Is racism on the rise?

[xsited1]

I do, and I've had the same experience she has. Why do you ask?

When the school board in Little Rock is openly racist towards non-black kids, you'll know what I mean. Where do you live?

South Carolina, and I have to say, while I've seen some of what you describe, it's definitely not a majority sentiment among Black people here. Part of the difference may be, that there's a lot more ill-feeling from the Jim Crow era down here; a lot more people with family members who had first hand experience with some of the uglier aspects of that. It does tend to leave some lingering bitterness, though I have to say, I've seen a lot of that fade over time, compared to how it used to be. Then again I've lived here all my life, (except for my time in the service), so my perspective may be different.

That's good to hear. I have a very diverse set of friends and coworkers and as I mentioned in another post, I am very intolerant of racist behavior. We've got a lot of racists in Arkansas.

 

[Salt Jones]

I was considering moving to missouri a few years back. Never did, but I was on tenderhooks. Not being around blatant racism such as what Ive witnessed these past years as an "older woman", I worried about racism there. Not about blacks being that way towards me. More about how I would deal with it if someone caucasian was rude to blacks in my presence. Believe it or not, I dont always fart rainbows and unicorns. I have a temper. The culture shock was somthing I was aware I would experience. Even the real estate agent and I got into a big fight on the phone. She assured me there were no blacks near the home I was considering. I lost it. Not the house. My temper.

Missouri isn't so bad. A great great grandfather of mine was living in Arkansas during the time of the Civil War and moved to Missouri because of the racism and fought for the Union. I guess I'm severely intolerant of racism wherever it comes from. That's why when people throw around the word 'racist', they'd either better be joking or have a real good reason for doing so, and yet another reason why I despise Obama and the racists in his cabinet.

The irony in your post is ironic.

 

[Grace]

Ive been sitting here eating my taco smell burrito and I have to say the most rampant racism I ever really experienced more than once is in Maui. I love that island. I have been there many many times since its just across the pond, so to speak. Last trip was a few years ago. I fear its my last because I just cant afford it any more.
In all the times Ive visited that beautiful paradise, I have always experienced ridicule by the locals for being a haolie.

 

[Grace]

I was considering moving to missouri a few years back. Never did, but I was on tenderhooks. Not being around blatant racism such as what Ive witnessed these past years as an "older woman", I worried about racism there. Not about blacks being that way towards me. More about how I would deal with it if someone caucasian was rude to blacks in my presence. Believe it or not, I dont always fart rainbows and unicorns. I have a temper. The culture shock was somthing I was aware I would experience. Even the real estate agent and I got into a big fight on the phone. She assured me there were no blacks near the home I was considering. I lost it. Not the house. My temper.

Missouri isn't so bad. A great great grandfather of mine was living in Arkansas during the time of the Civil War and moved to Missouri because of the racism and fought for the Union. I guess I'm severely intolerant of racism wherever it comes from. That's why when people throw around the word 'racist', they'd either better be joking or have a real good reason for doing so, and yet another reason why I despise Obama and the racists in his cabinet.

I was in to geneology for awhile and traced back my roots. Most were from Austria and England or Ireland..depending on which line I was following. They settled in NC, SC, Arkansas and Missouri. My grandparents came to california..both sets...one set from ark, one set from missouri ala a germany colony established in missouri by one set of great grandparents, etc. Then the two in question from each sets set met, got hitched and voila. I was born.

Friends online that I talk to on the phone said I sound like an arkie twang with valley girl mixed in.

 

[Foxfyre]

When I was Exec of a large social agency in Kansas, the parent organization (based in DC) adopted an imperative "Eliminate racism wherever it exists and by any means necessary". It was written in large crooked black letters on a white background and displayed on bumper stickers, as a slogan on envelopes and flyers, and imprinted on banners at all official functions.

My staff and I didn't like it because the memories of the Watts riots, MLK's assassination, and other painful chapters in the civil rights movement were still very much in our memory and we thought the slogan too militant and aggressive to be a good thing, but we dutifully tacked it up on the bulletin board and forgot about it.

So, when we had our annual review from national, they wanted to know how many black people were members. We came up with sort of a number because we really weren't tracking it all that close and they wanted to know why so few? I said the populaton of the entire county was only 2% black.

I was informed that we were a racist town or there would be more black people there to recruit. They wouldn't accept that all the counties in north central Kansas had been settled mostly by families and groups from Germany, Austria, Sweden and other Scandanavian countries with each little community having a festival celebrating old world festivals now and then--all were great fun.

Our vice mayor was a black man, the director of city human resources, one of my best friends in the world until his death a few years ago, was a black man, and other black people held prominent positions in town. One of our biggest donors was a black family who made it big in the restaurant business.

Not good enough they said. We had to initiate a citywide campaign immediate to identify and eliminate whatever was keeping black people from being attracted to our town.

Well I balked. My staff supported me as they didn't want to have to stop being color blind either, but I left that organization some months later. Just wasn't worth it.

And as long as there are those who make it their business to look for racism under every rock, there will be racism. It's simply too profitable to give up.

 

[ClosedCaption]

I figure every race has been persecuted, mistreated or enslaved at one time or another through history. Some pursue it or allow it as a bargaining chip for a free ride or excuse in their lives.

I'd say get over it and move on, we'll all be better off..

Bullshit...Slavery for other races was a very different deal than with blacks. For example throughout history many races have been slaves, but for very different reasons. Some were repaying a debt, some were criminals etc.

so while you are correct that every race has been mistreated or enslaved its a very different levels.

Sort of like saying a Pool and the Ocean are both full of water...whats the difference?

 

[Lumpy 1]

I figure every race has been persecuted, mistreated or enslaved at one time or another through history. Some pursue it or allow it as a bargaining chip for a free ride or excuse in their lives.

I'd say get over it and move on, we'll all be better off..

Bullshit...Slavery for other races was a very different deal than with blacks. For example throughout history many races have been slaves, but for very different reasons. Some were repaying a debt, some were criminals etc.

so while you are correct that every race has been mistreated or enslaved its a very different levels.

Sort of like saying a Pool and the Ocean are both full of water...whats the difference?

Bullshit .. back at ya.. If your trying to say black slavery was worse than other... you're full of shit..

 

[xsited1]

I was considering moving to missouri a few years back. Never did, but I was on tenderhooks. Not being around blatant racism such as what Ive witnessed these past years as an "older woman", I worried about racism there. Not about blacks being that way towards me. More about how I would deal with it if someone caucasian was rude to blacks in my presence. Believe it or not, I dont always fart rainbows and unicorns. I have a temper. The culture shock was somthing I was aware I would experience. Even the real estate agent and I got into a big fight on the phone. She assured me there were no blacks near the home I was considering. I lost it. Not the house. My temper.

Missouri isn't so bad. A great great grandfather of mine was living in Arkansas during the time of the Civil War and moved to Missouri because of the racism and fought for the Union. I guess I'm severely intolerant of racism wherever it comes from. That's why when people throw around the word 'racist', they'd either better be joking or have a real good reason for doing so, and yet another reason why I despise Obama and the racists in his cabinet.

The irony in your post is ironic.

Not another troll. Are you a Ravi sock-puppet? You've got that same trollish 'feel' to your post.

 

[Grace]

And there it is again. The "who was most ill treated", like its some kind of badge to wear. The Jews have been persecuted for centuries so Im pretty sure they "win".

Isnt that kind of warped thinking on trying to figure out who was treated the worst?

 

[Foxfyre]

I figure every race has been persecuted, mistreated or enslaved at one time or another through history. Some pursue it or allow it as a bargaining chip for a free ride or excuse in their lives.

I'd say get over it and move on, we'll all be better off..

Bullshit...Slavery for other races was a very different deal than with blacks. For example throughout history many races have been slaves, but for very different reasons. Some were repaying a debt, some were criminals etc.

so while you are correct that every race has been mistreated or enslaved its a very different levels.

Sort of like saying a Pool and the Ocean are both full of water...whats the difference?

Well while they in no way condone or defend slavery of any kind among ANY people, both Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams count themselves blessed because somebody dragged their ancesters over here on a slave ship. As a result both were born American citizens. Even growing up under segregation, both were able to get an education that allowed them to compete with anybody, and both have distinguished themselves with PhDs, prolific writings, and numerous awards and honors.

Had their ancesters been left in Africa, they most likely would have been born in Africa to dirt poor, uneducated people with none of the opportunities they have enjoyed.

And while it is true that there are different kinds of slavery, I imagine none of us do not descend from people who at one time experienced the worst kinds of slavery.

That was then. This is now.

We either treat people as victims because of their ancestry and require them to see themselves differently because of their ancestry or we accept everybody as just Americans and let them succeed and fail on their own merits just as if they were as good as anybody else. I think the non racist doesn't see anybody as 'not as good as everybody else'. In my opinion it is arrogant and racist to assume black people need whitey to protect and take care of them.

We've already fought that war. We should be enjoying the peace now instead of continuing to fight it.

 

[Lumpy 1]

I figure every race has been persecuted, mistreated or enslaved at one time or another through history. Some pursue it or allow it as a bargaining chip for a free ride or excuse in their lives.

I'd say get over it and move on, we'll all be better off..

Bullshit...Slavery for other races was a very different deal than with blacks. For example throughout history many races have been slaves, but for very different reasons. Some were repaying a debt, some were criminals etc.

so while you are correct that every race has been mistreated or enslaved its a very different levels.

Sort of like saying a Pool and the Ocean are both full of water...whats the difference?

Well while they in no way condone or defend slavery of any kind among ANY people, both Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams count themselves blessed because somebody dragged their ancesters over here on a slave ship. As a result both were born American citizens. Even growing up under segregation, both were able to get an education that allowed them to compete with anybody, and both have distinguished themselves with PhDs, prolific writings, and numerous awards and honors.

And while it is true that there are different kinds of slavery, I imagine none of us do not descend from people who at one time experienced the worst kinds of slavery.

That was then. This is now.

We either treat people as victims because of their ancestry and require them to see themselves differently because of their ancestry or we accept everybody as just Americans and let them succeed and fail on their own merits just as if they were as good as anybody else. I think the non racist doesn't see anybody as 'not as good as everybody else'. In my opinion it is arrogant and racist to assume black people need whitey to protect and take care of them.

We've already fought that war. We should be enjoying the peace now instead of continuing to fight it.

Well .. it's kind of the sugar coated version of what I said..... you're Sweet..

 

[Salt Jones]

Missouri isn't so bad. A great great grandfather of mine was living in Arkansas during the time of the Civil War and moved to Missouri because of the racism and fought for the Union. I guess I'm severely intolerant of racism wherever it comes from. That's why when people throw around the word 'racist', they'd either better be joking or have a real good reason for doing so, and yet another reason why I despise Obama and the racists in his cabinet.

The irony in your post is ironic.

Not another troll. Are you a Ravi sock-puppet? You've got that same trollish 'feel' to your post.

Nope, I'm a black man who spent 20 years in the military and I'm a Socialist/Liberal. I came to this board because of the open rules. But what does my profile have to do with the irony contained in your post?

 

[JBeukema]

I figure every race has been persecuted, mistreated or enslaved at one time or another through history. Some pursue it or allow it as a bargaining chip for a free ride or excuse in their lives.

I'd say get over it and move on, we'll all be better off..

Bullshit...Slavery for other races was a very different deal than with blacks. For example throughout history many races have been slaves, but for very different reasons. Some were repaying a debt, some were criminals etc.

so while you are correct that every race has been mistreated or enslaved its a very different levels.

Sort of like saying a Pool and the Ocean are both full of water...whats the difference?

Who sold the black slaves to the Whites?

Hint: other tribes of blacks

 

[ClosedCaption]

And there it is again. The "who was most ill treated", like its some kind of badge to wear. The Jews have been persecuted for centuries so Im pretty sure they "win".

Isnt that kind of warped thinking on trying to figure out who was treated the worst?

Well, it's kind of hard to respond to a post that states that blacks were slaves like everyone else without pointing out the differences. I mean, should I just agree even it is false just so you wont put a label around my neck?

What is funny is that at the same time you chastise one person for taking the "we were treated worse" arguement (as you put it) you turn and say the Jews "win" in the "who were treated worse" catagory.

So I'm wrong for saying blacks were treated worse than other slaves throughout history and you're not wrong because you say Jews were treated worse? Ahhh, that good ol double standard...

 

[Grace]

I figure every race has been persecuted, mistreated or enslaved at one time or another through history. Some pursue it or allow it as a bargaining chip for a free ride or excuse in their lives.

I'd say get over it and move on, we'll all be better off..

Bullshit...Slavery for other races was a very different deal than with blacks. For example throughout history many races have been slaves, but for very different reasons. Some were repaying a debt, some were criminals etc.

so while you are correct that every race has been mistreated or enslaved its a very different levels.

Sort of like saying a Pool and the Ocean are both full of water...whats the difference?

Who sold the black slaves to the Whites?

Hint: other tribes of blacks

That about sums it up. At least from my understanding. So who are the "evil" people here? The ones that warred with other tribes and won with conquering said tribe and selling them.....or those who were handy to buy those captives off of them? Id say both.

 

[boedicca]

Racism is everywhere.

 

[Dot Com]

Reminds me of this and the contemporary tea partiers bellowing about states rights :
Southern strategy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In American politics, the Southern strategy refers to the late-20th century Republican Party strategy of winning elections in Southern states by exploiting anti-African American racism among Southern white voters and appealing to states' rights.

 

[Samson]

Racism is everywhere.

Alot like dust.

 

[Grace]

And there it is again. The "who was most ill treated", like its some kind of badge to wear. The Jews have been persecuted for centuries so Im pretty sure they "win".

Isnt that kind of warped thinking on trying to figure out who was treated the worst?

Well, it's kind of hard to respond to a post that states that blacks were slaves like everyone else without pointing out the differences. I mean, should I just agree even it is false just so you wont put a label around my neck?

What is funny is that at the same time you chastise one person for taking the "we were treated worse" arguement (as you put it) you turn and say the Jews "win" in the "who were treated worse" catagory.

So I'm wrong for saying blacks were treated worse than other slaves throughout history and you're not wrong because you say Jews were treated worse? Ahhh, that good ol double standard...

No, blacks were not slaves like everyone else. They were OWNED. That makes it pretty damn bad. But the Irish werent welcomed with open arms either..nor were the italians. All lived in shanties, starved, died of disease. But at least they could leave whenever and wherever they wanted.
No, you are not wrong for saying blacks were treated worse. Im saying youre wrong to...whats the word I want?....to make it seem less of what others experienced as well just by comparing one evil to another. Thats not how I want it to come out, but I cant think of how to express it. Maybe youll get what Im trying to say. Maybe not.

My comment about the jews was an example. Name me a group of peoples who have suffered for so long. Make me understand your point.

 

[Lumpy 1]

How can a person give up a lifetime of thinking a certain way, having an epiphany, correcting their assumptions and moving on...?

Sorry folks.. the dinosaurs have to die off.. on this racist one...