Does being black make you different?

[MikeK]

[...]

How did he get there? Who put him there. That's what is truly, amazingly remarkable to me.

[...]

George W. Bush is who put Obama in the White House. What put him there is the damage autocratic old White men have done to America in recent years. Bush is the epitome of autocratic old White men. By 2007 most of America had quite enough of it and Obama is the intellectual, the conceptual and the visual antithesis of Bush.

I credit the Wall Street kingmakers who positioned Obama for being shrewd enough to understand that subliminal mechanism.

But, too bad the voters couldn't tell they'd been manipulated or we might have had Kucinich in place of Obama -- which would have made one hell of a constructive difference.

 

[Ropey]

The bird flies on the air. Does the air know that the bird is there? Deeper still, if the air knows that the bird is there, does it care enough to do anything about it?

Good questions.

The bird still gets where it is going irregardless of your posts or mine. Irregardless of how Obama got there, it was the American people who put him there.

The proof of a healthy democracy is not that they can vote someone in, although that is necessary, usually Americans are pretty complacent when it comes to voting. That is until they get pissed off.

Then the true proof of Democracy comes into play. When they decide to 'vote the bums out'. That's the true power of Democracy. And America has shown through the years they understand how to make use of this power. Being a political Independent used to be a sneer.

Not any more.

No one man did anything. The American people did their part. Which was their part and which polls all over showed his momentum. Nothing like a fiasco I remember.

At any rate, history will be the judge of both you and I regardless of what we think, we both will be gone.

Bush is an emotional man. Always crying. Don't you remember 9-11?

 

[Douger]

It makes you far more likely to crave large white asses and watermelon.

 

[R.C. Christian]

It makes you far more likely to crave large white asses and watermelon.

You left out malt liquor and moon pies.

 

[code1211]

My Mom use to say "that's such a pretty little black baby", I said "UH, would it still be pretty if it was white?". She stopped say that after saying "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT". Had a black neighbor lady I heard say "That's such a pretty little white baby". I said "UH, would it still be pretty if it was black" I never heard her say it again after saying "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT".
And yes I did knew what they meant. Context and tone of voice mean a whole lot. In the sixties 'BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL' was in vogue, along with 'BLACK PRIDE'. There was a time in OUR not too distant past that blacks were treated as a people that need not be proud, so I don't see it as anything racist or bigoted in the statement mentioned by the OP whereas, I MIGHT if someone white made the statement "I'm a proud WHITE man or woman", Because sometimes (not always) it is a statement of superiority. Whereas when a black person says "I'm a proud BLACK man or woman", it is a statement of equality". But that's just my experience. I could be wrong.

Both statements are of divisive confrontation. However, the context is everything.

One thing is certain. If a Republican says anything that is the least bit founded on a racial theme, he's going to be called a racist. If a Democrat says anything including the "N" word, he's given a pass as a reformed and now enlightened crusader for justice and equality.

If anyone sees everything in terms of race first and all else later, that person is a racist.

 

[bigrebnc1775]

My Mom use to say "that's such a pretty little black baby", I said "UH, would it still be pretty if it was white?". She stopped say that after saying "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT". Had a black neighbor lady I heard say "That's such a pretty little white baby". I said "UH, would it still be pretty if it was black" I never heard her say it again after saying "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT".
And yes I did knew what they meant. Context and tone of voice mean a whole lot. In the sixties 'BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL' was in vogue, along with 'BLACK PRIDE'. There was a time in OUR not too distant past that blacks were treated as a people that need not be proud, so I don't see it as anything racist or bigoted in the statement mentioned by the OP whereas, I MIGHT if someone white made the statement "I'm a proud WHITE man or woman", Because sometimes (not always) it is a statement of superiority. Whereas when a black person says "I'm a proud BLACK man or woman", it is a statement of equality". But that's just my experience. I could be wrong.

I tryed to make that point in another thread but was called childish names.

 

[code1211]

The bird flies on the air. Does the air know that the bird is there? Deeper still, if the air knows that the bird is there, does it care enough to do anything about it?

Good questions.

The bird still gets where it is going irregardless of your posts or mine. Irregardless of how Obama got there, it was the American people who put him there.

The proof of a healthy democracy is not that they can vote someone in, although that is necessary, usually Americans are pretty complacent when it comes to voting. That is until they get pissed off.

Then the true proof of Democracy comes into play. When they decide to 'vote the bums out'. That's the true power of Democracy. And America has shown through the years they understand how to make use of this power. Being a political Independent used to be a sneer.

Not any more.

No one man did anything. The American people did their part. Which was their part and which polls all over showed his momentum. Nothing like a fiasco I remember.

At any rate, history will be the judge of both you and I regardless of what we think, we both will be gone.

Bush is an emotional man. Always crying. Don't you remember 9-11?

That comment about the bird and the air is great.

It surprises me that you seem to think that Bush was an expander of Executive power and that Obama is not. Obama is exercising every trick he can to advance his agenda. If the Congress will help him, that's great. If not, he is making recess appointments and overriding the will of the people with executive orders through the the Executive Branch agencies.

When the courts strike down his decisions, he simply re-issues the orders as he did with the drilling stoppage in the Gulf.

This man needs to be stopped and the checks and balances restored. The only thing he has not done yet is to lead troops into battle within the borders and that may happen soon in Texas.

Both Bush and Obama have no regard for the country and only wish to use the government to enact a vision that they did not make public during their campaigns for office.

The role of the Executive has become too powerful and needs to be drawn back. The great benefit of the Big 0 may be that he finally exposes the dangers of the too-powerful chief executive.

 

[Middleman]

I think verbiage like that is attempts compensate for a basic inferiority complex. It's a psychological defense mechanism, in my opinion.

If that was referring to me let me just say that I was being satirical with my full metal jacket quote, LOL. Race debates are pretty silly for the most part.

If the shoe fits..

 

[Ropey]

My Mom use to say "that's such a pretty little black baby", I said "UH, would it still be pretty if it was white?". She stopped say that after saying "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT". Had a black neighbor lady I heard say "That's such a pretty little white baby". I said "UH, would it still be pretty if it was black" I never heard her say it again after saying "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT".
And yes I did knew what they meant. Context and tone of voice mean a whole lot. In the sixties 'BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL' was in vogue, along with 'BLACK PRIDE'. There was a time in OUR not too distant past that blacks were treated as a people that need not be proud, so I don't see it as anything racist or bigoted in the statement mentioned by the OP whereas, I MIGHT if someone white made the statement "I'm a proud WHITE man or woman", Because sometimes (not always) it is a statement of superiority. Whereas when a black person says "I'm a proud BLACK man or woman", it is a statement of equality". But that's just my experience. I could be wrong.

I tryed to make that point in another thread but was called childish names.

You didn't try. You made your point. If others trash your point, it is still valid, just not in their eyes.

That you continue to stand to your views and discuss them, you are doing your part to support yourself.

That's enough for me.

 

[Ropey]

It surprises me that you seem to think that Bush was an expander of Executive power and that Obama is not. Obama is exercising every trick he can to advance his agenda. If the Congress will help him, that's great. If not, he is making recess appointments and overriding the will of the people with executive orders through the the Executive Branch agencies.

When the courts strike down his decisions, he simply re-issues the orders as he did with the drilling stoppage in the Gulf.

This man needs to be stopped and the checks and balances restored. The only thing he has not done yet is to lead troops into battle within the borders and that may happen soon in Texas.

Both Bush and Obama have no regard for the country and only wish to use the government to enact a vision that they did not make public during their campaigns for office.

The role of the Executive has become too powerful and needs to be drawn back. The great benefit of the Big 0 may be that he finally exposes the dangers of the too-powerful chief executive.

Whatever we believe, there is little doubt that the American Democracies strength is that its checks and balances make legislative work hard to accomplish. Whatever Obama does will not be enough to hurt America.

I understand your fear but it can be fought with the faith that the checks and balances of the system are being restructured financially and which the legislature will take decades to complete.

There is a new view of American incumbency. It's frightening both sides. This is a good thing.

Too powerful Chief executive. Compared to what?

Compared to Russia? Putins changed quite a bit don't you think? Their term limits have been changed. Scary? More power in the American President is a problem? How about China? They can make snap decisions because there is no true parliament. Just some talking heads. It goes downhill from there.

I understand that you see what is such a presentation of strength to be such a weakness. America will make the changes necessary to move ahead regardless. The parties are beginning to separate again rather than being two pretend centrist parties.

Kind of like on here, don't you think? A lot of heavy right and heavy left pretending to be centrist.

But they sure don't sound like it when the discussion gets deeper do they? Either pretense?

The people see this incongruity in their political system and I put forward that the next few Presidential and Parliament cycles will show this.

Time will tell. Basically I am saying that I have faith that if it's necessary to "throw the bums out' for two or three minority governments, well that's not a bad thing and it will happen if necessary.

That's where you and I differ. I have faith that America will iron out its issues and come out of it stronger.

While you fear that it weakens itself. Faith combats fear quite well code. If you do not have faith, then time will tell and you may be young enough to see some of those years through.

 

[casper4020322]

The question shouldn't be does being black make you different...it should be does being black/white make you different? The majority of blacks in this country had ancestors who were raised on plantations and their great to great-great grandmothers were forced to have sexual intercouse with either their White slave-masters, overseers or whoever else. Either way, the White bloodline has carried through generations of blacks and since that time it has proven that it happened. Why should a black girl have green eyes? Why should a black boy have fair skin and light colored hair? Still, it doesn't change the fact that Black people will always be considered second class citizens in this country. White people will always be considered first and unless you are in the workforce where it is proven everyday, you are disillusional.

 

[code1211]

Of course being Black makes you different. Being White makes you different. Being Hispanic makes you different. Being Jewish, Arab, Chinese, Samoan, Korean, Japanese makes you different. Most of those differences are cultural, some are a product of experience, and least important is the difference of appearance.

It's sort of like growing up in a family with three kids. They all grow up in a different family. One kid grows up in a family where he is the oldest, another where he is the youngest, the third right in the middle. Same family, yet each has a different experience.

Beyond that, the parents are a different age for each of the kids.

My oldest brother was 9 years older than my youngest brother. My Dad was obviously 9 years younger when my older brother was 6 than when my youngest brother was 6. Obviously, also, is the experience rating of parents as they keep pumping out babies.

Panic may grip a mother at the first sniffle of the first baby and be accepted as normal for the fourth. A Father may use the rod with the first and use the threat of the rod with the fourth. The eldest child may be more a confidant for the young mother than the next eldest and the youngest may again be that confidant in the near empty nest.

I laughed at my neighbor when he told me of that morning when his son looked at him once and the look was one of, "How can anyone be that stupid?" It was the moment at which he was demoted from super hero to human being. This is a permanent demotion. To that point he had been the strongest, wisest, keeper of almost super natural knowledge.

The eldest child must make this discovery by himself while the younger in the brood are told of the revelation or shown it.

A family is a very complex and evolving social structure. The whole purpose is to change the members from dependant to independant and while this is happening, all of the members are going through changes individually, as members of the family and as a shrinking social unit.

The chances of things going wrong are so good that it's really a wonder that any of us turn out "normal".

Omigod! Look at the time! I need to get my deer rifle and climb the water tower near the freeway.

 

[SwordofDamocles]

My Mom use to say "that's such a pretty little black baby", I said "UH, would it still be pretty if it was white?". She stopped say that after saying "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT". Had a black neighbor lady I heard say "That's such a pretty little white baby". I said "UH, would it still be pretty if it was black" I never heard her say it again after saying "YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT".
And yes I did knew what they meant. Context and tone of voice mean a whole lot. In the sixties 'BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL' was in vogue, along with 'BLACK PRIDE'. There was a time in OUR not too distant past that blacks were treated as a people that need not be proud, so I don't see it as anything racist or bigoted in the statement mentioned by the OP whereas, I MIGHT if someone white made the statement "I'm a proud WHITE man or woman", Because sometimes (not always) it is a statement of superiority. Whereas when a black person says "I'm a proud BLACK man or woman", it is a statement of equality". But that's just my experience. I could be wrong.

Of course you are wrong. When blacks say it it is just being equal, when whites say it it is being bigoted...take another hit dude.

 

[mudwhistle]

I heard the phrase in a movie today "A big, proud, BLACK woman" from a black woman. I've heard it before. Blacks speaking proudly and boldly, always emphasizing the "black" man or "black" woman.

Just curious. Does being black in any way make you different?

I don't know. I think though, that a newly perceived sense of power makes most people different.

It's called pride.

Pride is terrible thing when it's out of control.

Modesty, however, is a virtue.

 

[Ernie S.]

[

I believe that America knows not yet what effect this has had on the rest of the world and will not know for a few generations.

It's very sad that barack obama was the first of his race to be elected President. His divisiveness and utter incompetence has ensured that he will be the last black man elected to that office for a very long time.
Had the first black President been of the caliber of Alan Keyes, Alan West, Thomas Sowell, Condoleeza Rice or Walter Williams, his race would be on equal footing in future elections.
Sadly, the American people will have a tough time accepting the next viable black candidate.

 

[Ropey]

[

I believe that America knows not yet what effect this has had on the rest of the world and will not know for a few generations.

It's very sad that barack obama was the first of his race to be elected President. His divisiveness and utter incompetence has ensured that he will be the last black man elected to that office for a very long time.
Had the first black President been of the caliber of Alan Keyes, Alan West, Thomas Sowell, Condoleeza Rice or Walter Williams, his race would be on equal footing in future elections.
Sadly, the American people will have a tough time accepting the next viable black candidate.

He is not yet finished, and I put forwards that a more holistic history will judge him far differently than the often myopic present does.

And the historical perspective is the one that has longevity.

 

[(R)IGHTeous 1]

I heard the phrase in a movie today "A big, proud, BLACK woman" from a black woman. I've heard it before. Blacks speaking proudly and boldly, always emphasizing the "black" man or "black" woman.

Just curious. Does being black in any way make you different?

Meh, just usually sexier and more laid back.

 

[RadiomanATL]

List of all USMB members whom I have pwnd! A Smith A.Patel A.Random.Guy A.Refounder a1Daydayres a3bq4 A4n7ePNP a92enedoTymn A99 aa3543 aaaaaaaaaa Aabbdono AADepeSpews Aadershini AADormbiaro AAFourereussy AAInwawnscalpic AAknomogymn AALymnsmeasse AamyLee Aanica AAOWEKSTESK AApporcespeddy aarnickelos Aaron AAron Rippy aaronbihari Aaronius aarons311 AAsmipsOccask AAttaryObtaisy AAvoinnahig ab600 Abacords abacus75 abamyenasebit Abaniaamernen AbarieTremi Abassassugh Abbey Normal abbi AbbieM ABBiorrideclelf abbrer57 Abby18 ABClex abd el-rabb Abdul87 AbdulMaracun abdusalam10 abefleflemi Abelian Sea abeseeobeta abfatech abider01 Abigoorerve ABikerSailor AbineeBex Abisafyan Abkunytz ablevins ABLymnsmeasse ABNER.STERLING Abnobiashadigh abnyc abol_Fa aborceblorn abraceStake abraham-biggs AbrahamsJBL Abrakadabrina Abramovicl abrantistak abrasaerotics abritc abro abrocks22 absenteedaddy Abserieceskiz absnewticketsp absolutetop Absorosib absorpoe Absterce abu afak abu2 abubpashVat etc ...

I'm safe for a bit it seems. Long way to "R".

 

[Wry Catcher]

I heard the phrase in a movie today "A big, proud, BLACK woman" from a black woman. I've heard it before. Blacks speaking proudly and boldly, always emphasizing the "black" man or "black" woman.

Just curious. Does being black in any way make you different?

Help us out. Does being a racist asshole make you different?

 

[Jroc]

[

I believe that America knows not yet what effect this has had on the rest of the world and will not know for a few generations.

It's very sad that barack obama was the first of his race to be elected President. His divisiveness and utter incompetence has ensured that he will be the last black man elected to that office for a very long time.
Had the first black President been of the caliber of Alan Keyes, Alan West, Thomas Sowell, Condoleeza Rice or Walter Williams, his race would be on equal footing in future elections.
Sadly, the American people will have a tough time accepting the next viable black candidate.

He is not yet finished, and I put forwards that a more holistic history will judge him far differently than the often myopic present does.

And the historical perspective is the one that has longevity.

Sorry Ropey but I'm going to have to strongly disagree with you here, While we certainly cannot dismiss the historical significance of the people in this country electing a person of color as president, that’s the extent of it. Obama's policies and his worldview are bad for this country, which is ultimately bad for the world. A weaker U.S. is not good for anybody and in Obama's worldview the U.S. is not exceptional and we can't have that in an American president.