The Great Divider...

[Jellybean]

Yes he does and he's not the only one.

Until the "black leadership" starts looking to the future as Americans, let the past be the past, and strive to contribute to this country in a productive manner, the race card will always be played. This kind of targeting of one race to secure votes does nothing to help relations on either side. As an American, who happens to be a white man, it pisses me off.

I really do not understand, even though their ancestors were used and abused in such a terrible way, why they cannot let the African thing go and just be Americans.

I must condition this post with this.

I know quite a few blacks that I consider friends of mine that are intelligent, well spoken, have really good careers and basically cool folks to associate with.

sick of this AFRICAN American ? if you want to be AFRICAN MOVE BACK

do white South Africans move here get to call themselves African Americans then ?

I guess my SCANDANAVIAN American roots I should go back to what vikings did ?

I am so sick of this crap how about we are all just AMERICANS and if you want to be called something else move back

Whacked the ol' nail on the head.

I've always thought the grand irony of this is the fact that the only (or majority of, at least) people keeping racism alive and well are the people that are the most vocal about being the "victims" of it.
I mean if I wanted to I could fling the race card around a bit- I'm part Polish AND part Jewish (and a whole mess of everything else- basically a mutt so I'm pretty much golden when it comes to this whole race thing). I could really burn the house down with those two alone, especially as my grandma actually spent some time during WW2 in a concentration/work camp. But I don't. Why should I? I am now an American- plain and simple.
Now, I don't have any problem at all with being proud of where you came from- kooky jokes aside, we Polish folk have kicked some ass. But dammit- this is a "melting pot", not a moasic- you're either part of the whole or dividing it up.

And last time I checked, everyone already does have a "fair" chance- the only people "keeping you down" are yourself or your cronies who keep spewing the same old race-centered crap over and over. Seriously- constantly dragging everybody back to the 1800's is like having open heart surgery once a week- it's not going to help the situation.
If it's SO unbearable for you here then please save us all the whining and finger-pointing and pack a bag, and be sure to write us all and tell us how much more wonderful it is in whatever country you end up.
If you don't want to do that, than for the love of God shut up and move the hell on!
I swear every time I hear someone moaning about how they're "owed" I want to ask them if they have any comprehension of how much was payed so they can have the luxury to complain about it....

As far as the original- Gee- who didn't see that coming.

[CarlosDJackal]

Here's the rub. The ones who like to cry "racism" the most are themselves proven to be one of the most racists groups in our society. Just ask any black person who also happen to be somewhat fair-skinned who, in their experience has been the most prejudiced against them and you'll be surprised.

I am a Naturalized Citisen myself and ever since I moved to the US in 1983 I have experience racism from blacks more than any of the other groups combined. Actually, I can count in less than one hand how many times I have experienced racist treatment by non-blacks. But I have lost count how many have come from blacks.

CAVEAT: I must state that not all blacks are this way. In my experiences this type of treatment rarely (if ever) came from those who are either Educated Professionals or hard-working members of that community. At first I thought it was dependent on where they grew up (Rural vs. Urban vs. Suburban). But as time went on and I experienced more incidence of racism; it seems to follow the lines of education and work ethics. JM2CW.

[Moose-Knuckle]

...continues to divide...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdjoH...layer_embedded

@ 0:52

". . .or we can build a nation where everybody gets a fair shot, everybody does their fair share, and everybody plays by the same rules."

HYPOCRISY
hy·poc·ri·sy (h-pkr-s)
n. pl. hy·poc·ri·sies

1. The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness.
2. An act or instance of such falseness.

[austinN4]

Two of the most clear-cut and well documented causes of the economic woes of black Americans (all other groups are affected as well, it's just that black Americans have among the highest percentages of their population affected) are:

1. Dependency on government assistance. This destroys independence, initiative, self-reliance, work ethic, the "enterprising spirit", and above all, one's own dignity. It creates a permanent, cancerous sense of "entitlement," the thought being that "I am OWED something...." Once someone has been infected with this dependency, it is difficult to wean them off it and return them to productive work and citizenship. An entire class of people in our country have been ruined by this dependence.

2. Breakdown of the family unit. The social ills (crime, drug use, low educational achievement or dropout, out-of-wedlock births, prison incarceration rates, etc.) that we see are highly correlated with single-parent and especially fatherless households. Do things to strengthen the basic family unit, and keep two parents in the household, and on a cultural level, you will directly reduce most of these ills.

I believe this to be equally true for all skin colors, be they black, white, brown, yellow, or somewhere inbetween. There are plenty of whites in this country that fit in both 1. and 2. above.

[austinN4]

I believe there is a fair chance that SCOTUS will reverse itself on affirmative action in their ruling on Fisher v UT Austin: http://www.scotusblog.com/

If so, what happens then..........riots in the streets?

[Cincinnatus]

none other than slavemaster Al Sharpton.

Shapton's just the Overseer. Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and Blabbermouth-Schultz are the Masters.

[Scoby]

I believe this to be equally true for all skin colors, be they black, white, brown, yellow, or somewhere inbetween. There are plenty of whites in this country that fit in both 1. and 2. above.

No doubt.

One of the sorriest bastards I've had the misfortune to know is a white man.

[a1fabweld]

IMO, people's opinions vary based in part on the environments that they are exposed to. I would never tell somebody "You're a racist" based on them not liking a particular culture or race. Some folks may have had bad experiences with inbred white folks in the back country. Some folks may have had bad experiences with Mexicans in a predominantly agricultural area. Some soldiers may have developed a negative vibe for middle eastern folks who are constantly trying to kill them.

My business is based in an industrial, low income part of town. There are ghetto black folks constantly making a nuicance of themselves, causing all kinds of trouble & just plain making a mess of the area. I can't go to the corner store to grab a soda without being stared down or asked for "Sum change". I have developed a negative opinion of blacks based on my environment. I'm sure there are wonderful, educated, respectful black folks out there, but I very rarely come across them. It is what it is. I don't feel bad about it. I definately don't leave the shop without my pistol.

If someone thinks I'm racist, IDGAF. Come spend 10+ hours a day for 10 years in this part of town. There's a good chance you'll feel the same way.