Confessions of a Racist

reply to post by DaMod


You are rightfully disgusted about the life condition of those folks. But please remember that condition has nothing to do with the color of their skin. I could point to trailer parks with nothing but white folks and you would see exactly the same problems.

You mentioned the kids and the vicious circle that is set in motion at birth. Bull's eye! Well, that's where we have to start as a society. We have to educate the kids and liberate them from the socio-economic chains that will otherwise bind them for a lifetime.

It is a huge task at hand and it also requires the involvement of those parents that are de facto non-parents. I haven't figured out how to solve that conundrum yet. But I know that blaming one's color is only addressing the symptom while ignoring the root cause.

reply to post by diabolique


Good question. This is a very small town. The black and white side each have one store with the one on the white side selling gas which is the only difference. Economics of both side are about equal with a small advantage going to the white side. The town was built by a factory which is now closed but at one time everyone that lived here pretty much worked there. The whole area is not doing well economically. So I don't know how much that would be a factor. The factory splits the town in half which geographically separates the town and I think it really affects the pshcho-social attitude of segregation. I know that the administration before the one that I work for in the police department really did a lot of damage to the racial relations here. I personally got rid of the last remnant of that administration over a year ago. Short of the total callapse of the country maybe thing will get better with time.

reply to post by KSPigpen


Well, either a lot of people feel this way and just won't admit it or you are my soul twin if there is such a thing. I share these same thought paterns. I use to be a preacher and many times, even now God will be trying to teach me something and I will imagine myself putting it into a sermon and preaching it to someone else. Ignoring the fact that it was a bit of truth or enlightenment for me...not thee.

reply to post by Nichiren


Thanks you sir

Originally posted by liquidsmoke206

How does a person not judge by appearance?

Impossible, and for the record, there's nothing wrong with judging by appearance. Judging by race doesn't make a lot of sense most of the time. But if you think a person's outward appearance doesn't reflect who they are and how they think then you're crazy. Life would be impossible without be able to make judgments based on appearances.


I have to agree with you there on that one, Liquid. I have found myself on many occasions judging a person by their looks.

Racism is an ugly thing, wish we could all some how get rid of it. Great post OP.

I think we all already are. Have you noticed the hate mongers have left this thread? Their time is limited. The more we work the more we can abolish hateful principles among all communities for the better of humanity as a whole. From a conspiracist's point of view I can see how keeping people feuding over petty things like race and class can be one of many tools used to distract the masses.

When we talk about race relations problems, racists and hate mongers we need to keep in mind that their goal is division...they want (the saner or more civilized of) us to start thinking like them with stereotypes that all blacks are this way or all Hispanics are that way...all Muslims are one way or all Christians are another etc.

The reality is only the ignorant and belligerent believe such tripe.

The vast majority of the people want the same basic things...a chance in life and a safe place to raise their children.

The diversity of the human species with all its religions and arts, cultures and myths, its history both inspiring and depressing is something to be proud of and to celebrate.

It is after all not this or that peoples inheritance...its the entire species' heritage.

[edit on 8-10-2009 by grover]

Originally posted by grover
When we talk about race relations problems, racists and hate mongers we need to keep in mind that their goal is division...they want (the saner or more civilized of) us to start thinking like them with stereotypes that all blacks are this way or all Hispanics are that way...all Muslims are one way or all Christians are another etc.

The reality is only the ignorant and belligerent believe such tripe.

The vast majority of the people want the same basic things...a chance in life and a safe place to raise their children.

The diversity of the human species with all its religions and arts, cultures and myths, its history both inspiring and depressing is something to be proud of and to celebrate.

It is after all not this or that peoples inheritance...its the entire species' heritage.

[edit on 8-10-2009 by grover]

I cab really appreciate your sentiment, Grover, and the fact that you are still hhere in the mix after some of the dust has settled.

At one time in my life I thought that human beings would inherently choose a path of enlightenment...I was corrected by one of my professors whose belief was that instead, humans will always seek the path of less resistance.

I'm still personally a little torn on this, but I DO feel that people will generally do what 'works' for them...for some, hate works. For some, there is never a need to grow, or to stop pushing each other into little boxes so they can sleep better at night, or make more money, or have some sort of power.

I wonder what it will take, short or very widescale pain to facilittate change. Like I've said before though, I can only work on me, in the end, and you can really only work on you.

With all the talk in the world, all the marches, it comes down to billions of little personal decisions. Is it right to try and influence those? Any idea how?

Have you ever seen family members fighting after the death of a 'loved' one...arguing over who would get WHAT and who gets to keep the painting, or the jewelry? Seems a lot of times people want more of the 'inheritance' than they are really entitled to, given the number of descendants it must be split amongst. Makes me really wonder if it will ever change.

Originally posted by KSPigpen
Have you ever seen family members fighting after the death of a 'loved' one...arguing over who would get WHAT and who gets to keep the painting, or the jewelry?

Of course I have. I grew up in the south where fighting over the remains is a time honored tradition.

As for enlightenment...it is not so much the path of least resistance as it is fear.

I remember when I was 23 or 24 I was doing some meditation and suddenly the bottom dropped out as it were and I could see and feel the oneness and interconnectedness of all things (these are poor metaphors)...I gasped and whispered to myself...I'm afraid...and it was gone. I was back in the mundane world of duality and separation.

Was it a brush with enlightenment? I would like to think so but in the long run I have no idea but all I do know is once I expressed my fear it was over.

We humans are torn between the need for the new, for change and progress and the need for similarity and stability...

indeed that simple disconnect could be seen as the root of or the fundamental difference between conservatism and liberalism.

Of course the society that embraces a permanent conservatism, becomes irrelevant, stagnates and dies...

and the society that embraces change for changes’ sake without reservation eventually becomes sterile, loses all authenticity, the power to inspire, and ultimately its reason for being.

That is where I believe America is at today...

I don't know what the answer is but I do know that a backward looking conservatism is a reactionary approach doomed to failure.

A truly healthy society is a blend of both a respect for the past and its traditions as well as progressive and forward looking.

[edit on 8-10-2009 by grover]

www.abovetopsecret.com...


must read

reply to post by KSPigpen


We can influence billions of people with the right kind of education and exposure to different cultures early on. There was a great documentary in 2000 called "Children of Israel and Palestine". Here is the synopsis:

Plot Summary 1: What is it really like to live in Jerusalem today?
PROMISES offers touching andsurprisingly fresh insight into the Middle
East conflict when filmmaker B.Z. Goldberg returns to his hometown to
see what seven children — Palestinian and Israeli — think about war,
peace and just growing up. Living within 20 minutes of each other,
these children are nevertheless locked in separate worlds. Through
candid interviews, the film explores a legacy of distrust and bitterness,
but signs of hope emerge when some of the children dare to cross the
checkpoints to meet one another.

Plot Summary 2: Several Jewish and Palestinian children are followed for
three years and put in touch with each other, in this alternative look at
the Jewish-Palestinian conflict. The three filmmakers followed a group of
seven local childrenbetween 1995 and 1998. They all have a totally
different background.These seven children tell their own story about
growing up in Jerusalem. Through this portrait of their generation, we
see how deeprooted and almost insoluble the problems of the Middle East
have become. When the protagonists speak out in an epilogue a couple of
years later, it becomes apparent that all have lost their childlike
innocence.

Link: www.mininova.org...

There is no better film to show and explain the roots of racism IMHO.

no i dont perceive any error in it. i believe that it is possible although some people may not think it is. as for how you would start working on that goal...i would start studying some eastern philosophy, buddhism, stuff like that. i'm not to keen on the subject i just have read a couple books about things along those lines and watched a video of the dahli lama (i know im sure i spelled it wrong) talking about it. he said once you have love towards absolutely everything, your able to have experiences and go places that normal people can't, and you reach enlightenment. i am assuming now modern science is only just beginning to discover these "places" that highly disciplined monks, shamans, etc. across the world have known for centuries. i would suggest readings from Robert Monroe. he explains his out of body experiences and what he says is remarkable. so i would say start by researching the eastern philosophy stuff that i mentioned earlier, and also lucid dreaming, astral projection, out of body experiences, and other related topics.