4 Reasons Why African-Americans Haven't Always Been "Free"

[Anonymous]

Racism.

Now there is a word that can stir up emotions quickly! So many people have such strong views on this subject that it is really hard for a lot of people to talk about it with an open mind. My goal is to help navigate you through this somewhat controversial subject and reveal some of the truths that you may not be aware of. It doesn’t matter what race or ethnic background you may be, if you are a closed minded person you won’t agree with some of the things I’m about to cover.

Fun Fact: I'm white!!! Congratz OP you have figured out your race!! But this is actually pretty significant. For most of my life, I have been blissfully unaware of the fact that I'm white. My race never affected me.

Growing up I knew racism was bad but I didn't fully understand what racism was. I thought racism was slurs, blatant discrimination and hating someone based on their skin color. But I now know that it's a seeping system of invisible forces that effectively keep people of color in a permanent 2nd class status. It's the foundational fabric of our society woven with values, attitudes, stereotypes,policies, economies and laws.Let's take a stroll down the memory lane....

1: Wealth Between 1993 and 1962

The American government backed $120 billion dollars of home loan.But they refused to back home loans for black Americans or even if black folks lived nearby.

1. This practice called redlining essentially forced black Americans into poor urban centers( the beginnings of the ghetto).

2. Segregated America to this day.

3. Made it impossible to invest in the future of black neighborhoods.

4. Made it impossible for black Americans to start inheriting property and wealth the same way white Americans did.

2: Education

Property taxes fund schools, which means families that live in nice houses( maybe ones got with the help of government) get a better education. It means more opportunities, more resources, more connections, more jobs, and more$$$$!!!! The lack of educational opportunities meant that many black folks were forced into low-wage manual labor.

3: Job Applications

Today, when looking at the same exact resume, employers are 50% more likely to call back a candidate with a white sounding name rather them someone with a ghetto name.

4: Mass Incarceration!!! Racial Profiling Is Racism

More African American adults are now incarcerated than were enslaved in 1850 a decade before the civil war began!!! Black men are now imprisoned 6 times the rate of white men. The communities of colors are policed more harshly. They are twice as likely to get pulled over. There have been several incidents of unarmed black males getting shot by a white cop.

[Anonymous]

When I moved to North America, it was the first time I'd seen such a high population density of black people. What I noticed was that as hard as I looked, I couldn't see white people discriminating black people, but I saw black people discriminating white people in my entire region. Yes, their past has been hard and underprivileged, but times have changed and in developed countries, they often have just as much opportunity as whites.

I went to a hair saloon. It was all new to me. I come from Asia where there are no whites, and there are no blacks. I didn't know this hair saloon was only for black people, silly me. I thought it was a normal business, and I was a normal customer, so I went in. The person behind the counter referred to me as 'this white girl' (I look white). This is just one instance of the things I've seen.

I see them hating white people using the 'grain of rice' logic. They were treated badly before, so they think now, every white is like that. That's the same logic whites used against them, but because their mothers had it hard, they get a pass. I never did anything to them, but because of my skin colour, they think it's okay to treat me like a second class citizen. It seems to me that people like that don't want racial equality. They want racism in their favour.

Apartheid is over. Now, ethnicities just separate themselves. It's normal. Your city has a Chinatown, doesn't it? Or maybe that neighborhood where it's basically all Italians. New generation white people are the usually the only all welcoming race, and only because if they dare stick to their own, they're suddenly the devil.

[RationalMale]

If blacks don't want to be arrested... Stop breaking the law at such high rates.. Baltimore alone had 340 homicide a last year.

Blacks break laws at a higher rate, and are hence arrested.. It's either that or let places like baltimore, chicago, and Detroit turn into gang banger warzones.

[madhatters4]

there's no doubt that black men are often targeted and prosecuted differently. it's to simplistic to simply say that they commit more crimes (and the rate of murders in baltimore is myopic since baltimore does have more than one race living in the city).

it's an oversimplification to say stop breaking laws and all of a sudden no black people will be in jail. sociological studies have shown that

[RationalMale]

@madhatters4 I wasn't talking about child support cases, hatter.

[madhatters4]

and my opinion is not to state that black people don't commit crimes but that law enforcement has historically often times treated minorities different than others.

i've experienced it personally

[madhatters4]

i wasn't talking about child support cases either

[RationalMale]

@madhatters4 and its a good general rule.. High black population=murderville. Like memphis, indianapolis, chicago, detroit, baltimore, atlanta.

[madhatters4]

this was your premise "If blacks don't want to be arrested... Stop breaking the law at such high rates"

my response was that it's an oversimplification to suggest that blacks commit crimes that's why they are in jail so disproportionately. stating cities with high murder rates doesn't really sway an argument about the propensity for minorities to be treated differently than non-minorities

i'm a black man. i work a white collar job. i was driving home from work, went through a yellow light. cop starts lights up. i was on an extremely busy road so i drove about a.1 of a mile and pulled into a park's parking lot. cops came screaming out of their car with their guns cocked screaming for me to keep my hands on the wheel... can't help but think the color of my skin was a cause for such an egregious overreaction

my simple point is that minorities are often treated differently. perhaps minorities commit more crimes in major cities but even outside of cities the rate of incarceration...

[madhatters4]

shows a differential treatment for minorities. studies show it. states have enforced laws to stop profiling all to try to lower the rate of maltreatment

again i'm not defending all black people. but simply stating if your black and don't break the law you won't have problems is an oversimplification of a very large systemic problem

[EvilPimp]

A lot of the violence has to do with the war on drugs too. Instead of ending it , America continues prohibition like its going to work, but it won't work case in point Chicago. A black dealer in Chicago was arrested, for operating a heroin ring that had customers lined up around the corner. The FBI and DEA tracked these drugs from mexico , but WAITED until they got to the black community to make busts and arrests. Why does the government wait until the drugs reach the black community to start arresting when they could get them all at the border.

[RationalMale]

@EvilPimp. Same reason they like to arrest white drug dealers... Why just get the source when you can track it down a whole drug ring? Duh. More bad people arrested, more prestige, more seized assets.

[EvilPimp]

So you're saying that crime should be created when it can be totally prevented? That's stupid. If they stop them where they come from then there will be no violent drug crimes which a lot of the violence comes from. Why even speak on violence in the these cities if the government isn't going to even try to stop one of the MAIN problems fueling it?

[RationalMale]

@EvilPimp why turn down the chance to arrest whoever ordered those drugs, instead of leaving them free to commit other crimes?

[EvilPimp]

Nobody actually ordered them. These cartels and outsiders know that America is the biggest drug using country on earth, so they're going to bring them regardless. If they ended the war on drugs , people would have no choice but to go try to find a job, but its bigger than that. The prison industrial complex, law enforcement and politicians want the money that the drug war brings from arrests and prison time. They care nothing about keeping you , your family or community safe from drugs or the violence that come from them being ILLEGAL. They just fool you into supporting them in elections and such.

[GreatnessRevamped]

All races break laws.

[RationalMale]

@GreatnessRevamped and only a few bitch that it was 'racism' when they get arrested for it.

[Other_Tommy_Wiseau]

look up the shit with james blake... now imagine it, instead of being a high profile athlete in the middle of manhattan with a random dude in nowhereville illinois

[skykidx1]

1. once got pulled over for stopping our car to take a nap after a 11 hour ride with no hotels near by. 2. Cops kicked in the door of our house saying my brother raped a girl we never even met before. O uea lets not forget my brother a hardcore gamer and never even leaves the house. So tell me how could he have raped some girl he never met? he was in jail for 4 months before they find the real guy who was white. So stop being a dumb ass and saying stop breaking the law. The fact you said blacks shows me your racist. by the way 80% of my family fights everyday i the army, navy, marines for yout freedom.

[RationalMale]

@skykidx1 cool story bro

[skykidx1]

Not a story its what happened to us

[RationalMale]

@skykidx1 Well, we all know that whites never get arrested wrongly or wrongly accused... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_lacrosse_case

[NedfromtheNed]

"But I now know that it's a seeping system of invisible forces that effectively keep people of color in a permanent 2nd class status. "
False. Nothing keeps any person down except for a lack of ambition. Let is say that there is a Hispanic living in poverty and crime stricken Chicago and he can't go to the library to expand his knowledge on a certain subject because he will be beaten up for it. Is that racism: no. Thats just a lack of structure, moral law, government strength, and community strength. No one is being forced down.
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"The American government backed $120 billion dollars of home loan. But they refused to back home loans for black Americans or even if black folks lived nearby."
Well, ill give you that.
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"Property taxes fund schools, which means families that live in nice houses ( maybe ones got with the help of government) get a better education."
False. Just because your school can buy more lunch tables doesn't mean it will provide a better education. A black person living in the richest part of New Jersey has the same likelihood and ability to go to Harvard as does a poor black person from New York. If anything, the poor black person has a greater chance.
You get out of the education system what you put in. There is an excess of grants and scholarships available to almost all people. You get out what you put in. A teacher doesn't make or break a student; a student makes or breaks his or her own educational career.
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"Today, when looking at the same exact resume, employers are 50% more likely to call back a candidate with a white sounding name rather them someone with a ghetto name."
In the modern business world, the one that exists in almost every corner of the globe (including the US), the basic goal of any business is to make money. Businesses (disregarding the vast, vast, vast minority) do not see color, all they look for is who will increase profits the most. Its not for me to say why your stat is the way it is (if its true, that is), but it certainly isn't based on race.
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Continues...

[NedfromtheNed]

"More African American adults are now incarcerated than were enslaved in 1850 a decade before the civil war began!!! "
www.blackenterprise.com/.../
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" The communities of colors are policed more harshly."
That is because they are more violent. Because, as you said, the mass exodus of middle class whites during post war years caused massive poverty (and thusly crime) to develop in cities, which were now composed of mainly colored people.
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"There have been several incidents of unarmed black males getting shot by a white cop."
Thats like saying, "there have been several incidents of unarmed hispanics being shot by black cops". This statement doesn't provide anything.
CONTINUES...

[NedfromtheNed]

Worse, it implies that there is some form of racism that cops have, which isn't true for the vast majority.
I have seen, in this past year, maybe one report of "police brutality" that i would agree was probably racism. The rest are merely incidents that are blown out of proportion.
Black lives do matter. But if you can assemble 3,000 people to protest those who are trying to protect your community, you think you would be able to assemble 3,000 to protest those who destroy and kill blacks and other colored people (criminals).
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"if you are a closed minded person you won’t agree with some of the things I’m about to cover."
Just because someone doesn't agree with what you post doesn't make them close-minded. I am open minded to many opinions, but i will not change my own just to appear a good person.
I support equality. I believe gays have a right to marry.

[NedfromtheNed]

I am a very orthodox Christian. I am male. I am white. I am part of a minority in America. I am lower middle class. I am an immigrant. I am many things, but I dont let them sway my opinions nor do i let them change my definition of equality to benefit myself.

[hellionthesage]

Please provide links to data. As for being poor, statisticly more whites are poor then blacks, in fact whites comprise the majority of the poor. By suggesting that whites "inherit" money you are suggesting that whites are just better off, I am poor, my friends are poor and by claiming that because I am white I am suddenly better off is quite contradictory to the facts. Further more many white people, surprise surprise, actually worked and earned what they have, as do most people who have anything. As for profiling, the fact is blacks are more likely to commit nearly every crime by a large margin then any other group. 93% of blacks killed are killed by blacks, blacks are actually more likely to kill whites then whites are to kill black and are far more likely to commit murder, armed robbery, assualt, assaulting police officers (I believe they are three times more likely to pull a weapon on a police officer and about 9x more likely to commit armed robbery) etc etc etc so its not racism, its statisticly significant facts. By ignoring this what you are saying is nothing is the black communities fault. And if nothing is their fault then they must not have any control over the situation and as such the problems will continue until such a time we as a society remove any excuse for why the black community is suffering. My friends girlfriends son, eddy (he is black, in case that wasn't obvious), goes to a good school and apparently his school is racist. The reason? They give him bad grades. Bad grades because he is sleeping in class (no one tells him to go to bed or gives him a structured enviroment) no one tells him to do his homework, in fact his grandmother tells him he doesn't have to that its racism for the school to expect him to do it, he doesn't do much of anything, and of course because of no child left behind (and I'm sure the fact that he is a black child also doesn't hurt) he is allowed to pass each grade. Do you think this is beneficial to him? Excuses and belittlment? And it is belittling when ever you say its not the black communities fault that the black community is in such bad shape you are saying they have no power, they have no control over their actions and therefore are utterly helpless. They should give up and not bother to try and make things better, thats what your saying. So here is this, now 13 year old boy who is failing school as he has been allowed to do for the past four years

[hellionthesage]

,(letting him fail without ramification would be racist after all) who has no drive no reason to try and of course no father (not his fathers fault that he doesn't want to be there of course, nor his mothers fault for choosing to have sex with some one when she was fifteen who was of less then upstanding character, nor her parents who didn't hammer home the proper lessons to avoid such a situation ie either don't have sex, be chooser, or at least use a god damn condom, because you know they are black so its not their fault (probably an evil white person is to blame) a mother who was not there in his developing years (to her credit she was working hard to provide for him, she made a mistake but she was trying to do the right thing so I dont fault her for it but trying to do right doesn't make the situation good) thus causing him to have sever attachment issues (antisocial terrified of everything, 13 years old still sleeps with the lights on) and then we have you, and a society that

[hellionthesage]

that thinks like you stating its not his fault, his parents fault, his grandparents fault, its everyone else. Who does that benefit? Because as far as I can tell the black community sure as hell hasn't benefited from this. In fact things have only gotten worse with the adoption of this mentality. Personally I think its racist to think that way, it reeks of the good old days of the "white mans burden". What we need is acknowledgement of how screwed up the black community is, how disfunctional it is not ignoring it as if it isn't a problem that so many black people are murdered (I'm from chicago, they call it chiraqu do to how many people (black people) get killed here, guess how many) by other blacks. We need to stop this babying crap and hold people accountable for their actions, help those who help themselves, its the only solution. Blacks are not the only ones who have been through this every group has, we have

[hellionthesage]

had the irish (who where enslaved too) the italians etc etc etc. All of them had to go through the same crap yet they managed to pull through and integrate, yet the black community hasn't why? Well the difference is time. Nobody babied the irish, or the italians, they as a community had to crack down on violence on illicit acts and crime in their own communities only then where they accepted. That isn't happening in the black community, and no one is asking them to. Thats the problem.

[Anonymous]

I agree with some of your points.

As for the ghettos, what you said it partly true. There was also the issue with white flight. My great grandma moved to the US from Poland with her family around 1915. This was a time where anti-Catholic sentiment was running high so they weren't treated well either. They lived in Hamtramck, which is part of Detroit: one of America's most segregated cities. Hamtramck was a Catholic and Polish neighborhood. People could get by speaking their native language and live with people of the same culture. There were also other ethnic enclaves in Detroit at the time as well. Up until the late 60's, she lived in Detroit. At the start of the 40's, many rural, black, protestant, vernacular speaking migrants began to move into Detroit. For my great grandma and many of the other Polish residents, the great migration made things pretty awkward. They didn't speak their language, were of a different religion, poorer, and had different cultural values. The Poles nor African Americans didn't know how to solve this. The government didn't help either with the home loans as you mentioned. This issue was happening in other parts of Detroit and areas of the country. The situation eventually escalated, led to race riots, and caused further issues. My great grandma couldn't leave her house for a few days. It wasn't safe to go outside. Her and my great grandfather didn't think living there was suitable anymore so they moved out. Many other European Americans did the same.

The point is, the segregation we see today isn't entirely. The US government wasn't fond of Eastern European immigrants. Housing loans were primarily for people of the WASP community, since they were statistically wealthier and more capable of paying back the loans. The segregation in Detroit occurred because people felt unsafe and didn't want to live there anymore, resulting in a sharp demographic divide. The blame can't fall entirely on one group though.

I agree on education for the most part but there are countless examples of people achieving high with little money and resources. Part of the issue is the culture these kids grow up in and the fact that education isn't as valued.

I would have to disagree on the name thing. On paper, "David" looks a lot more professional than "DeShawn". That is just the reality of it.

African Americans make up 12 percent of the US population but commit about 28% of the crime.

[Anonymous]

#1) loaning money to people unlikely to be able to even pay back interest, let alone anything else, is bad practice. White people in the same financial situations as poor black people are denied at the same rate. In fact, the mandatory sub-prime loans, forcing banks to loan to high risk people who would otherwise not qualify for loans, is why we had the housing market crash.
Not giving money to someone who can't pay it back is not racism.

#2) Money does not equate success. The school distract which spends the most money per student is in Detroit, at this moment, I believe. And the distract is an abject failure. Your belief that a problem can be solved by shoveling money at it has proven objectively false time and again.
And if you want an example of black education excellence, look at the Tuskegee school, prior to WW2. Open only to black students, their mission was to prove that blacks were not inferior, not by meeting the same standards as whites, but by working hard an exceeding them. The people who came out of that school were brilliant, and held in universal high regard. Maybe you heard of the Tuskegee Airmen?
They achieved excellence without equal funding, because they believed in hard work. It doesn't matter how much money you throw at schools with black students. As long as they are also taught, by people in their lives, that because they are black whitey won't let them achieve anything, they won't bother to even try.

#3) I will hire a Sharon over a Shaniqua any day of the week, if they have the same credentials. It isn't about skin color, it is about the culture they come from. Name your kid intelligently. You try to make them, stand out, and instead they stand apart. Anything that screams "I come from urban culture" screams to an employee "I expect a pay check but I don't want to work."
Funny how black women named "Sharon" never complain that they can't get a job because of their name...

#4) The fact that blacks are 12% the population, but almost 50% the prison population does not mean they are targeted unfairly. It means they have a higher propensity to commit crimes. And whether it is rape, murder, theft, assault, destruction of property, drugs, or anything else, their victim is most likely to be other black people.
If you want less black people in prison, start by committing less crimes. Because when 12% the population is responsible for 50% the murders? It is your culture, not our racism.

[LoloWaye]

Okay you can't discriminate against someone because of their name. They can't help that, that's what their parents chose.

It is not part of African American culture to kill people. If we're saying that, then it's it white people's culture to enslave others, take over countries, shoot up schools, etc.

And it is true that blacks were discriminated against when it came to housing. That's how they were able to segregate. Duh.

[Opinion Owner]

@LoloWaye I know they can't help their name. I never said I was being fair or bigoted, in that regard. But we all have our prejudices, whether we admit it or not, whether we are proud of them or not. And names like those are among mine. I expect a black person named "Sharon" to be a better person than a black person named "Shaniqua." That is cruel of me, and unfair, but I'm being honest about it.

And African American culture glorifies gangs, thugs, criminal activity, pimping, whoring, etc. It is everywhere in their music, movies, and other entertainment. You want to see a black person treated terribly in an urban environment? Watch how much abuse the one who takes school seriously, and wants to get a decent job, gets. Watch how he is told he is a race traitor, and needs to stop doing "white people shit."
I've seen too much of that, first hand. African American culture glorifies lawbreaking, and thugs are held up as a standard to be, not to avoid being.

[Opinion Owner]

@LoloWaye and as for housing? I was speaking primarily of the recent events, from early 90s to today. You'd think my mention of "sub prime" rates and the housing bubble would have tipped you off.

[LoloWaye]

Shit I've experienced all of that. I'm one of those black kids doing white people shit. I just hate that people say it's all black people though. I have white friends from the ghetto that glorify the same shit but no one ever says anything about that. I've never been associated with anything gang related but police officers will look at me. first instead of my friends, who steal, smoke weed, etc. "Shaniqua," who may have a degree and works hard for her shit, may lose out to "Kayla," who spends all her money on weed and drugs and doesn't try to better herself.

All this shit drives me crazy. Why can't we start looking at people as people and taking race in as part of the person, not what makes the person?

[Opinion Owner]

@LoloWaye people are programmed to look at groups, and not individuals. It is why stereotypes are so common, and why every group has stereotypes, good and bad, for every other group.
I am grateful every day for my black neighbors, friends, and co-workers, because it is because of them that I never fell into believing 100% in stereotypes.
And just as I've known and had enough black people in my life who are good people and hard workers, I've also known and had enough dirt bad white people in my life to know that, as you say, glorify that same ghetto shit.
but the sad fact is that that ghetto, urban culture IS at least a black culture, and until it is dealt with, there will be a basis of legitimacy towards some black stereotypes.

Now, to be fair, with the name thing? I said "if they came in with the same credentials." In the end, I support hiring the best person for the job, no matter the name. I will not hire D grade Sharon over B grade Shaniqua. I want the best.

[OrdinaryGentleman]

Ok i believe African americans have not always been free. Think Oklahoma 1921 race riots, so many needless deaths all because of people in power. Particularly rich white people in power, same as its always been.
I do not agree with Black Lives Matter 1 single bit. They are going about uniting people completely wrong and its sad. Nelson Mandela would look at that organization and wonder wtf is wrong with them. They post aggressive things towards white people saying they want to kill them or what have you. White people as a whole are not and have never been the enemy of whatever the black community has seen. If you look at every white person they have a different set of morals and beliefs. Its like saying every person who practices islam is ISIS.
Got that off my chest.
Blacks have been the impeded minority and have more incarcerations per capita than any other minority. Why? Because they have always been the poorer side. I think anyone both poor whites and blacks, would resort to violence, looting and murder. Im not going to sit here and say black people are angels just because of their skin, but im also not going to say i don't understand where they come from. Being poor has been a staple of African American culture, has been for ages. While society moved forward the poor were trampled underfoot, with the majority being blacks and other minorities.
The problem lays in what is now-- creating a median of agility for all races, in scholastic achievement, homelife... etcetc. Now colleges are more willing to accept minorities while pushing whites away based upon their skin color. Ethnic origin plays little part in this process.
But here is the thing, if people can't realize why they are being pulled over constantly... i wouldn't know what to say except look at the crime statistics, look who is getting pulled over. If you allow law enforcement to operate at their full extent, they bloody will. And no amount of force is going to change that with so much fear over terror bombings and school shootings.

Do i believe minorities should be pulled over? NO
Do i believe whites should be pulled over simply based off of their skin color? NO

I think its imperative that we focus on today, rather than the past. Because blaming today's generation for the actions of their ancestors is well... no better than their ancestors. It builds a solid foundation for new racism. It must stop.

Seriously though... white-sounding names?

[OrdinaryGentleman]

Do i believe racism towards minorities is prominent in the world today? I believe it is a hot topic, meaning that people are willing to talk about it; in some areas of the country yes it is relevant, but a majority... not. I also believe many people are misinformed over most all of it. You have too many idiots from the whites too many idiots from the blacks are speaking, while the people with things worthwhile to say are either swayed by the idiots on-stage or not even bothering to deal with the shit storm of rhetoric in the US as of yet.

[vishna]

I think the problem is that the cops who are pulling over random black people aren't doing so because they fear terror bombings or school shootings, they do it because they think that black person might have some drugs, a gun, stolen merchandise, or be in possession of a stolen car. It's cool to stop random people in cars that match eye witness descriptions but when you have people being pulled over simply for being brown, that's an issue. Just like there was an issue when police could check if someone was legal or not if they looked a certain way. I mean Chris Rock got pulled over a lot and documented it on social media. So it happens to a lot of different people.

And yea, that bias for having a name like Tanisha or Jamal is bad, it's seriously ridiculous.

I think no one should be held accountable for their ancestor's sins, however, speaking of the (very recent) past to try and explain things is not bad. And it's not like there's a lack of hurt happening at this very moment.

[OrdinaryGentleman]

@vishna
Why do you think they pull over minorities? Because statistics say otherwise? no. They pull them over simply because by their skin color they are involved with what some of the general population of minorities are, drug trafficking, murder, general crime; far more often. Reason why... because being poor doesn't give you many options. Like i said before, minorities are the odd man out, they are the ones who have to deal with police searches. Its a logical conclusion to start harassing people based off of their skin color from a cops perspective because that is all that may tie them to drugs, murder or whatnot. But is it the right one? hell the fuck no, not only is it morally corrupt, it violates the constitution, code of conduct for police officers and gets people killed. Law enforcement will always take as much power as we give it.
The past is not what defines the present day, it can serve as a reminder of what was done to those people but nothing more.

[OrdinaryGentleman]

Besides in all honesty humanity is riddled with cases of oppression from all cultures, why does one have to live with the shame and regret when they could neither alter the past nor change the present. People made terrible decisions but an entire section of race does NOT need to pay for the actions of others. I didn't ask to be white anyway and you didn't ask to be black right? its the lot were given. Doesn't mean we are suddenly required to adhere to hate speech.

[vishna]

No one is attacking your whiteness, mister >:o Lol, I'm half white, have white friends, and have a white boyfriend. Your whiteness is never the issue. I don't think the mytake author is hating on white people, she's just stating things.

www.nytimes.com/.../...ic-stops-driving-black.html

Over the years, police officials in cities like New York and Chicago have used much the same argument to justify contentious pedestrian stop-and-frisk campaigns in high-crime areas. Criminals are less likely to frequent crime hot spots, the theory goes, if they know that the police there are especially vigilant.

But increasingly, criminologists and even some police chiefs argue that such tactics needlessly alienate law-abiding citizens and undermine trust in the police.

In the four states that track the results of consent searches, officers were more likely to conduct them when the driver was black, even though they consistently found drugs, guns or other contra

[vishna]

contraband more often if the driver was white. The same pattern held true with probable-cause searches in Illinois and North Carolina, the two states that carefully record them

[OrdinaryGentleman]

@vishna
Oh ok.
Who would be trafficking that contraband? And who would be using it? You don't hear about the IRA bringing in drugs from mexico.
Im not condoning their actions but it is the logical straightforward response for law enforcement. In retrospect those actions have barely ever worked but if crime continues law enforcement simply operates within its means given to it by the people. And unfortunately the majority who are trafficking and selling narcotics are minorities who don't have other options in the work force.

[vishna]

That may be true or it may not be true, but this would suggest it's not true.
www.washingtonpost.com/.../

And that's not even looking at other ethnic groups.

[OrdinaryGentleman]

@vishna interesting

[Anonymous]

I guess I should include a trigger warning for you lot. It's strange how people want to have an open dialogue on race, but they only want to hear one side of it and scream when it's the other.

Racial profiling isn't necessarily racism. We have grown accustom to certain crimes being attributed to certain groups whether it be race, gender, age, etc.
Also, can we stop pretending that black people don't commit crimes at an inordinate rate? 12.5% of the population that commits almost half of the murders in the U. S. Almost every other violent crime are triple or more their population percentage. That's just for adults. It's even higher for under 18. That doesn't bother anyone?
Saying there are several incidents of unarmed black males being shot by white cops is far too simplistic. It's as if context doesn't really matter. It's also ignoring every other person shot by police as well.
We could talk about drugs too, but I'm getting long winded as well. Violence is the huge problem that needs to be addressed anyway.

The education one isn't really a racial thing. Again, a problem with the types shouting white privilege is the ignoring that most people regardless of race wasn't born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Never has been that way, isn't now, and it will never be.
I don't think minority students (except Asians) take school seriously. Their parents are less likely to care. I think that's a bigger problem with schools. I went to a school that had a black majority, but you couldn't tell if you looked in on most AP, DE, and honor's classes. The principals were black, the superintendent was a black Latina lady, half the teachers were black.
I've heard that the curriculum is racist, but I don't get that. You know the information or you don't.
The even more unfortunate thing is that this is affecting a lot students born domestically. We're falling behind the rest of the world and no one in power seems to be doing anything and the parents need to take part as well (that's the biggest part, I think).

Haven't looked into the first one, so I can't comment. Third one you have a fair point, I suppose. Though we're assuming all else is equal, which is hard to trust, really.

[StreetLevel]

According to the FBI whites dominate the stats when it comes to incest, child molestation and child pron. That is white culture and it's disgusting, fix your communities. Why aren't white adults profiled more when they're around children? Why aren't white child care centers profiled.

[ClassicRocker]

A few points of context for you:
1. Redlining was not done by the government, but by the banks. It was also based on socioeconomic status rather than delineated by race, and was actually illegal, although they didn't get caught for a long time.
2. Once again you've confused racism with class-ism. You've also forgotten to mention that property taxes are only a portion of education funding. Educational funding also comes from corporate taxes, money from the federal government metered out through the state, lottery revenues, and state income and sales taxes. There are actually probably more, but that's all I can think of.
3. I don't doubt that this is the case, but in order for it to be attributed to simple discrimination you have to control for levels of education, years of experience, qualifying skills, resume appearance, interview skills, and number and credibility of references.
4. This is really the most public, systemic, and egregious example of institutionalized racism. I won't argue with the fundamental idea that racial profiling is a real, serious, and present issue. That being said, the statistic you've quoted at the beginning of this point is basically meaningless. The population of the U. S. in 1850 was like 20 million people... Of course there would be less enslaved African Americans in 1850 than incarcerated African Americans today. There is more of practically everything and everyone in America now than there was in 1850.

[Phoenix98]

You might want to do a bit more research before you use "black lives matter" as an example, they are an extremely racist group that has publicly and verbally spewed death threats and hatred towards whites, even women and children. As well as cops even using a phrase regularly in their "protests" that a black man said before he went and shot a off duty cop at a gas station, point blank range with an entire magazine of ammunition.

As for your last point saying there have been several incidents of unarmed black males getting shot by a white cop. That is like saying, there have been several incidents of unarmed Hispanics being shot by black cops. This statement doesn't provide anything. If blacks want to stop being shot by cops and stop being arrested then they need to stop breaking the law, simple as that and actual statistics prove that most of the crime in the US from petty theft and break ins to full blown gang wars that turn neighborhoods and entire areas of cities or towns into war zones are committed by black folks. I'm not being racist nor do I deny that blacks in the past have been wrongly treated I'm just stating actual facts.

[BigJake]

No. The reason there is "mass incarceration" of black men is that there is "mass criminality" of black men. There is no conspiracy to lock up black people, especially given how much damn money it costs. White taxpayers would rather our money go to new roads, schools, and airports rather than new prisons.

There was a recent study done that showed that black, Hispanic, and white applications were all treated the same, so it's not true that black people are discriminated against in that area.

With education funding, property taxes provide most of the revenue, so low-value areas (i. e. most residential areas) will always be relatively impoverished. But it's not what you think. Remember, business pay much more in tax revenue than residential taxpayers, so some inner-city areas actually have big education budgets. Many of these areas have large black populations.

And finally, wealth follows work. Black people tend to scoff at education and even believe that the school system is nothing but a system to advance white propaganda. So black kids screw off in school, don't learn anything, and then have zero prospects for work or higher education upon graduation. If you want to increase the wealth of black Americans, get them to work hard in school! There are Asian immigrants who come to this country and have kids who become surgeons. They succeed where black people fail because they work their asses off in school. My orthopedist is Doctor Nguyen, so it is possible.

[LoloWaye]

Many Black Americans don't have the same opportunities. The schools are poor, the teachers already believe the children are going to fail and thus aren't helping, and if you've read up on history, the incarceration rates didn't sky rocket until the war on drugs began.

[BigJake]

@LoloWaye You're right, the war on drugs did cause a massive increase in the prison population. And? Don't commit crimes if you want to stay out of jail. Black people seem to want a pass on criminal behavior, as if dealing rock cocaine should be protected as interstate commerce or something. Don't commit criminal acts if you don't want to go to jail, period.

[LoloWaye]

Combine that with racial profiling and you get black people in jail. I'm friends with many white individuals who sell and smoke weed and no one even looks their way. I've been present when the police have pulled them over and not once have they ever gotten arrested.

They committed a crims, where is their jail time?

[BigJake]

@LoloWaye there are thousands of white people in prison for drug crimes. Please don't insult the intelligence of this community by claiming all white drug dealers walk when accosted by police. White drug dealers are trash that need to be removed from society. You will NEVER hear any decent white American claim that white criminals should get off easy despite their crimes. If anything, we hate white trash more because it reflects poorly on our group. You should feel the same way about black criminals. They do far more damage to the black community than any white person alive today.

[LeftAmerica]

There's mass criminality of white men too! And on a greater level and scale than blacks called organised crime.

[LeftAmerica]

And the thing is... You have to look at some issues that happened. Every time there is a school shooting or theatre massacre or anything MAJOR, it's in the news and usually committed by WHITES. I guess they figure black and minority crime is the norm so even though you may get SOME news coverage, it has to be BIG NEWS that's unusual for this class of people to get widely national publication through the media outlets. Otherwise it's kept at a local level. Crimes by whites usually make National news.

[LeftAmerica]

@LoloWaye I agree. But incarceration of blacks has always been widely disproportionate. It's just that it got WORSE over time up to now.

[LeftAmerica]

Blacks are involved in gangs- crips, bloods, etc.
Other minorities have their various gangs.
Whites are involved in gangs too! The family, the Mafia.
Everybody got their own taste. No particular race is exempt.

[BigJake]

@LeftAmerica No, by population, white men commit far fewer crimes than black men. Why do you think everyone is scared of black men and no one is scared of white men? It's because a black man is ten times more likely to commit a violent crime than a white man. This is so obvious and such a matter of common sense that it's not even debatable. The crime statistics tell the whole story.

[Littledunmer]

Good lord will people stop with this black lives matter crap!

I AM BLACK and ya know what? No one is racist towards me and I have the exact same freedom that anybody else has.

Black lives matter wants people to think that cops are like these rednecks skinhead bub as that can't wait to go catch another n** and lock him up. THATS BULLSHIT!

My dad is a cop, my uncle is a cop and as a result a lot of our family freinds are WHITE COPS. They treat all decent people the same, with care and respect, and they treat all criminals the same too, with justice.

Is it their fault that most of the crime happens in ghetto? No. Is it their fault if someone would rather be a crackhead than take advantage of opportunities? No.

Quit making cops look bad because they're not. The law doesn't favor any race of people and you need to stop imagining problems where none exist.😡

[KittieCat]

I wish all cops were like that, but they aren't Racial profiling is a thing and I have been a victim of it. A lot of my friends have as well and it's shit especially where I live. Black lives matter is saying that they matter too not that they're superior. And just because 0 people have been racist towards you doesn't mean that others have experienced it. So just because you're not starving all the movements trying to save starving children in Africa are all crap? Your singular experience cannot equate to everyone else's experiences.

[Littledunmer]

@KittieCat and neither can yours. But that's not what your moment is about is it? You march around holdings signs like "kill cops for Mike brown" and "cops are pigs"

Face it, black lives matter might have tried to have a decent message to start with, but it's just turned into people bitching and moaning about how they can't stand authority. Good policemen actually enforce the law and when you don't like it, you cry racist. When you resist arrest or attack them and they have to physically force you to comply, you cry racist. It's what stupid people do when no one listens to their whining. Obey the law, don't be belligerent, and the police will have no reason to arrest you.

[KittieCat]

So all of the other accounts of racism are for nothing? Notice how I had multiple accounts and younhad one. Even if there are good cops there are still bad ones that need to be taken care of. Incidents like Oscar Grant happen way too much especially in diverse and supposedly acceptive areas of the US.

Most people are fine with authority, it's just how we're treated by authority. I've broken a lot of laws, I'll admit and someone who looked darker than me was convicted and even considered way before me. We were all smoking weed, who does the cop go to first on multiple instances? The darker friend. I'm almost positive that if I was with a lighter group of people I'd probably be the first one busted. And I'm not the only one, it's happened to way too many people. All I want and all I'm guessing most people want is an even playing field, where I'm not arrested, questioned, beat, or killed because of my complexion.

[Littledunmer]

@KittieCat but black lives matter IS the movement that's trivializing real racism. they cry over every little thing where there wasn't even a problem, and then no one can take them seriously.

It's like when some people cry rape without any evidence just to defame someone. The more it happens, the less likely people are to believing a REAL rape victim.

Yes maybe a few police officers out there are kkk style racists, but you're an idiot if you think that it's consistent through police forces across the country. And when groups like black lives matter say that it is and act the way they do, they make a mockery of the REAL cases of racism.

[StreetLevel]

You're not black.

[Littledunmer]

@StreetLevel haha really? So now I have to agree with you or else I'm "not a real black person"?

Well then you're not really white or else you wouldn't sympathize with the movement so much.

[KittieCat]

You are beyond ignorant if you seriously think there is no problem with police brutality against minorities and profiling. (Not sure if you know this but both are cases of racism sweetie)
Rape and racism are extremely different, so please don't compare them. Sexual assault as well as rape are ridiculously hard to prove, when you can go to youtube and easily find racial profiling and brutality. No one was ever talking about Neo-Nazi complexes as those are extreme cases. But there are racist officers anywhere in the country. Regardless as to if it's consistent or not, it is a problem. People almost always naturally have some bias but when it gets to the point to where it affects the well being of others, it's not acceptable.
Personally, I do believe that we should drop societal labels such as being a man/woman, black, white, etc etc as it would give less room to discriminate against others but regardless, it's an issue.

[StreetLevel]

I didn't say all that. I just suspect you're white trolling as a black person.

[StreetLevel]

Not suspect, know.

[Littledunmer]

@KittieCat well I disagree. Maybe people would profile a culture, or a particular area of a city, or even how someone is dressed. I'm guilty of that and so are you, but it's not racism. Very few people are so thick headed anymore to think that the pigment in a persons skin has any goddamn thing to do with personality or potential to commit crime. if there IS a bias problem, then you at least need to stop calling it racism.

[Littledunmer]

@KittieCat and I'm not your fucking "sweetie"😡

[KittieCat]

If it's bias or profile due to skin color it's racism...

[Littledunmer]

@KittieCat what did I just say? I said it's NOT because of skin color. Let me list them again because you didn't read the first time

Culture

Where they're from

And How they're dressed

These are things EVERYONE makes judgements on whether you want to admit or not. It's not racism. It may be profiling, and I'm not saying that's ok either, but The fact is that everyone profiles and police officers are human too.

If a black person resists arrest, they get the exact same treatment that any white person would get if they resisted arrest.

[KittieCat]

I've addressed all of those points before so I won't address them again. Think what you want but realize you are ignorant of the facts..

[Littledunmer]

@KittieCat whatever😒 I'll agree to disagree but I think you're the one ignorant of the facts.

[Relentless_Hippie]

1. Black Americans are not African Americans. Africans can be of any race, if you're talk about blacks in America then they're black Americans and black Americans only.
2. Nobody has to agree with you. Not agreeing with you isn't being
"closed minded." They just have a different opinion. What makes them closed minded and you "open" all that means is you're incapable of respecting viewpoints differing from your own.

[vishna]

This is a good MyTake title and topic. I wish you would have added more in your paragraphs and included sources. However, I do appreciate how you divided your topics in easy to follow sections.

3. Job Applications-these really kill me. It's like, people want to get a job and earn money but people turn you down for something you have no control over, your name.

For anyone that wants to learn

https://www.nber.org/papers/w9873

https://www.nber.org/digest/sep03/w9873.html

[Anonymous]

A good, pretty clear and well documented case of racism's economic impact that's very recent was the reverse redlining/ghetto loans that happened in the last decade, with some settlements in the last 5 years. We're not talking decades ago here.

When it comes to the court system, being female or white or ideally both is a huge benefit vs. being black and male. I'm not sure who gets it worse between black women and white men, i wouldn't be surprised if it's the former, but I haven't seen the numbers that way. And that's once things hit court. It's easy for people to say things like 'stay out of trouble and you'll have no trouble with the police'. That's a strawman argument. How many people do you know who speed a little, smoke a little pot, drunk when they were underage, etc. And how many white kids vs. black kids get sent home after a stern talk by the police vs. treated as criminals.

[JRICHARDS1996]

Meanwhile we Mexican-Americans are busy being the model minority by working hard and making our own way in the nation, despite also being oppressed in a previous age. I feel no sympathy for Democrat-voting Blacks who demand to be fed out of the same hand that enslaved and Jim Crowed them.

[E-Nigma]

Agreed. The past is the past

[NedfromtheNed]

@E-Nigma We must forgive, but not forget.
We need to realize the past is the past and nothing can change. We must forgive each other for the mistakes we have made. But we must not forget them, lest we do them again.

Agreed.

[EllieLexis513]

So you're happy being oppressed in a nation that doesn't want you here?

[JRICHARDS1996]

@EllieLexis513 I'm happy working my way up independently in such difficult circumstances since then I can at least maintain my pride and prove them wrong.

[EllieLexis513]

So then that's a yes.

[ZenithDawn]

im black and im gay i am free if you want to leave racism leave the fucking country dont bitch about it do something about it no one is keeping you here save up money move to the SHIT HOLE that is africa live with the uneducated and ignorant drug lords and shit then think about your life decisions.

[ZenithDawn]

and also i dont think a black man/women should be called African American if they aren't from africa or their parents or their grandparents they are American they are black they are just humans.

[zagor]

I quit using African-American when some idiot in the media referred to Nelson Mandela as the "first African-American President of South Africa". Really? How much time did he spend in America?

[LeftAmerica]

I left! I'm happy now where I live! I don't have ANY complaints! NO regrets! But I live in Europe.

[LeftAmerica]

In fact, I'm the ONLY black and only black female in my village. And I'm very well respected now.

[LeftAmerica]

I agree with you! I know i personally have ALWAYS HATED the term. And I refuse to be associated with an African. I live in Europe where there are plenty!!! Black Americans are NOT like these people AT ALL! I used to wonder about that. So I would go sit in the train station, while at McDonalds or wherever there and watch and study these people and compare them to us for the sake of my own statistics. And we are NOT them! And they are NOT US! We come from very different backgrounds and our actions are NOT like theirs. Where WE as black Americans stand up and fight and defend ourselves even one on one, those people have to gather themselves in a crowd of others to defend themselves. Otherwise they are cowardly just by themselves, they RUN AWAY, they accept what we don't stand for as black Americans. They are always trying to assimilate themselves TO BE US, when they are NOT and NEVER WILL BE!

[LeftAmerica]

And when I say I hated the term, I mean Being called African American. That just HITS A LAST NERVE in my body! I'm BLACK!

[ZenithDawn]

@LeftAmerica i know the fuckin feeling its like we dont call white people European American

[LeftAmerica]

Exactly!

[LeftAmerica]

I have NO idea WHY people in America have to make it an outstanding POINT to bring ANY type of race when associating themselves. We are some of the only culture of people that do that. And it's really isolating for us as a people, it's backwards racist thinking. WHY can't we ALL just be American People? Why do we have to be a particular COLOR? What difference would it make if I were purple or Aqua? I'm still an American for gods sake. That's what I could never understand about that country. I guess that's where my particular innocence comes into play. It's not about being naive or anything, but it's about looking at PEOPLE for who they are in relation to an individual and association to a particular group. We are all supposed to be UNITED as ONE PEOPLE, living in that country, for which I have various reasons of my own for leaving the Sheer Hate behind in that place. Nobody needs that in their life! It's 2016, not 1776.

[LeftAmerica]

People in America need to wake up and find ways to extinguish the absolute Hate that's going on and figure out a way to bring harmony into the lives of everyone around them. Americans need to stand shoulder to shoulder to fight off the actual enemies in the world. Not your fellow American.

[Debbiexoxo]

@ZenithDawn, no offense but screw you

[ZenithDawn]

@Debbiexoxo?

[Debbiexoxo]

sorry for saying what i said but i want to say not all of africa is the same, and i was really offended by your remark

[ZenithDawn]

@Debbiexoxo my remmark is offensive but true africa isn't very educated it is ran by mainly druglords/warlords and it is not the most pleasant place to be if it were to get rid of its drug lord problems it would be a lot better and people wouldn't be so scared to go kinda like a lot of places in Mexico

[ZenithDawn]

@Debbiexoxo im not hating on africa im hating on being called something im not

[AleDeEurope]

You know you lose credibility when the first picture is about a group that promotes racism and the killing of cops, right?
Keep on complaining about racism when you keep promoting it, it seems to be doing lots of good to the black community.

[LoloWaye]

Black Lives Matter does not promote the killing of cops but wants to shed light on the police brutality that is going on in the force. I'm not saying that there are those idiots who deserve to be arrested but there have been cases where police officers have gone too far!!

[AleDeEurope]

@LoloWaye I'm not saying every cop is a saint. I acknowledge the fact that there are bad cops that need to be put in jail, but BLM can't expect good to be done, when they're promoting bad.
Their inspiration is a cop killer, she's on the FBI list of most wanted terrorists, you can't expect peace from people like that.

[hellionthesage]

@LoloWaye Kind of an ironic statement don't you think when studies show cops are actually less likely to assualt blacks then any other group: www.washingtontimes.com/.../?page=all
and whites are actually more likely to be killed by police then blacks: www.washingtontimes.com/.../?page=all
and factoring in that blacks are more likely to pull a weapon on a police officer then any other group and that all data shows that their is no actual bias ie black officers are as likely to shoot a black suspect as a white officer, make the same arrests etc.: www.discoverthenetworks.org/viewSubCategory.asp
The fact is hard facts show that none of what black lives matter does is actually what it does. Or rather due to the fact that 93% of all black victims of murder where killed by blacks, and that blacks are about five times more likely to commit murder, it would seem black lives really don't matter, at least not to the black community.

[hellionthesage]

@LoloWaye www.breitbart.com/.../
I'm not saying this to be patronizing or anything, its just really frustrating to see all of this and have no one actually point out the real problem ie accountability. Everyone is trying to blame whites and white cops but in reality the problem really is within the black community and as such its only within the black communities power to fix. By shifting blame it only ensures that the problem persists.

[AleDeEurope]

@hellionthesage shhh how dare you bring facts into a BLM argument!
They don't want to hear the truth, you gotta keep lying to them so that they feel good for themselves.
Smh dude...

[LoloWaye]

@hellionthesage fusion.net/.../

[LoloWaye]

@hellionthesage www.google.com/.../ferguson_police_department_report.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjQxe_8p-bMAhXC4SYKHaPXBewQFggbMAA&usg=AFQjCNFoAuYZF5B441ZscqnNSags-5INrw

[LoloWaye]

@hellionthesage Notice the differences in how each offender was treated.

www.dailymail.co.uk/.../...ice-cruiser-arrest.html

www.google.com/.../staten-island-man-dies-puts-choke-hold-article-1.1871486&ved=0ahUKEwiG6ePkqebMAhVGOyYKHfcQCegQFggxMAY&usg=AFQjCNEgs8krb2wnU8vBroPFV195HwUxww

[hellionthesage]

@LoloWaye Well your first link proved my point, in fact it was citing the same source that I did. As for ferguson, the cop defended himself which was shown by both video survellience and mutliple eye witness accounts and in response to this news and the black community began looting and burning down their own city so thats not a very good argument to make. As for bias news articles about ancedotal events that is also not very good evidence. What about the black cop who shot an unarmed white teenager in the back and was found not guilty? What about that case which no one covered? See the difference in treatment? Statistics are reliable studies are reliable and they all show some very big discrepencies between what is and what you and the media is saying. Are their bad cops? Absolutely, but they are few and it would seem are just as likely to kill whites as blacks. This is the issue, refusal to acknowledge accountability. As long as this continues, violence will as well.

[hellionthesage]

yeah, I keep trying to present facts but it doesn't seem to help. You would think I would have learned my lesson by now.

[LoloWaye]

@hellionthesage So you're telling me the woman who a damn police chase didn't deserve the same treatment the man from ferguson did? Apparently they were both threats. Omg you're reaching here, I can't handle it.

There are black folks that do deserve the shit they get, but that does not excuse the racial bias that is apparent in other cases. Goodness.

[LoloWaye]

@hellionthesage Everyone wants their opinion to be right now one is trying to understand the other side.

[hellionthesage]

@LoloWaye Well as I pointed out with ferguson their was no racial bias, we have hard evidence to prove that. And again, what about black cops who shoot unarmed white people and no one talks about it? Isn't that a racial bias or does that not count? The fact is as a police officer you are trained for certain situations you have to react quickly or get killed or have some one else killed and sometimes little things trigger that response only in hindsight do they realize that it was unwarrented. So again, thats ancedotal and even then its not taking everything into consideration. As I pointed out with all the studies and reports white cops are actually less likely to shoot black suspects then black cops and black cops shoot white suspects and no one bats an eye. The arrest and charging of criminals is exactly the same rates for black cops and white cops and also correspondes with witness accounts etc. We know that everything being argued is in fact provably false.

[hellionthesage]

@LoloWaye It has nothing to do with opinion, it has to do with facts. That is specificly why I linked to hard data not ancedotal evidence not personal experience not what I thought or felt but rather what was provable. That is what matters to me nothing else. I understand perfectly whats going on, one group of people is being told nothing is their fault, I don't know why, I don't know who gains from this but that is what is happening. This is why things are as bad as they are. All other groups managed to overcome this before it got this sever except for blacks and we also know that no other group ever got anyt sympathy or was ever told that they where not to blame for their actions. So one can presume that these two facts are linked. Societies are much like children if you do not force a standard on them, if you do not hold them accountable then they cannot become fully functional beings/societies.

[Anonymous]

So many balcks are a product of broken homes, poor single moms where the dad does not sacrafice to make a better life for his children. As far as funding for education I have seen the same spent on students in my suburb vs the city and there is a vast difference in the quality of the schools and teachers. So it isn't about money... it is about parents and their raising of the children, the neighborhood and their keeping up standards and the PTA.

Jobs, blacks get legal preference with diversity and Affirmative Action. Incarceration, blacks commit half of all murders even though they are only 13% of the population. Robbery, assualt, drugs are common crimes as well. Again, it is about parenting. Black males get a pass in society when they do not take care of their kids and it has an effect on their whole community.

[jwhit]

Be prepared for the whole left wing "white guilt" nonsense. Me personally as a black male, I've never encountered any form of racism. Racist aren't able to be really open about their screwed up way of thinking without there being some sort of consequence for it. So they have to do things in the ways you described and justify them with statistics or whatever.

[sunlite]

lol really? never any forms of racism? what kind of utopian america do u live in?

[jwhit]

@sunlite Nope and if I ever did it was so subtle I couldn't recognize it.

[sunlite]

*squints eyes at u* okaay.. sounds sus but alright..

[jwhit]

@sunlite Lol yeah guess I'm just lucky.

[MasterofPlebs]

I hear racism from whites, and racist things done to blacks all of the time.

[jwhit]

@MasterofPlebs Yeah well I'm not one of them.

[LeftAmerica]

@sunlite exactly! I wonder that too! He must not have to walk or catch public transportation in any particular BIG city. I wonder if he has a TV?

[jwhit]

@LeftAmerica My city is big enough and what does a TV have to do with anything?

[LeftAmerica]

@MasterofPlebs yeah but it's NOT just about blacks or whites in particular. Any form of racism can occur and be directed to anyone. Racism is a form of discrimination. And there are many people of ALL races that have some type of valid claim towards being ill treated by other people for various reason or not.

[LeftAmerica]

Because not to say that you have NOT experienced anything is false. Even if you look at TV you're exposed to the reality of what's going on around you on a daily basis at a local level or national level. So therefore you cannot turn a blind eye as to what the people go through, even yourself. Unless you simply shut off the TV and choose NOT to see what is going on around you as truth of the day. Even viewing a newscast brought on to interrupt a normal programming is being exposed. I'm more than sure that you are aware of all the media attention to black persons being killed by police. So even that is some form of exposure to extreme racism.

[jwhit]

@LeftAmerica I specifically said I haven't encountered any form of racism. I well aware of what others go through on a daily basis through the media, but it's never happen to me.

[LeftAmerica]

Well then you are lucky. I hope you never have to go through it. It's a terrible feeling.

[jwhit]

@LeftAmerica I mean if it happens, it happens. But thanks though.

[LeftAmerica]

And not only is the experience of racism a terrible feeling, it leaaves you very traumatized. I can tell you from experience. That's another reason why I left the states. You don't need other people to demean your character, without knowing you or who you really are as a person. Whether it was meant intentionally or not. You can't erase something on your mind that has already been said or occurred. As they say, you can forgive, but you never forget. And then there are those, who can't forgive and those who have died in the cause of what has occurred to them.

[jwhit]

@LeftAmerica Racist are literally pieces of shit to me, I couldn't care less what they think of me.

[LeftAmerica]

It's not a problem. I understand how you feel. And it is why I'm here trying to explain a different view so we all can learn from each other and respect all of our views and beliefs. I'm not going to say the word opinion, because everybody has one, but it's how we perceive an actual event that makes issues valid in our own individual minds that formulate what we feel inside and leads our actions or inactions to respond to another human being with compassion, understanding and some form of empathy, NOT sympathy.

[jwhit]

@LeftAmerica yeah I totally understand where you're coming from and I can respect that.

[LeftAmerica]

Well you know... That's easy to say, when it hasn't happened to you. But in reality, you try to remain strong. But words hurt. And it's always in the back of your mind, when it happens. Because you tend to question at that point. Not just yourself, but of the person that did it, what motive could it be to target YOU in particular. You know it's a LIE, but you look at people and say: What's wrong? What's wrong with this person... OR what's wrong with this race of people. And that's where the separation of race issues come into play with you as a person. It makes you feel like your dignity and honor are at stake. I'm trying to share with you some of the feelings you experience when something like this happens. It's easy to say I DONT CARE. But yet, the underlying is, you do care. You care about yourself enough, to elevate and do things to uplift YOU and your persona after the incident happens to reassure yourself that you ARE worthy of being treated as an honorable person and citizen

[jwhit]

@LeftAmerica Look if I actually didn't give a damn, I wouldn't be taking the time out to reply to you. I'm taking what you're saying you felt from your experiences involving racism and comparing them to awful experiences I've had and saying hey I bet she felt just as shitty as I did. If I were to have a racist incident the tomorrow, I could 100% say I wouldn't care, you know why? Because I understand the deep psychological roots behind such thinking. It's so flawed I couldn't possibly let it tear me down.

[EnglishArtsteacher]

And unfortunately, the "Black Lives Matter" movement has turned into a racist cult against Whites. I know many Black people who agree with me it has gotten ridiculous, and is now racist.

[Tanisha69]

I agree with that. esp cause its not as popular in the community as it is with these white activists that make it their "Cause". those people annoy me and you never see them in the neighborhood, seems fake.

[EnglishArtsteacher]

@Tanisha69 Good point.

[GreatnessRevamped]

Even though these factors do exist, it's bad to use them as a reason to not PERSONALLY excel in life.
See it as a challenge than a handicap.

Think about it, America is completely against black people (and most minorities) yet they keep excelling in ALL areas of busiess, commerce, and media. Pretty fucking sick!!!