Hidden Racism

I live in the South. I am a white male. I was in the military, I have been to college, I have no criminal history at all, yet I have been turned down four times for a position on the police department, and three times for the Fire department. Now, I live in a very large city and it is City government's ploicy to inform an applicant in writing as to why they've been turned down. Every time, it was because they have not met their racial quota. That sucks. If I'm more qualified than someone else, I should get the job. It seems to me that the ACLU and NAACP need to back off, keep their mouths shut and chill for a while. I don't see how black people are mistreated at all in this country. Sure, every place has it's share of brain dead rednecks that hate everyone except for other white males, but the same can be said for the other side of the fence. Hell, there are multiple new neighborhoods popping up all over town that the only thing you need to qualify for a home loan is to be black, the mortgage companies will even buy your house if you live in a rundown neighborhood. What side is the racism on?

Also in some cities, Blacks and other Minorities can score lower than you and still get on. White males need to score 35 while blacks and Hispanics only havre to score 25. Is that fair. It is to get there racial quota so they lowered the passing scores for minoritys.

Same with colleges.

Originally posted by BlackGuardXIII
I think someone wanting there daughter or son not dating someone of a different color is fine. It is just tradition and keeping there blood line a cretin way. It also goes with religions too. Ever heard a mom asks if her daughter’s boyfriend was Catholic or Jewish. If you meet someone of different race or a religion and you love them that’s great, but if your mom rather you date some one as the same race or religion, it does not make her a racist.

I faced exactly that ... my parents treated me and my black partner like crap for five years cuz they weren't comfortable with it.
I sure felt like they were racists every time it happened, especially as the years wore on.

Maybe they are not racist, and maybe its okay to think like that. But, imho, it is not okay to try to coerce someone else to be a bigot too, and it is not okay to be ignorant, rude, disrespectful, or mean to someone becuz they are not what you think is 'okay'. I was hurt so deeply by my family's actions... well, anyway.
I just totally disagree with you.

'As far as inter-racial relationships, the existence of that phrase is racism in itself. In my mind there are no races, only humans.'

One race, the human race, agreed.

[edit on 03 22 2005 by BlackGuardXIII]

I agrre with you if your family is going to act like that. I meant when you first start to date, or perfering someone with the same skin color. If they cant get over it when you are happy, then they have a problem.

Dear all,

Racism in whatever shape or form it takes is wrong.

It is this simple.

Cheers

BHR

I agrre with you if your family is going to act like that. I meant when you first start to date, or perfering someone with the same skin color. If they cant get over it when you are happy, then they have a problem.
snowman

And then there are some people who I have met who will only date people with a different skin colour. I am not at all swayed one way or the other, and find religion is a bigger obstacle.
Cheers.

On the complex subject of racism I would value people's opinion on the world's oldest,most malignant and recurring hatred that is still alive and well and influencing world events today.

AT,

I have never understood the concept of anti-semitism, but then again I have never understood how people can be racist or xenophobic.

I do not judge people based on religion, skin colour etc.

I judge everyone on their own merits.

Cheers

BHR

Think about it guys, would it not be boring to have the same perspective on only one ray of the color spectrum.I like the diversities of our human race.

Just because you have racist thoughts does not mean that you have to be a racist. You have the ability to change the way you think. You may have to work at it, but you could soon find that you have changed the way you think and act towards other people.

The Psychologist or Psychiatrist will tell you, once you are anorexic or an alcoholic, for example, you are allways an anorexic or alcholic. This is wrong, people can change, and they can simply just make a decision and change their mind.

Troy

Originally posted by BillHicksRules
AT,

I have never understood the concept of anti-semitism, but then again I have never understood how people can be racist or xenophobic.

I do not judge people based on religion, skin colour etc.

I judge everyone on their own merits.



BHR

Very admirable trait as an individual, though let me point out that hardly anyone UNERSTANDS as such. Understandind or not does not stop the terror against Israeli civilians today nor did it save European jews during WWII... likewise it doesn't save the blacks of Darfur today nor did it save Cambodians, Rhawandans or Ugandans.
The UN body might be in position to understand, though I can't recall them saving anyone.
WHY......
Because the reasons are irrelevent whether understood or not......
THE COLLECTIVE SILENCE KILLS

Accidental Tourist,

What are you trying to say?

Are you wanting to say that since I do not understand Racism I am complicit in allowing it to continue?

BHR

It's a hard topic to convey in general guidelines but I think it comes down to morals. I believe apathy and lack of intervention allows for ongoing massacres... and no I don't think you or me for that matter are contributers to race hate crimes by our silence as individuals but rather the moral and ethical priorities of major ruling bodies. Silence for the sake of political correctness, fear of offending or oil diplomacy.

This has been a great, long, thoughtful thread that has allowed me to make the following conclusion, and it is that racism is alive and well today and is as big a problem as it ever was.

One big issue is that the entire issue either gets no attention or is handled in the worst way possible. I am against affirmative action because that is basically racism. Also, racism is not a material issue. It's the simple deprivation of being a good human being. How do "gifts" solve the problem of racism? They don't

I also have a problem when people, especially white people, talk about others being racist towards them. While anybody can suffer racism, there are only certain people who can say such things. One can never understand what racism is just by sitting in a classroom and learning about it. Racism is something that has to be experienced first-hand to know what it's truly about.

I wish someone like Martin Luther King or even better would arise and lead the charge against racism, discrimination, and bigotry. But hey, who knows. Maybe it could be one of us here, or maybe even me!

Originally posted by sweatmonicaIdo
This has been a great, long, thoughtful thread that has allowed me to make the following conclusion, and it is that racism is alive and well today and is as big a problem as it ever was.

One big issue is that the entire issue either gets no attention or is handled in the worst way possible. I am against affirmative action because that is basically racism. Also, racism is not a material issue. It's the simple deprivation of being a good human being. How do "gifts" solve the problem of racism? They don't

I also have a problem when people, especially white people, talk about others being racist towards them. While anybody can suffer racism, there are only certain people who can say such things. One can never understand what racism is just by sitting in a classroom and learning about it. Racism is something that has to be experienced first-hand to know what it's truly about.

I wish someone like Martin Luther King or even better would arise and lead the charge against racism, discrimination, and bigotry. But hey, who knows. Maybe it could be one of us here, or maybe even me!

My view is that affirmative action is a necessary, temporary, evil. Yes, it is racism, but I see no other way to shift the balance towards a more equal state. Changing the laws didn't work, and unless there is some form of compensation made towards those who have been so terribly wronged for so long, the likelihood of a voluntary balancing of power is, imho, zero.
Many people claim 'reverse racism', when a job opening is specifically set aside for a non-caucasian, and I would agree in principle, but not in sentiment. I say, yes, it is, and isn't that great! It's about time. I have seen the statistics on a few occupation areas, and trust me, there is no need to worry about how well represented caucasians are. They are, in every stat I have seen, the vast majority. I haven't seen anywhere that they are not.
Also, to me, it makes sense that certain jobs, ie: police, need enough staff of various ethnic backgrounds to properly serve those communities. In many cases, that is still lacking, and in crime investigation, members of those communities will not be as open to an investigator who is not from their community.
Someday, yes, there should be no affirmative action, but I feel that right now, in some areas, like university faculties, the judiciary, etc., it is a necessary, and hopefully very temporary, evil.

equality cannot be forced...

that is why no law can ever procure it..

A movement has to be more massive than that, change is needed in the mind of each person, and that cannot be done by force.

So in this light, aff. action actually is hurting the shift towards equality, because those who are white and racist will obviously vehemently oppose it, and in effect, will have increased resenment towards those of color, who benefit from it. The representatives that share the views of the white racist population will act on their behalf, attempting to squash it, and in turn the people that it benefits ( those of color ) will have further resentment towards the white population because of those attempts.

I've only recently pondered this "building" effect. Hatred exists on both sides, and it feeds upon itself.

If you are an opponent of racism it is crucial that you realize that there are no human enemies in this battle, the real enemy is hate, and more hate will only strengthen it. Practice percieving the most disgustingly racist people in our world as victims of the "enemy", not collaborators. You might see this stuff in a new light.

*p.s. In regards to the bickering....
90 percent of human communication is through body language, demeanor, and tone of voice. If you don't have those you can't assume what you're understanding is actually what they want to convey.

[edit on 17-5-2005 by benign]

I totally agree, the only way to diminish hate is with love. I hold no hatred for any group, my only hope is that there be some form of a restitution made. For example, here where I live, the local indigenous people have been terribly treated. They have been the subjects of abuse and mistreatment to an extent that I can only describe as attempted genocide. And this is not ancient history. It has only within this generation been stopped as an official government action, and for all intents and purposes, continues full strength today.
How do we deal with the fall out of these crimes against humanity? The high unemployment, the discrimination in the workplace, the high rates of suicide, alcoholism, and drug abuse? what do we do about that?
I only seek solutions to these tragedies.

I grew up in Southern California (Oxnard, CA). I attended schools which were predominantly hispanic in population (my high school: 65% hispanic) and I must say the differences in school performance were drastic and obvious. Honors level classes were not all-white, but there were no hispanics or african-americans in them. Also there were 2 rival hispanic gangs that made life harder for everybody, but especially for other hispanics, they seemed to leave me alone (i'm white).

I don't personally think any one race is more or less intelligent than the others, but I think its the culture in which the races live. Since high school, I have met a few hispanic and african-americans who (don't know a more succint way of putting this) were raised "white" and have found them to be just as smart and funny as any crackers I know.

However, having grown up where I did, I had the vantage point to see that most hispanic parents just don't give a flying f*** for education. It is just not a priority. I also must say there is an even more disturbing trend- it seemed that there were many cases of incest and father-daughter or uncle-niece pregnancies in the hispanic community. Perhaps this happens in every culture and we just don't hear about it, but it was definitely too common for my comfort.

If we pretend that there are no differences between cultures or even races, no progress will be made.

I don't believe it is racism, I believe t is culturalism. Based upon the real or perceived it is present.

People of the same race in America have their 'standards' as do Asians and others against certain levels/groups of their own races.

I believe a more ideal scene can indeed be forced (in the beginning). It's not the only way, but it can be done this way. Let me tell a story.

Here is an example of a forced situation I just made up for an example. Let's say two people are locked in a cage. One of them black and one of them white. (could be any combination of colors or races) And the only way out is to combine their efforts strengths and knowlege to get out. If they don't help each other out of the cage they will soon be slowly dumped into a pit of lava. Now they are both a bit distrustful of the other race. BuSo, here is this forced situation. Now shouldn't they start to talk with one another and figure that way out. Now being that neither person wants to be slowly dipped into a pit of lava, do you think that their fears of one another will be strong enough to keep them from working together to get out of the cage? In this situation, what was a forced friendship became a real friendship, because they both now feel a love and respect for one another.

Troy

Enemy Mine and Planet of the Apes type movies are in this subject. Differences make distrust.

In America, most groups (sub-races) have felt maltreatment. It is life and needs to be recognized as such. Laws change over time in an attempt to level things out- sometimes they help.

As to parents disowning kids- this is part of parenting. In their own way the parents are trying to help their kids have a workable life without the attendant weight of unacceptable cultural (racial in this thread) anomolies. Many was the WASP child disowned for marrying Irish.