Holder: U.S. a 'Nation of Cowards' on Race Discussions

With no small minded ego centrists we can only look back and think If we could ever have trusted each other the things this species could have achieved..

They love their cats the same way we do and we 'all' understand how much our cats love us...

Originally posted by skeptic1


A nation of cowards?

The article goes on to talk about how he will work his stance into policy, including affirmative action.

I don't see us as a nation of cowards. I see us as a nation that is trying to be molded by political correctness and the need to never, ever offend anyone.

How can we have an honest conversation about race when honesty often brings forth the charge of racism?

www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Correct, I have nothing to add,

He can kiss my butt too.

Despite all the progress that has been made over the last 50 years (and I may be showing my "whiteness" here, as some people of color do not think there has been near enough) there are still some groups of people who just don't like each other. Here is where, I think, the discussion should begin.

As a teacher, I once told a student that she was very articulate. She happened to be African American, but I would have told an equally gifted white student the same thing, in the same words. She got angry and said, "Why are white people always suprised when black people can speak well?" I honestly don't think I showed any surprise at all. I was just giving praise to a student who did something very well, something I do for all my students.

I understand that this student has come from a long history of oppression that goes back centuries before she was born, and that is probably the reason for her suspicion and anger. But it could also be that she just doesn't like white people very much, maybe with good reason. When we can't even compliment each other, though, we are in trouble.

I have written about this incident as a kind of opening to a conversation I would like to have. Better understanding of one another doesn't always result in mutual respect and regard, but I think Holder is indicating the right direction.

Originally posted by DataWraith
I have a friend at work who is black ( a St. Lucian) and he always told me that he hates Africans.
I asked him about the colour similarity and he said it's not the colour, its about where your from.
I DID goad him a little by saying that he was an African, he exploded till I said I was African too seeing as Africa was the cradle of Human life, so we're ALL Africans.
Race sucks, and its only the people who want attention or the posiiblity to get money by claiming they're a victim of a race attack, it doesn't matter what colour you are, whether or not you have a chip on your shoulder, but first impressions and actions count more than skin colour in my book.

Yes, my husband worked with a man who jumped all over him for calling him an african american,

go figure

reply to post by skeptic1


Where does he live, my family and friends and neighbors are very integrated.

I think he is just trying to stir the pot, keep stirring

Before I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ADMINISTRATION, NOW I AM GETTING PI$$ED

According to wikipedia Eric Holder's parents are from Barbados. I looked it up because he doesn't look African-American to me. Apparently though he is considered Black though I don't understand why they keep calling him the first African-American attorney general.

Here's another slant on our racial guilt over slavery. Speaker is Ian Smith, last Prime Minister of Rhodesia before Robert Mugabe took over and it became Zimbabwe.

...You know, you've got a different sort of thing in America, where the white man there believes he has to apologize to the black man for what his forebears did to the black man--this dreadful thing of bringing slaves to America. Of course, it wasn't the Americans who did that at all. It was the slave traders from Europe who did it in conjunction with all of the black chiefs on the African continent. This was an annual thing, which they still do today, where the chiefs determine how much food they've got and whether or not they've got to get rid of some of their menfolk or not. Because if they haven't got enough food, they tell them to push off and work in the gold mines in South Africa. In those days, they used to tell them to get on the boats and go to America. Nothing to do with white Americans. The white Americans were really saving these poor people, and I don't miss an opportunity to tell Americans when I'm over there how taken aback I am at this guilt complex of theirs, which is absolutely false and unnecessary.

taken from the book African Lives by Denis Boyles, 1988

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,"

Joe Biden

Originally posted by HolydarknessVA
I have never set foot in Ireland only the soil I was born on so I personally think it would silly for me to go around saying I am Irish american.

Well its not silly to everybody although I understand what you mean.

"Actor Isaiah Washington recently became a citizen of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone. More African Americans are seeking dual citizenship and reconnecting with their ancestral homelands thanks to increasingly sophisticated (DNA) technology".
West Africa Online

I am white and really dig this. There are many whites these days that pay attention to their roots as well thanks to all of the family tree research available.

Originally posted by skeptic1


A nation of cowards?



www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

These types of blacks IMO are the worst to talk to. They are usually looking for a one sided conversation and a white to use as a sounding board. Someone to stand still while they take a pounding. I fear at this point the game is so far along that these types of hidden attacks on the white physic in America are not going to be meet with much sympathy. In fact shut up! lol

IMO this is also a very unprofessional thing for the AG to be going on about, using his position fr a podium. There has actually been a rather brisk conversation about race going on for a while now. Publicly and privately. And there has been to much headway made on the issue to even rate this kind of comment form the AG. He is out of his element as the man said.


BY THE WAY Pat Buchanan and some black guy had quite the spirited debate on hardball tonight. The black guy kept using the term "racial fascism." The day has past for this type of rhetoric. Whites are not buying.

Originally posted by TheAvenger
What is cowardly is people being automatically labeled as racist by many others when they dare to disagree with anything Obama says or does.

[edit on 2/19/2009 by TheAvenger]

Yep.

I completely agree Skeptic1.

This reminds me of when I was in high school and an African American club was started at my school. One of my friends new my estranged father is an African-French American and invited me to the club, I got a lot of flack for saying that I did not want to join any race related club. They wanted me to write an article for the club (I wrote for the school paper) and I also passed, I said that I didn’t feel comfortable doing so because I knew I wouldn’t write the politically correct article they wanted. I believed then, and still do, that if anything like a “white club” for “white kids” existed that it would be immediately declared racist and seen completely differently than having clubs that try to appeal to a minority group(like theirs or other clubs that appealed to one race at my school such as an Asian student club).

I was terribly harassed for speaking my mind and a lot of black students insisted that I couldn’t even comment on the issue because I wasn’t “fully” African American and don’t look noticeably African American, they said I couldn’t understand the difference between them and white people and why a white club would be offensive.

Maybe I can’t understand their point of view completely but I am obviously not a racist (I come from a multi-cultural background that includes African blood) and I still hear this “you can’t get it” argument even now. If I can’t speak out then how can anyone expect Caucasian Americans to without fearing being labeled as racist and being harassed for voicing a less than politically correct opinion?


[edit on 19-2-2009 by rapinbatsisaltherage]

reply to post by rapinbatsisaltherage


That's why I think, these days, it has less to do with actual racism than it does with political correctness.

I know that there are racist people in this country. I have no doubt about it.

But, these days, I think people mistake being offended or insulted with racism. There is a difference.

Originally posted by skeptic1
www.cnn.com

Holder urged Americans of all races to use Black History Month as a time to have a forthright national conversation between blacks and whites to discuss aspects of race which are ignored because they are uncomfortable.

Anyone else find the contradiction here bothersome? He's enouraging the entire nation, all races included, to band together so that blacks and whites can discuss racial tensions. There are tensions between all ethnic groups in America--speak with members of the Asian or Hispanic communities and you'll understand that they have their own complaints. This bit about pretending that it is a black-white issue has got to stop.

[edit on 19/2/09 by paperplanes]

reply to post by paperplanes



Yes and this problem is much more complicated than race. I live in the city and can drive just two hours or less from here and am an outsider. People really have a hard time down there with people from the city and that is based on any number of issues.

Mr. Holder... If that's not the pot calling the kettle black... I think the first thing we need to do is ban all the black clicks. NAACP, BET, Black history Month, ect....

This new administration sure is off to a great start. And people called Bush an idiot? Obama takes the cake in that category... Just look at all the Buffoons he is surrounding himself with!

We are the cowards? He needs to keep his opinion of his people to himself and not label all of America with his self loathing stereotype.

Call me dumb but after reading Harrison Bergeron I don't ever want equality...

Originally posted by northof8
Mr. Holder... If that's not the pot calling the kettle black... I think the first thing we need to do is ban all the black clicks. NAACP, BET, Black history Month, ect....

This new administration sure is off to a great start. And people called Bush an idiot?

These poor idiots have spent a life time painting themselves into a corner and trying to paint whites into a corner as well. They are afraid or unwilling becouse of the power they think their clicks provide to operate in the new day instead of the past. But the power of these groups was born out of their past positions in society. Now that so much has changed, we even have a black president, they dont realize that what once gave them power has almost zero standing.

Its very telling about their philosophy that once they get a platform they cant help but spout off. They are out of touch with regular whites and blacks who have for years been working things out on the street. These black radical racist hiding behind the oppression of their people really want to set on the front porch sipping peach juice while watching whitey work the fields.

Anyway this administration came in surfboarding on some catchy one liners and are going to be discovered for the "change" frauds they are. They simply want to reverse the paradigm and psychologically beat whitey, now that they see themselves holding the whip.

By the way has anyone hear read Mrs Obamas college paper on line?


We would be way better off with a thinking man like Malcolm X in power today rather than these spoiled black intellects. They dont even like Jesse Jackson anymore becouse he has made headway into putting this to rest. Jesse went out to Gettysburg a few years back to honor the whites that died there and it just cased a loud hissing sound from the direction of the current race hating black mafia. Why? They dont really want peace, harmony of understanding.



[edit on 20-2-2009 by Logarock]

heres the reason no one talks about it


Holder: we are a nation of cowards

anonymous person: sir, can we speak of the high rate of fatherless black children?

Holder: you are a racist, new question.

anonymous: why do white people suck?

Holder: now here we have a very nice non racial question.






^^^ things like this is why race is never talked about. if you mention any statistics mentioning black people, you are deemed a racist and al sharpton castrates you with a rock.

I think he's right, we are a nation of cowards. Most people are afraid to speak their minds because their words might be misconstrued and accidentally offend someone. Political correctness is THE language of cowards.

When you find yourself afraid to say anything without first carefully crafting your words to offer no offense, something is terribly wrong. What ever happened to open and honest communications?

I'm not an apologist, and I refuse to apologize or make excuses for being White. I never owned a slave, nor have any of my ancestors. My family even has a little black blood in it according to some of our older relatives.

I agree, slavery is indeed an atrocity, but it still goes on in Africa to this day. Why isn't anyone concerned about that? Why are we so focused on something that took place centuries ago by people long dead?

Most of my ancestors were poor sharecroppers, and were actually worse off than the slaves. They had no guarantee that they would eat from one day to the next or that they'd have a roof over there heads at any given moment. They were at the mercy of the landowners. Anything they had was bought and paid for by the sweat of their brow. nobody gave them anything.

The practice of sharecropping is still alive and well even today. In high school a friend of mine whose family owned a couple of thousand acres of land was bragging about how they threw out one of the sharecropper families on their property. According to him, they beat the guy up, threw his things out of the shack, and literally forced him and his family off the property. The family was white by the way, and the local police did nothing. It's not about color, it's about socioeconomic status. Poor people naturally get the short end of the stick in a power struggle.

If everyone wants honesty in speech, then do away with the mealy-mouthed words of political correctness.