America is OBSESSED with race! Why?

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
a reply to: OptimusCrime

America's first slave owner was a black man if I'm not mistaken. So why aren't most black people upset about that?

We're all slaves to the system. We're only kept on a large tract of land with options to blind us. A slave is most productive when they believe they are free.

Because people who are whining about slavery want to pick and choose what facts they use instead of admitting the real truth. His name was Anthony Johnson and he was black.

a reply to: marbles87

There has never been a populist revolution in this country to correct the issues we face on an economic level. We've addressed slavery, we addressed civil rights, and we addressed social politeness, but we haven't had the jubilee that is necessary to totally correct these injustices. Once we have a serious movement that addresses poverty, unemployment and underemployment in this country, I think many of the racial issues will begin to recede as well.

a reply to: xuenchen

And "rumored" evidence of Ancient Egyptian and Chinese visitations that predate many of the colonial era landings.

Meanwhile, one group of people we tend to overlook are the American Indians, still worse off than other races in America. They were oppressed by the races that came to America and removed from their homes, wiped out with disease, ruined cultural practices and "re-educated" the children with other languages and religious practices.

I wonder what else has happened to the other continents throughout history....
The world has seen more racial violence since the beginning of time than has happened in America to date.

a reply to: marbles87

Races means nothing in today's age.

I'm sure we would all like that to be true. However, my own experience is that racism is alive and well just about everywhere.

In my own country, two races fought a generation-long civil war. It is over now but nothing, fundamentally, has changed, except that the resentments that caused it have got worse.

In Singapore, I have seen racist views and resentments expressed (quietly, for fear of the authorities) by members of different ethnic groups in one of the most multicultural and overtly harmonious societies in the world.

In Malaysia, I have heard Chinese and Tamil friends deplore the economic and social advantages constitutionally bestowed upon native Malays, called bhumiputras.

In Indonesia, I have seen how the fair-skinned descendants of the Dutch, now nominally and culturally indistinguishable from other Indonesians, still dominate the upper echelons of society and culture.

I have seen how race dictates income, social position and even civic rights among the expatriate helot populations of Arabia.

I have seen how race and caste are central issues to Indians from Delhi to Trivandaram.

In the Republic of Maldives, I have been stopped and warned by the police for leaving my racial ghetto ('luxury tourist resort') and attempting to mix wth the locals.

In Europe I have witnessed casual instances of racism and even been at the sharp end of one or two myself.

I could go on, but perhaps you haven't travelled. Racism not an issue in your hometown, then?

I didn't want this thread to be about slavery or other past violences. I'm curious as to why we are "attracted" to stories that obsess over the races of the people involved. Like would we even know who GZ and TM were if they were both the same race or GZ wasn't portrayed as Caucasian. See what I mean. ATS bit the race bait hook full force with the Zimmerman trial. I watched it because I like to be snoopy around my neighborhood and could have possible found myself in a spot like GZ. For example when I her car alarms go off for a while or I hear a noise I check that stuff out in detail. I have looked in what appears to be aboneoned cars through windows and stuff to make sure everything is on the up and up. After my car was broke into in a nice neighborhood I was never the same.

a reply to: whyamIhere


Yeah, the media had to make that one up.. "White" Mexican.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

I feel bad for the American Indians. They treated the land right, and never wasted a thing. Instead of herding them like cattle the first Europeans should have learned from them.

a reply to: OptimusCrime

Some sources have claimed him to be Antonio the _______".

Doesn't really seem good in the context of this thread to mention that name.

a reply to: finitedualities

Why do people claim the Civil War was fought over slavery? So funny how deep the propaganda and re-writing of history goes...

I know many Americans like to believe the Civil War was fought over 'states' rights'.

It was. It was fought over the right of states to determine whether slavery was legal in their territories, or not.

a reply to: OptimusCrime

An American Indian (Hopi) on youtube said that if the Europeans had lived like the Indians, we would still be able to drink out of the rivers.

We could still learn a lot from them and it's still not too late for all races to develop mutual respect and knowledge of the rest.

a reply to: Astyanax

Among other issues like industry.

Slavery was a part of it to an extent but in the grand picture it was a minor part when compared to financial reasons.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

Nearly every country struggles with multiculturalism. England, Canada, there, here, over there. It's not exclusive to America.

And the issue of slavery is like salt on an open wound. How many African tribes sold other tribal members to the slave dealers? Plenty. We don't hear about that in the media.

Or what about white families who were too poor to own slaves? They're being categorized by groups rallying against categorization. We're all people, 7+ billion people will continue fighting among themselves instead of uniting.

Everything you say is true. None of it makes a smidgen of difference. In no other country is therer an ongoing confrontation between black and white people lasting 150 years, with hundreds of casualties on both sides every year.

Only in America, as you folks are so fond of saying.

I am registered as white, even though I have a definite red cast to my skin. I am currently sweet on a gal who is registered "black," even though she is a lovely yellowish shade of light brown.
I feel bad for the blue and green folks. They don't even get a square to check on applications.

originally posted by: Astyanax
a reply to: finitedualities

Why do people claim the Civil War was fought over slavery? So funny how deep the propaganda and re-writing of history goes...

I know many Americans like to believe the Civil War was fought over 'states' rights'.

It was. It was fought over the right of states to determine whether slavery was legal in their territories, or not.

And I guess modern day people who are upset with an overreaching federal government are all just racist wannabe-slave owners too.

If it was about slavery why didn't slavery get abolished in the North until after the fact?

a reply to: Astyanax

I have to disagree because I can imagine that Africa and other parts of the world had white v black issues for longer periods of time.

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
a reply to: OptimusCrime

An American Indian (Hopi) on youtube said that if the Europeans had lived like the Indians, we would still be able to drink out of the rivers.

We could still learn a lot from them and it's still not too late for all races to develop mutual respect and knowledge of the rest.

I think about that every time I drive from Jersey to Philly. What it would look like with all the factories gone and no smoke and trash everywhere. Probably was beautiful back in the day. I don't even want to dip my toe into the Delaware River at this point.

a reply to: James1982

Founded on slavery? So, by your logic, during that time period people wore white puffy wigs, therefore this country was founded on white fluffy wigs?

No. Please do try not to say stupid things. If you don't like the word 'founded', try 'developed economically'.

I don't care what colour you are. You do, as your post amply indicates. You're helping prove the OP's point.

a reply to: OptimusCrime

I lived five minutes from the Delaware River on the NY side and it had a significant Indian history with the Lenni Lenape tribe (the town I lived in had roads which were originally narrow trails only 18 inches wide). I can imagine it was quiet, peaceful and a great respect for the land was instilled in each inhabitant.

Racism exists in all humans. It comes built in, just like anger or jealousy. You just learn to keep the beast quiet. Focusing on America is a joke by the way.

A fascinating map of the world’s most and least racially tolerant countries

THE LEAST RACIALLY TOLERANT COUNTRIES

40% + (of individuals surveyed would not want a person of another race as a neighbour)
India, Jordan

30 - 39.9%
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea


20 - 39.9%
France, Turkey, Bulgaria, Algeria, Morocco, Mali, Zambia, Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines, Bangladesh, Hong Kong


THE MOST TOLERANT COUNTRIES

0 to 4.9%
United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Britain, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Australia, New Zealand

5 - 9.9%
Chile, Peru, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Belarus, Croatia, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa

10 - 14.9%
Finland, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia

15 - 19.9%
Venezuela, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Macedonia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Russia, China

originally posted by: Astyanax
a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

Nearly every country struggles with multiculturalism. England, Canada, there, here, over there. It's not exclusive to America.

And the issue of slavery is like salt on an open wound. How many African tribes sold other tribal members to the slave dealers? Plenty. We don't hear about that in the media.

Or what about white families who were too poor to own slaves? They're being categorized by groups rallying against categorization. We're all people, 7+ billion people will continue fighting among themselves instead of uniting.

Everything you say is true. None of it makes a smidgen of difference. In no other country is therer an ongoing confrontation between black and white people lasting 150 years, with hundreds of casualties on both sides every year.

You kind of just proved my point.

America is not unique in it's class/race issues. In fact America is just like most other no-homogeneous nations in that regard.

Yet you single out America, why? Why are Americans so bad but other people doing the same thing aren't?

You keep trying to make it an issue of "whites have a problem and they need to stop being racist"

When it's really an issue of "Humans are xenophobic and irrational with a tribal mentality" and whites are no different than other races in that regard.

ALL humans have a race problem. Until you are honest and admit that, how do you expect any progress?