Slaves...... Really?

a reply to: FHomerK

No I'm sorry that anyone feels the way you do or vice versa. It sucks but I choose not to invest too much time in the race card crap being thrown around by all sides. There are jerks of all colors and there are cool people of all colors. I happen to be friends w and get along with people of all different shades, if you're cool with me I'm cool with you.

originally posted by: conspiracy nut
a reply to: FHomerK

No I'm sorry that anyone feels the way you do or vice versa. It sucks but I choose not to invest too much time in the race card crap being thrown around by all sides. There are jerks of all colors and there are cool people of all colors. I happen to be friends w and get along with people of all different shades, if you're cool with me I'm cool with you.

Ditto. But it does still piss me off. And it pisses me off that I have children growing up with this kind of crap.

a reply to: FHomerK

I hear ya man I am 8 years your junior and I remember some racial tension growing up but for the most part things were getting better. I feel that unfortunately things are taking a big step backwards.

originally posted by: FHomerK
a reply to: Aazadan

Am I sure?


Wow. I'm done with this conversation. You really would not like my reaction if you said that to my face.

But instead, you just had to go there.

Thinking about this a bit more, I owe you an apology. It wasn't my intent to call you a racist, so if that's how you interpreted it, sorry about that. My point was that a lot of racism today doesn't come from the white supremacist crowd, it comes from ordinary people who aren't being malicious and are just going along with the culture. Look back to the 50's, white people weren't evil then, and most of them weren't trying to keep a group down... they were just going along with the culture.

We're in a similar situation today, but less overt. And that's what makes it difficult to confront. People can mean no ill intent while still promoting a racist policy. For example, I see it a lot in my field (Computer Science) with gender. Despite the fact that programming used to be considered womens work, and that women are just as capable as men, and that 20% of CS grads are women, CS job placement today skews something like 95% men. Most of that isn't due to workplaces being overtly sexist, but rather due to subtle biases in culture, in particular one where men tend to be threatened by smart women so they subconsciously exclude them from jobs.

My line asking if you are sure wasn't to offend and somehow say you were lying. I was questioning how you can be sure that just because you aren't intending to be racist, you aren't being racist. Simply going about your life being colorblind doesn't remove racism from the debate.

a reply to: Aazadan

First of all, I appreciate your apology. I do, very much. Thank you.

Honestly though.... it is still a bit offensive to me asking if I am colorblind or if I truly do things without realizing they might be wrong. It is still concerning that I would even be questioned about it.

It's just now how I am, how I was raised, or how I treat *anyone*. It almost smacks of the idea that I should somehow feel guilty for something I have not and would not do. I hope you understand that, and accept my honest answer when I say no, I am not racist. You were respectful with me, and I am trying to be honest and respectful with you in return.

Honestly though, this is much of what upsets me. The idea that I am questioned (by anyone, not just you) in the first place. Can you see how this might easily be something very, very, very uncomfortably close to racism itself? It's a presumption based off of gender and genetics. And it is not based on any actual observed acts of racism.

I am a software/database engineer. I work with people of all genders, heritage, religions and backgrounds. Quite possibly, I work in the single most diverse career one could work in. I was raised to value diversity, and accept a person on the merit of their actions.

That is why this upsets me. I hope maybe, just maybe, you gain some understanding from this.