is come here and show you and your sidekick that you know nothing about civil rights history or issues.  You are trying to save face by changing the subject to some kind of goose chase after old blog entries.  That is unnecessary because the evidence directly at hand is sufficient.  Your friend posted a comment making racially biased claims.  I’ve presented history, context and explanation that prove his remarks are baseless and/or biased.  (Not to mention the work of someone either not very bright, lazy or both.) You’ve ignored that material because it destroys the nonsense you are so deeply vested in.  And, that is all it is—nonsense.  Neither of you even knew when slavery ended until I told you.  If someone has asked you what Title VII is, you would have not have known.  You are about as qualified to discuss civil rights issues as you are to perform brain surgery.  Every remark you’ve made own this thread is evidence of that.

Persons of your ilk mainly associate with each other.  You reinforce each others lack of knowledge about anything beyond shallow Right Wing blather.  When someone who is actually knowledgeable about a topic appears, your response is one of evasion.  I am not remotely fooled.

I would think that you would relish a chance to prove that you are not launching fallacious ad hominem attacks, Mac.  If it isn’t worth your trouble to back up your accusations with evidence, you shouldn’t be surprised that people doubt their veracity.

In regards to the status of black Americans, I have a few quick bullet points that outline my position:

- Blacks still face some level of racism in this country, although much of it isn’t conscious discrimination
- Despite this obstacle, it is still possible for black Americans to be highly successful in terms of education, ownership, employment, etc.
- While there is some evidence to show that intelligence has some roots in genetics, I think that the amount of success someone has in life is overwhelmingly a result of the effort exerted, not genetic factors
- People born into poverty are more likely than those born into the middle or upper classes to be poor themselves, regardless of racial factors
- The best way to help someone isn’t to give them something, or skew the playing field in their favor, but to give them the education they need to compete on their own
- I think that programs like Affirmative Action are beneficial to the recipients in the short term, but harmful in the long run.  When the disadvantaged rely on the government for advancements in life, they perpetuate that dependence, and delay their independence and legitimate advancement

Although some racism persists, I do not think this is the root of the disadvantage felt by most blacks.  Black Americans born into middle class families tend to do very well.  I think the reason that Irish and Italian immigrants have done so well, despite early discrimination, is that no one helped them.  They discovered that if they were to ever advance themselves, they would have to help themselves, and each other.

While many black Americans have courageously bettered themselves, and risen out of poverty to achieve great things, many seem content to receive modest help from government programs that allows them to sit quasi-comfortably right above the poverty level.  I think that this has the effect of slowing the rate at which black Americans catch up to the rest of America in terms of economic success, as there is no real incentive for betterment.

Ultimately, I think the problem is the fault of our horrid education system.  Schools in poor neighborhoods are of an inferior quality.  That is harmful regardless of your race.  If your K-12 education fails to properly educate you, you are at a serious disadvantage.

And that’s about all I have to say on the matter.  Let fly the accusations of racism…

He has ‘starred’ on Silver Rights several times because of bigoted remarks he has made at Blogcritics.

The definition of racism is to believe that one ‘race’ is superior to another or others. Everything I’ve read by Robbie Port in regard to race implies such a belief.

It is not your blog entries
that would interest me, Rob.

Looks like Mac has a few things in common with Senator Kerry…

Oh yeah like THAT isn’t being discussed anywhere else.

Mac, I’m sorry, but you don’t know enough about history. 

Look,
Is the world perfect? No.
Is there currently Slavery in the US? No.
Is there currently in other parts of the globe? Yes.

Is the USA the best place in the world for all people? No. 
Are the poor in the USA better of than anywhere else in the world? Americas poor live at the same, or higher, standard of living that European middle class.
If you are Black in the US, are you held back from opening a business? No, in fact you are given breaks and aid that Whites are not.  Racism?

Racism defined: rac•ism n.

1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

Is there racism? Yes, If you’re of a certain skin color over another, to a degree.  Imagine a White man in Zimbabwe.  Would he be treated well?  What of white people in China?  What of Russians in Iraq?  What of Women anywhere in the Middle East? 

The hostilities toward specific ethnicities here is minor when compared to the rest of the world.  Are we perfect?  Certainly not.

Is it possible to mandate respect of others?  No.  You can not legislate away a prejudice. It must be educated away.
And the task of education goes to both sides. 
Get over the past and work toward the future. 
Don’t ask me for handouts, work WITH me to build a brighter future. 
Don’t take from me because of the actions long ago of another with my skin color against another with the color of yours.  (Note: this is my first post with an allusion to my skin color.  I don’t think it matters.)

Don’t blame me of the injustices in the world, help me change them.  Instead of allowing Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton to be powerful figures in the community, make them disgraced.  Strengthen your families, so that the single mother to married ratio is not so high.  Stop asking for special treatment.

The reprehensibility of self pity is beleaguered in the Bible.  Learn from it.  There is no way to be strong if you are always attacking and defensive. 

This is what I would say if I were interested in fixing the problem.  The fact of the matter is I am not drawn to protest racism.  I don’t care.  I am an individual.  I have dreams and aspirations for life, and they don’t include active lobbying against racism.  I check myself so as not to be prejudice, but you have to be able to (excuse the language) call a spade a spade.  (Why do I feel the urge to note that this is a POKER term… this is the crap that I hate. Having to be so PC, it sucks!!)

I am not racist, but those who use their race as a Crutch to get more of the public coffers, or scam Burger King into paying racketeering fees, is.  I feel in no way responsible for your situation, and you can’t make me.  I now consider you part of the problem, and as Cartman would say, “You can kiss my ass.”