The Republican Thread

[NorthSideSox72]

Eric Holder, further confirming he was a lousy choice for US AG, tells us that on matters of race, the US is a nation of cowards.

 

[lostfan]

Eric Holder, further confirming he was a lousy choice for US AG, tells us that on matters of race, the US is a nation of cowards.

I don't like the way he phrased that but I agree with the general idea behind it, that people go out of their way to avoid confronting racial matters. I usually do it, because I can't have a conversation about race with random people since the discussion is almost always retarded. To see what I mean just look at some of the comments on that article, f***ing christ.

[NorthSideSox72]

I don't like the way he phrased that but I agree with the general idea behind it, that people go out of their way to avoid confronting racial matters. I usually do it, because I can't have a conversation about race with random people since the discussion is almost always retarded. To see what I mean just look at some of the comments on that article, f***ing christ.

Of course there are retarded people. That's different from saying its a nation of cowards. I just don't agree with that, and further, it falls under the category of things the US AG should be more careful in stating. Some of his other quotes in there say a similar thing, but are much more cogently stated.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

I don't like the way he phrased that but I agree with the general idea behind it, that people go out of their way to avoid confronting racial matters. I usually do it, because I can't have a conversation about race with random people since the discussion is almost always retarded. To see what I mean just look at some of the comments on that article, f***ing christ.

Also, I happen to believe that you cannot get rid of racism by constantly pointing out the difference between races. I feel that is counterproductive. I think some decades ago, you had to truly "combat" racism, because of how prevalent it was. Prevalent, not just in terms of being widespread, but in terms of how deep in the soul of most people it resided.

 

At this point, I think we are making it linger more, and sink deeper, by the constant barrage of people pointing out our differences. The better approach right now, IMO, is to get rid of racism by forgetting about race. Choose not to give a s*** what color someone is, or what that means. Judge all people individually. I know it sounds so simple, its almost trite... but I really believe that is the best way to get where we all want to go.

 

[southsider2k5]

Also, I happen to believe that you cannot get rid of racism by constantly pointing out the difference between races. I feel that is counterproductive. I think some decades ago, you had to truly "combat" racism, because of how prevalent it was. Prevalent, not just in terms of being widespread, but in terms of how deep in the soul of most people it resided.

 

At this point, I think we are making it linger more, and sink deeper, by the constant barrage of people pointing out our differences. The better approach right now, IMO, is to get rid of racism by forgetting about race. Choose not to give a s*** what color someone is, or what that means. Judge all people individually. I know it sounds so simple, its almost trite... but I really believe that is the best way to get where we all want to go.

 

I swear all pointing out race at every turn does is reinforce the differences instead of the similarities. I agree that we don't get past things with the obsessive mentaliity that we have today.

[lostfan]

Also, I happen to believe that you cannot get rid of racism by constantly pointing out the difference between races. I feel that is counterproductive. I think some decades ago, you had to truly "combat" racism, because of how prevalent it was. Prevalent, not just in terms of being widespread, but in terms of how deep in the soul of most people it resided.

 

At this point, I think we are making it linger more, and sink deeper, by the constant barrage of people pointing out our differences. The better approach right now, IMO, is to get rid of racism by forgetting about race. Choose not to give a s*** what color someone is, or what that means. Judge all people individually. I know it sounds so simple, its almost trite... but I really believe that is the best way to get where we all want to go.

I agree with you which is why I get uncomfortable when people (Jesse Jackson Sr. etc.) bring up s*** all the time. The issue just becomes a big target and people stop listening after a while.

[Texsox]

I don't like the way he phrased that but I agree with the general idea behind it, that people go out of their way to avoid confronting racial matters. I usually do it, because I can't have a conversation about race with random people since the discussion is almost always retarded. To see what I mean just look at some of the comments on that article, f***ing christ.

Ah come on, what the hell do you know . . .

 

The conversations can be retarded, even with intelligent people because we are suppose to ignore the 800 pound gorilla, which is our differences. The differences like living in a country where you are welcome at 99% of the places, not 90%. The differences of being denied opportunity because of the differences we aren't suppose to talk about. The differences of driving through a neighborhood and having everyone stare because you must be a gang bamger or an illegal.

[NorthSideSox72]

Ah come on, what the hell do you know . . .

 

The conversations can be retarded, even with intelligent people because we are suppose to ignore the 800 pound gorilla, which is our differences. The differences like living in a country where you are welcome at 99% of the places, not 90%. The differences of being denied opportunity because of the differences we aren't suppose to talk about. The differences of driving through a neighborhood and having everyone stare because you must be a gang bamger or an illegal.

Those things you describe, aren't differences between races. They are differences between people who are, or are not, stupid.

 

I'm not saying we should ignore our differences. I'm saying we should ignore our classifications and stereotypes. Judge people individually, and on their behavior. You cannot "fix" a racist person by having them sit through a diversity class that highlights various cultural differences.

 

 

[StrangeSox]

Just to throw some science into the discussion, race is a social construct, not a biological or genetic one.

 

 

http://harvardmagazine.com/2008/05/race-in...etic-world.html

[southsider2k5]

I agree with you which is why I get uncomfortable when people (Jesse Jackson Sr. etc.) bring up s*** all the time. The issue just becomes a big target and people stop listening after a while.

 

Which is a good point. For some reason when it comes to race in the US, I feel like we spend too much time listening to the 1% outliers on either end of the spectrum, and not enough time listening to the 98% of the country in the middle who aren't racists.

[Balta1701]

Which is a good point. For some reason when it comes to race in the US, I feel like we spend too much time listening to the 1% outliers on either end of the spectrum, and not enough time listening to the 98% of the country in the middle who aren't racists.

But there's a weird counter-point to that, and I think perhaps the most interesting perspective on it was the one we heard then Senator Obama give last year. It's not just that there's that small percentage at the edge that dominates everything and the other 98% is fine, it's that the other 98% isn't always fine, that there are real issues there just as much as there are at the margins, with things like economic status, education, cultural differences, etc., but that the 98% really doesn't like discussing it except to get angry when it affects them negatively.

[southsider2k5]

But there's a weird counter-point to that, and I think perhaps the most interesting perspective on it was the one we heard then Senator Obama give last year. It's not just that there's that small percentage at the edge that dominates everything and the other 98% is fine, it's that the other 98% isn't always fine, that there are real issues there just as much as there are at the margins, with things like economic status, education, cultural differences, etc., but that the 98% really doesn't like discussing it except to get angry when it affects them negatively.

 

And that is what makes me a republican. I don't believe in penalizing 98% of the country for the actions of 1 or 2% of it.

[Balta1701]

And that is what makes me a republican. I don't believe in penalizing 98% of the country for the actions of 1 or 2% of it.

I think you missed my point a little bit there.

[kapkomet]

And that is what makes me a republican. I don't believe in penalizing 98% of the country for the actions of 1 or 2% of it.

Amen.

 

/waiting for the b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-ut Democrats don't do that blog after blog after blog links

 

[southsider2k5]

I think you missed my point a little bit there.

 

If anything I think you made made a point you weren't really meaning to make. I know what you were trying to do, but you also illustrated something else in the process.

[Balta1701]

If anything I think you made made a point you weren't really meaning to make. I know what you were trying to do, but you also illustrated something else in the process.

I wasn't trying to say that the fringes wind up making things worse for everyone, although that's certainly something that can happen and does happen (for example, see Wall Street). The point I'm trying to say is that the 98% still have problems on their own with that issue...but they try to avoid thinking they do, and that leads to extra outrage when it's brought up. It's not just 1 or 2 % of the country who suffers because opportunities are denied to certain groups more than others.

[bmags]

are we really sure it's only 2%

[Balta1701]

are we really sure it's only 2%

Doesn't matter.

 

The point I'm trying to make is that while the large majority thinks it isn't a problem, it is a problem enough that it keeps hurting them, and not dealing with it or pretending it isn't a problem makes it worse.

[bmags]

Well, yeah. The problem is the issues of race that affect people are subtle, and, ala wizard of oz, we keep our eyes on the big green floating heads, argue about the stuff that is only real for a very small number of extreme cases, and become embarrassed to talk about how who we are affects us in America. In Columbia, a number of bars have dress codes clearly targeting blacks, and while there has been a few mag. articles on it, it just kind of gets swept up as a disturbing anecdote. You can be black, as long as you are our kind of black

[southsider2k5]

Doesn't matter.

 

The point I'm trying to make is that while the large majority thinks it isn't a problem, it is a problem enough that it keeps hurting them, and not dealing with it or pretending it isn't a problem makes it worse.

 

Maybe its the industry I am in, but I am not surrounded by people who look like me. I have worked with people of all sexes, races, creeds, etc. I have had people all of the way up to partners in the companies that I have worked for who were neither male, nor white, nor Christian, and sometimes none of those. There is only one part of the country that I have been in where discrimination was more than a very, very small percentage of the population, and that was even in an area that barely had anyone living there. I grew up in a diverse town, I work in one of the most diverse cities in the world, and I went to college in a place that was completely racist. I have seen all over the spectrum, and I truely believe that is not as big as those who use discrimination to advance their personal and political agendas make it out to be, for either the discriminators, or the people who need discrimination to stay important.

[Controlled Chaos]

Well, yeah. The problem is the issues of race that affect people are subtle, and, ala wizard of oz, we keep our eyes on the big green floating heads, argue about the stuff that is only real for a very small number of extreme cases, and become embarrassed to talk about how who we are affects us in America. In Columbia, a number of bars have dress codes clearly targeting blacks, and while there has been a few mag. articles on it, it just kind of gets swept up as a disturbing anecdote. You can be black, as long as you are our kind of black

That's the liberal calling card.....and there have been no mag. articles on it....Weird.

[EvilMonkey]

For all the people having Obamagasm at the fact that Obama is now our President, a little present. http://kabukishojo.com/2009/02/13/no-japan...ly-loves-obama/

[bmags]

That's the liberal calling card.....and there have been no mag. articles on it....Weird.

 

Perhaps because what you said doesn't make sense.

[Texsox]

And that is what makes me a republican. I don't believe in penalizing 98% of the country for the actions of 1 or 2% of it.

 

Really, I thought you supported the war in Iraq?

 

Actions are more about the impact of the actions, not about how many are making them. When the actions are on a huge scale, they have to be stopped, even if it is only 1 or 2%. Hell we are at war with Iraq because 1 or 2% of the population acted in ways we disagreed with.

 

Which is why I'm mostly a Democrat.

[kapkomet]

Really, I thought you supported the war in Iraq?

 

Actions are more about the impact of the actions, not about how many are making them. When the actions are on a huge scale, they have to be stopped, even if it is only 1 or 2%. Hell we are at war with Iraq because 1 or 2% of the population acted in ways we disagreed with.

 

Which is why I'm mostly a Democrat.

That is a pretty lame argument Tex.