I'm just an old lady and don't claim to be overly smart. I do know there isn't a black person alive now that was ever a slave in this country, there isn't a white person alive now that ever owned a slave in this country. Most people treat others of any color on the merit of the behavior which they exhibit when dealing with others. I don't figure I owe any one any thing and they don't owe me for what ever happened over a hundred years ago. You be nice too me and I'll be nice to you. I don't care if you're purple.
And I don't understand why most posters are harping on about slavery Its gone beyond that - treat others as you would like to be treated and you'd see results - right ?
I'm sure Ken wants to be treated like any other poster here - I think he mentioned that point on another thread some time ago. If I'm wrong - I would either leave or ignore his posts. Sometimes we are a little strong on some subjects, simply because its a strong belief and emotive for us
I can remember the expression "that's mighty white of you" from when I was a kid in the south. I never paid much attention to it but I do remember. I think we should get past the slavery argument and try to imagine what it's like being black in modern America. Or brown. Or yellow. Or (gasp) even white. "The times they are a changin'."
"I think we should get past the slavery argument" Begging your pardon, that's an easy one for a white person to say. Not saying white folks alive today should be guilty of anything if their forefathers owned slaves. As for modern people of color, the blacks in particular were never until recently allowed to acquire and pass down wealth. There is a lot of catching up to do and the core reason is slavery.
All thanks to Democrats. Maybe Democrats should be forced to pay reparations. This thread is really about language, though; and particularly the practice of using today's standards to judge the writings of yesterday's authors. How can we, on the one hand, live only by today's standards and simultaneously hold people of today responsible for what people said or did in the past? If the idea is to erase our history, and pretend it didn't happen, then all of the race baiting is surely out of line.
So you believe that the Blacks in the U.S. would be better off if they had stayed in Africa? There is no condescension intended there. It just seems a statement of fact. I believe most of the families who came to this country are better off than if they had stayed in their nation of origin. Would you think the German Jews who fled their nation prior to WWII would have been better off if they had stayed?
Don't put words in my mouth Don, especially when they are ludicrous. Thank you, greatly appreciated. It is what it is. eta--It would have been much 'nicer' if there were no Third Reich; if Africans emigrated in the way Europeans did. Just MHO, of course. I can't be an apologist for slavery by saying Gosh, it worked out so well in the end!
Given that most of those who were sold into slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean were already enslaved in Africa, that would not seem likely.
No, I don't think so. True I am an old white man and I think in the past treatmenmt of black people has been horrendous and inexcusable. We brought the black man to America and treated him like an animal, often like an animal we needed but didn't like and kept them in inhumaim conditions. We've done our best over the years to keep them from voting but to erase every statue, look under every rock for something we could undo in the name of racism is trying to rewrite and change our history. I do think we're going a little far. We can pass laws against racism but truth be known it will always exist, even, I believe, after all we old white men have passed on, racism will be around and be something of a problem not only in this country but around the world.
Yeah, aquiring wealth and passing it down to one’s progeny is made even more difficult by: 66% of the black kids in America live in single parent (mostly fatherless) homes. 52% of black kids in America graduate high school. Doing the math, 48% do not. Black women are 5 times more likely to have abortions. Now, getting down to the “why’s” of the problems do not always fall into the category of racism and as a matter of fact, has little to do with white people at all. If we could answer why black dad’s do not stick around or why black kids leave high school (obviously not looking for a college level education) and why even black on black crime is so prevalent in the larger black communities then maybe some of the garbage can be filtered out and some truth to the matters be handled with some intelligence. Hating white people will not solve anything. We’re the scapegoat that people use to rationalize many of their own inadequacies. White privilege, prejudice and racism has been the excuse for many of the problems that black people have had but the majority of times it is simply that folks are either not encouraged enough to do the work or simply do not wish to do it in order to get ahead. I live in N. Alabama and see successful black people every day who work as engineers and tech people and lawyers and doctors but I also see my street. A street full of pimps, druggies and thieves whose biggest excuse for not going straight is because of racism and white privilege.
I'm concerned about your street, Bobby. This is the second time in my recent memory that you have mentioned the element of crime where you live. I hope this never endangers you or Yvonne and that you stay and always remain safe. Slavery and prejudice have left a painful legacy for too many people. I do believe this can and will be eradicated.
Thank you for your concern Lulu. Truth is, everyone knows me and with the exception of when the tools were stolen out of my shop, no one would dare bother either Yvonne or myself. The other day I was sitting on the porch having coffee and a new pimp and his uh, financial support element passed by the house and he yelled “good morning Bobby” as they passed by the house. He knew me before I got to know him. Folks talk and they know that I really like peace and also know that when that peace is broken I can and sometimes do get physically involved if all else fails. The thing is that I do talk with people. I have worked with dope addicts and alcoholics and the homeless and especially with homeless vets in the missions for so many years that it just seems like a natural and normal day even though I retired from that type of ministry. I do not feel threatened by them and I’m honest in every way imaginable so in return we get respect. So much so that even though my tools were never returned, I was told that the 3 individuals that did it were no longer a problem in Huntsville, whatever that means. I’m not going off topic because the above is just a background for a relatively large event which happened a couple of years ago. There was a black hooker who, when she wasn’t terrorizing the neighborhood with her friend, she would often sit and talk with my wife and I. On one hand, she was pure evil and on the other, a pretty lady with some problems she couldn’t seem to overcome. Long story short, she is now a full manager of a McDonalds and credits God, my wife and myself for the changes she made in her life. Truth is, she made the changes and just needed someone to listen to her and then tell her the real facts as they really are. She opened her eyes and saw the truth and overcame every single invisible anchor that was holding her down. No more drugs, no booze and certainly not selling herself like some slave to the first person with a few bucks. Yes, my street is probably the worse one in Huntsville, Alabama but it can be a street full of miracles if one looks at it the right way.
Just shows what can be achieved - listening to someone with a caring heart and spirit can work wonders She needed to see 'another side'