So let me get this straight. You're trying to sell me the story that many others other than blacks have also been taken from their land of origin. Shackled to chains on ships, stacked up on each other, not even as livestock, but as stock. Beaten and whipped on the way, instead of fed. Attached to severly diseased, dying and dead bodies. Stripped of your culture, stripped of your wife, your children, your manhood. Survived the trip, come to a strange land where they were seen as not even as worthy as dogs, but not even human. Eventually upgraded to 3/5ths of a man (read white man). Told you're not anything and never will amount to anything, shuttered into ghettos, your rights held down, fought against, battered, abused, all because of your skin color, attacked...for generations. Mentally abused, discriminated against, and blamed for all of the above...your suggesting that this is a common experience to others other than African Americans?
You've started an interesting thread. I rarely even look at a thread that mentions "race," let alone respond to it. This one post you've made seems to have a bit of an edge to it, otherwise it's been interesting reading.
I think racism can only exist when it won't be put down and people move on - regardless of race. Unfortunately, I think there are people who don't want the issue to rest. And, too, "race" is a badly misused word. For example, Mexicans are not a race - they are a nationality. But any negative statement made about Mexicans is met with a "You're a racist!" response.
To respond more directly to this particular post, yes, there are others who have suffered some of the same injustices as Blacks. As previously mentioned, the Jewish people have a long, long history of enslavement and persecution by just about everybody. "Jew" is somewhat spoken with an air of contempt. Well, I'm sorry - when you say you've been "Jewed down," you're just pissed off at yourself for driving a bad bargain but you have to lay the blame on the Jews. Jews are contemptuously called "Christ killers." But, no one stops to think that with Jesus Christ being passed over for death in favor of Barabbas - who would be the savior? Barabbas? Those who follow the teachings of Christ should probably be grateful to the Jews - no?
Take a look at people living in China - are they not enslaved and living in unmerciful circumstances? Their minds, bodies, and souls owned by a government that considers them very expendable?
Look at the Poles. Throughout the history of Poland everybody has wanted a piece of Poland under their rule and control. It wasn't until after WWII that Poland finally had defined national boundaries. Poles are continuously considered as very stupid people. I am Polish - and I don't consider myself as totally stupid and it doesn't take five of my friends to change a light bulb.
Look at some of the Arabic people. Living under tyrannical conditions, in poverty, uneducated, in some instances at the mercy of an unmerciful religion - being stoned to death "just because." It's not just blacks who have suffered and still suffer.
I tend to judge by character rather than race. At one point in my life I lived on a boundary line between blacks and whites - I never feared blacks. They worked, albeit at the lowlier jobs, but they had homes, they took care in raising their children, they went to church, they had a pride in themselves. I lived in an orphanage and I've experienced beatings from hell, I've experienced being put down and derided. I've experienced someone being in total control of my life, my thoughts. Today? Today, I'm in control of my own existence. Today I'm somewhat fearful of some blacks because I can see the hatred in their eyes. On the other end of the spectrum, I have black friends who are wonderful people. I like them because of who they are - their character. I was on a lunch break one day when a black woman came walking into the building with a little toddler coming along with her. I looked at that child's dull, lifeless eyes and thought, "My God! That child's life is already over and it hasn't even had a chance to begin." There was not one iota of sparkle in his eyes.
There are many things that factor into where so many blacks are today and in many ways it is only blacks who can save themselves. I don't know all the answers but I know all things are not working as they should.
Do I like Obama? Hell, no. Not because he's black but because he has shown me he has no character. He's just a bitter person who has not risen above his own perceived injustices. He's arrogant, self-centered, among other things and before it's all over with he's going to end up screwing "his own" even more to the walls than they already have been screwed.