Is there still racism in America?

[Ridgerunner]

Racism is an equal opportunity employer.

Any individual regardless of sex, race, age, educational background or sexual orientation can be a racist.

One can also be racist towards their own race.

I’ll go you one further. I believe everybody IS a racist in some manner. We don’t react the same way to all “races” in many ways. Some are outright hostile toward those of another race. Some are mildly distrustful. Some are intimidated in the right circumstance. Some feel an obligation to “right past wrongs” on a racial basis. Some, like Joe Biden, welcome the sight of an “articulate” black person as if it was somehow unexpected that such a person could exist.

Sometimes it’s just plain stupid. I recall, when in college, seeing a black fellow candidate for the college choir of which I was a starting member, and ASSUMED he could sing well. (Don’t all blacks have good singing voices?) He had the worst voice imaginable when I finally heard him sing.

Some prejudices are passive. If we hear a black person speak with a “black” accent, we don’t notice the accent. But when we hear one with a white accent, we do notice. On the other hand, if a person with an Irish name doesn’t sound like he came from Galway, we don’t notice, despite the fact that blacks have been here longer than the Irish.

Sometimes they’re cultural. One sometimes hears “Don’t mess with a Mexican girl or her brother will cut you up.” Nine times out of ten it won’t happen, but the tenth time it just might, because there is a cultural distrust among many Mexicans toward “Anglos” when it comes to “their” women. You could flirt with a thousand girls of Polish extraction and never get cut up by their brothers, because there’s no cultural assumption on the part of Poles that they need to “protect their women” from, say, men of Irish extraction.

 

[WilT]

I would also suggest that there is a significant amount of anti-white, anti-Asian, anti-Hispanic, and anti-Semitic racism within the Black community, stirred-up by the aforementioned “grievance industry” and assorted racial bomb-throwers who exploit incidence of violence to perpetuate a narrative. This was not the case 50 years ago, and neither were anti-police, anti-women “music” big career opportunities. Decades of “affirmative action”-driven racial quotas (whether formal or informal) have also not helped relations.

I just recently heard from a Spanish speaking woman that there was straight out hatred of the Hispanics by the Black community in West Los Angeles. She mentioned a few occasions of clashes.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

I believe we should support our local police.

I’m guessing one’s disposition towards this will depend on the relationship they have with their local police and past experiences. For example given two law abiding citizens, one that has received protection from police may feel differently than one that is frequently suspected approached with suspicion or accusations by police or even the person that has had that one major bad experience with a police (here I"m thinking of the lady that was handcuff and her children ages 6 and under were told to get out of the car with guns pointed at them because the red vehicle they were in was said to match the description of a tan or light colored vehicle with 4 men).

Police are also people and one’s relationship with the police they encounter may be positive, negative, or neutral.

"I’m the police. And I’m here to arrest you. You’ve broken the law.

Actually, some one can be arrested for being suspected or accused of having broken the law, even if he or she did not break the law. Determination of guilt comes later. But even that determination can be false, and there are prosecutors that would rather protect their own record at getting convictions than allow certain new exonerating information to be introduced to a trial/retrial.

If you run away, I will chase you. If you fight me, I will fight back. If you shoot at me, I will shoot back.

Well, technically you can get shot for trying to run away. There’s not a restriction that restricts an officer of the law to only using force equal to that used against him or her.

By law, I am unable to walk away.

That’s not true. A police can walk away if he feels doing so is to the advantage of public safety, such as when backing off a high speed chase from concern for others on the highway getting injured, among other reasons.

It all sounds good, but doesn’t appear to be a good picture of reality.

 

[WilT]

I’ll go you one further. I believe everybody IS a racist in some manner. We don’t react the same way to all “races” in many ways. Some are outright hostile toward those of another race. Some are mildly distrustful. Some are intimidated in the right circumstance. Some feel an obligation to “right past wrongs” on a racial basis. Some, like Joe Biden, welcome the sight of an “articulate” black person as if it was somehow unexpected that such a person could exist…

very interesting.

 

[styrgwillidar]

…

Decades of “affirmative action”-driven racial quotas (whether formal or informal) have also not helped relations.

While much of the affirmative action efforts have been counter-productive, I do believe they helped in several areas when properly executed.

I was a ‘victim’ of affirmative action. I went through the process to get an appointment from a congressman to a service academy, I still have his letter nominating me. Now, as part af that process there were as a hard deadline for submitting. Miss the date, done. That was to get filtered down to an interview by the congressman, miss that date. Done. after which he chose his nominee. A friend of mine, decided after hearing me talk he should have applied. Well, he was a minority and there was a drive on in the services to increase the number of minority officers. So, the school counselor approached the recruiter, the recruiter’s superiors approached the congressman, so the submission deadlines were waived and he got interviewed and received the appointment.

At the time I was pretty bummed, but I paid for my own degree then joined the Navy via AOCS and became a pilot. Realize, this was a few years after there were literally race riots in the service, including on board Navy ships.

Once I was active, I understood. There was a huge disparity between the percentage of minority enlisted and the percentage of minority officers. It was striking and it was affecting good order and discipline and accomplishment of the mission. It was much harder for minority folks to relate to an officer corps that was so radically out of line with the enlisted ranks, that appeared so different. The services did not lower standards to increase the number of minority officers, but they did what they could when they had two equally qualified people to select the minority. It needed to be done.

 

[Zoltan_Cobalt]

The majority of Americans who VOTED elected Obama twice. But there are plenty of Americans who, as a rule, don’t vote as well as plenty of Americans who voted for another candidate, not that they are necessarily racist but that may have been one of the factors influencing their decision. To say there is not a “shred of racism” left in America is an exaggeration. Besides, racism is not only directed toward African Americans.

It has been my life experience to find that the first one to bring up “race” is the greater “racist”.

Also, sadly, the misuse of the words “racist” and “racism” have reduced their meaning. People are labeled “racist” for the wrong reasons and thoughts or actions are labeled “racism” for political reasons.

I will stick to my statement: “there is not shred of “racism” left in America today”.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I just recently heard from a Spanish speaking woman that there was straight out hatred of the Hispanics by the Black community in West Los Angeles. She mentioned a few occasions of clashes.

Unless I am greatly misled by those Hispanics I know, and the events of which I am aware, the feeling is entirely mutual.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

It has been my life experience to find that the first one to bring up “race” is the greater “racist”.

That’s a little like “He who smelt it dealt it.”

 

[Seraphim73]

It is a ridiculous to assume that there is a shred of racism left in America today.

The MAJORITY of Americans elected a Black Man as President of the United States, not once but re-elected him again.

I would think this would settle the “race card” once and for all.

Well that’s not true. Everyone knows that everyone who voted against Obama only did so because he is black. Also everyone knows the only reason Republicans oppose his policies is because they can’t stand the idea of a black man in the White House.

 

[Shawshank94]

Well that’s not true. Everyone knows that everyone who voted against Obama only did so because he is black. Also everyone knows the only reason Republicans oppose his policies is because they can’t stand the idea of a black man in the White House.

There is actually a lot of truth in those statements, as sarcastic as they may be. Almost every “old, white, conservative” would agree with your 2 statements. Hence, racism still runs rampant.

 

[Joie_de_Vivre]

Birds of a feather flock together. Not bad. But can be. Needs to be understood. No excuse for not appreciating diversity.

Honesty, responsibility, respect, fairness and compassion. That is what we all want from each other.

Is it fair when your house devalues more than 50% when minorities move into your neighborhood. Is it racist to be upset. No. Is it racist to take it out on your new neighbors… yes. That’s what happened in the major industrial cities in the 60’s and 70’s. Look at them now. Who’s fault? No fault. Just facts. Look what happened to those neighborhoods. They’ve been destroyed. No fault. Just facts. A lot of what appears to be “racism” can be traced back to economic origins. Money is not a race. It’s money.

Let’s say your rich and live in a million dollar home (with a 30 year note) and suddenly, within a year or two, your house is worth less than half that. (You still have the 30 year note). It’s not about race… it’s about money.

Why do you think there was a “white flight” back then… just because everyone wanted to move to the burbs. Sure to some extent. But it was move to the burbs or get left behind and face financial ruin. The people who could afford to get out, got out. The people who couldn’t had to ride it out. I know lot’s of people on both sides of that scenario. My wife’s dad’ old neighborhood is like a war zone. It was a great neighborhood. Mostly German and Irish. Not anymore.

Is it cultural, economic, religion, education. All of the above I guess… lot of smart people have tried to figure it out… no one’s gotten it right yet. From my limited perspective. (I grew up in St. Louis in the 60’s.)

And yet, and yet there is white flight from Cupertino the only city over 50k to have a median household income of over 100k. These “minorities” that they are fleeing from are more educated, richer and less likely to commit crimes than white people.

It is a ridiculous to assume that there is a shred of racism left in America today.

**The MAJORITY of Americans elected a Black Man as President of the United States, not once but re-elected him again. **

I would think this would settle the “race card” once and for all.

That is false, in neither election did Obama secure 1/3 of the voting eligible population let alone 50%+1. Less than a quarter of the US population voted for him in either election.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is actually a lot of truth in those statements, as sarcastic as they may be. Almost every “old, white, conservative” would agree with your 2 statements. Hence, racism still runs rampant.

A racist statement in itself, wouldn’t you say? Well, “ageist” too, I guess.

 

[estesbob]

A racist statement in itself, wouldn’t you say? Well, “ageist” too, I guess.

Pperhaps us old white guys should sue!:

 

[Ridgerunner]

Pperhaps us old white guys should sue!:

Don’t bother, unless you want to complain about the age part of it.

But the previous poster’s comment helps prove my point. While there might be a person or two who isn’t, everybody is racist in one way or another, even if the racism is against “old white conservatives”.

 

[Zoltan_Cobalt]

That is false, in neither election did Obama secure 1/3 of the voting eligible population let alone 50%+1. Less than a quarter of the US population voted for him in either election.

Now wait a minute…Are you insinuating that our president was not elected to simply prove that our country is no longer racist???

If that was not the case…why was he elected???

 

[estesbob]

Don’t bother, unless you want to complain about the age part of it.

But the previous poster’s comment helps prove my point. While there might be a person or two who isn’t, everybody is racist in one way or another, even if the racism is against “old white conservatives”.

I suspect, like me, you traveled through the south prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act . We have come a long long way.

As far as growing old is concerned my 90-year-old mother always said growing old was a contact sport . I am reminded of the wisdom of those words on almost a daily basis !

 

[Usagi]

I will stick to my statement: “there is not shred of “racism” left in America today”.

Really?

I would love for that to be true, believe me, but people increasingly say things in public about minorities that horrify me.

You’ve heard, I’m sure, of the recent events in Ferguson, MO? That’s an example of the actual local authorities being, AT BEST, clueless (and more likely, actively hostile) when it comes to people of other races.

Usagi

 

[Potter]

People are still prejudicial, yes, and by ‘people’, I mean everyone. Living in a racially tense area, I have the misfortune to know of vicious racists of every color. “Reverse” racism doesn’t exist – racism and bigotry are bigotry and racism, regardless of who is nursing hate.

 

[meltzerboy]

It has been my life experience to find that the first one to bring up “race” is the greater “racist”.

Also, sadly, the misuse of the words “racist” and “racism” have reduced their meaning. People are labeled “racist” for the wrong reasons and thoughts or actions are labeled “racism” for political reasons.

I will stick to my statement: “there is not shred of “racism” left in America today”.

Doesn’t your last sentence contradict your first?

 

[tabycat]

:If we did not have the police (or any law officers) we would be in worse shape then we are. The best, IMO, way to change peoples attadute about the police is to have them reflect the makeup, as much as possible, of the area that they cover. Though I have a feeling that another from of ‘racism’ would come out in the open, The ‘racism’ against the ‘thin blue line’. uch: :tiphat: npatrol: