OMG... Race IS really an issue for some? STILL???

Good morning ATS and happy election day!

I've just had a bit of personal shell shock...

One of my FB friends is a woman I dated about a decade ago. Since she and I broke up, she has gotten way, way, way involved in World Changers Ministry - the church of TV evangelist Creflo Dollar. There is a still a great deal of segregation in the south - and churches are one of the institutions that still remain as racially divided as they were 100 years ago. It can create some tense and uncomfortable situations when discussed.

For example - over the past decade when I've tried to convince this particular ex that her church is nothing more than a god based pyramid / tithe scheme. She replies with the party line: "You hate black people. That's all it is. You're a closet racist."

She, for the record, is as white as white can be.

I've become accustomed to this BS and don't put much thought into it. Those who don't live in the south may not understand it - but it really is still a tender subject here and one that segments of the population ( on both sides ) still enjoy poking with the proverbial stick. Normally I just ignore the stupidity. This morning, however, I am a bit unsettled.

This particular ex began posting FB status updates about voting very, very early this morning. Almost all of them with a racial message or undertone.

"I'm voting with my heart - not my skin color. Jesus would expect no less."
"Our communities survival depends upon the right man winning today! Don't let them silence our voices again!

And then the pictures from the polling place appeared.

My ex lives in her parents house. They are fairly wealthy and live in a neighborhood where the only person of color is an Indian doctor and his doctor wife. This is something that the ex's father is quick to brag about - how "nice" his neighborhood is.

So, why then, is the ex posting pictures from a polling place somewhere deep in the inner city? Pictures of a huge crowd where not a single Caucasian can be seen??? She's even going out of her way to post pictures of black people, posing for her, with statements like "My voting buddy. JESUS PROVIDES!"

What the Hell does that mean???

For what it's worth the reason I am still friends with my ex is that she is one of the sweetest human beings you could want to know. I don't want to paint her as some mouth breathing hillbilly - because she really is not. She's smart. Sure, the fact that she's nearly 40 and has spent her entire life under her parents roof is a bit strange. But I don't spite her for that. She could never make enough money, on her own, to have that sort of lifestyle if she lived elsewhere. Even with two kids of her own, she still lives the life of a teenager. Her parents support her kids, and her, utterly and outright. Her own income - which would qualify her as middle classed - is all hers. Like being a teenager with sixty grand per year in allowance. Her bills are all paid by her parents.

Maybe this spoiled rotten reality is where her apparent racial guilt comes from. I don't know.

I am not wealthy - and when I go out to vote in a few minutes I will find myself in a racially mixed environment. That is the demographic of the neighborhood I live in. Probably about 70% black, 20% white, and 10% other. That is what I'll expect to see - just like I would see if I went to the grocery store or gas station.

But I won't be taking cell phone pictures of the other people in line, posting them to FB, and making strange race based comments. I won't be voting based upon the color of anybodies skin - including my own. I will be voting for the candidate who best personifies my own sense of what a society should be. I am not a social conservative so the answer is pretty simple. I'll vote Democrat. That's nothing I haven't said before. But my decision would be the same regardless of what color Obama is or is not.

For a very long time I have not been able to fathom the conservatives cries of white guilt benefiting Obama. The argument, to me, seemed too base and simplistic for me to believe in. People, I thought, were brighter than that - even the dumb ones. Who would risk their future just to appease a guilt over something that their great, great, great grandparents were involved with?

Now I am here to eat a bit of humble pie. I've now seen it happen. First hand.

As you go out to vote ATS - please base your decision on something more relevant than the color of a persons skin. We should be 150 years past this being an issue. The fact that we apparently are not has disturbed me greatly this morning.

This is just shameful to me. How can people be so petty?

I realize that I've tabled the race issue here and I understand that people will want to discuss it. I do ask that it be done in a tasteful manner and without hate. Thanks.

~Heff

reply to post by Hefficide


I wouldn't vote for Obama for a number of reasons, but his being black probably ... would be one of those reasons. GASP?!?!?

I'm seriously sick of hearing how black Obama is. Or how black he's not. How he should be more or less black. And certainly above all I'm sick to death of hearing Liberals pull the race card every single freaking time someone disagrees with their point of view. Oh you don't like Obama? Must be racist!

!@$! that. Since day one it's been nothing about race from Liberals, so no, I would not vote for Obama because he's black. I look forward to being able to insult Romney and all his failed policies and not be yelled at for being racist and hating whites.

reply to post by Hefficide

You don't think race affects how certain people live their daily lives? Tell me with a straight face that blacks aren't voting for Obama because he's half black.

reply to post by Hefficide


The truth is that we a individualistic society and we all fear what we don't understand. Atheists, jews, musilims, christians, blacks, whites, asians, hispanics.

we are a truly divided society because we always draw a line in the sand with our ideals. Just because you don't agree with her doesn't make her completely wrong. We all can't just be humans, we have to be different in some way or form.

Race isn't actually a real issue, even to the racists.

What is really going on are instances of frustration, anger, hate, hopelessness, fear, or cognitive dissonance.

As a result of these psychological developments, they lash out in the only way they were taught how by their surroundings. As a result of ignorance and expediency they articulate their psychological limitations through race based comments when the topic isn't even relating to race specifically.

Good luck with this one Heff. Have you heard of the Three Strike rule?

In my book the felonies are,

Race, church and exes.

Combine them and watchout.

Originally posted by PrplHrt
reply to post by Hefficide

 

You don't think race affects how certain people live their daily lives? Tell me with a straight face that blacks aren't voting for Obama because he's half black.

I certainly can tell you with a straight face that Mittens owes much of his own success to being two halves white.

reply to post by JDmOKI


I'm sure that there are people who are. I am of an Irish heritage and am pretty positive that I tend to idealize JFK because of that personal connection.

But, seriously. Even with that... I never voted for Ted Kennedy. Not once. Thus, IMO, identification only goes so far and is secondary to more relevant issues - like protecting the future from bad policy. I would only vote for an Irish candidate if his views matched my own or he was obviously going to be beneficial for the nation.

This particular ex... knowing her as I do - this is like her mitigating her own guilt over being rich. It's freaking strange.

Originally posted by PrplHrt
reply to post by Hefficide

 

You don't think race affects how certain people live their daily lives? Tell me with a straight face that blacks aren't voting for Obama because he's half black.

Sure, some simple minded folks may vote Obama or Romney as a result of race.

However I know factually that your comment is overgeneralized and inaccurate.
There are blacks voting Rep and 3rd, and there are blacks who won't bother voting because they realize it amounts to nothing.

Don't allow the simplistic bias media to cloud your judgement with vague half truth stereotypes and exaggeration

reply to post by Hefficide


Did you tell her Creflo Dollar got arrested for beating up his daughter?

But anyways, maybe she's into black dudes, so that's why she's going to the inner-city to find one.

It sounds more complicated with her than just race.

If she is almost 40 and she and her kids still live with her parents, she lives life like a teenager and is posting her voting excursion on facebook, she sounds pretty immature. I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from her situation.

But, the fact is, some will vote for Obama because he is black and some will vote against him because he is black. Similar applies to Romney because he's white.

It's the sad reality of human nature.

I noticed this 4 years ago when I started asking my black coworkers why they were voting for Obama. They'd bs around the question and followup questions I asked until finally I'd say, "you're voting for him because he's black aren't you?" And they would all say yes. None of them knew what issues he stood for or if he'd be a good candidate, but because he would be the first black president he got their vote. I'm not surprised this is still going on. I guarentee you if a female was this close to being elected, there would be many people voting for her because of her gender. People are mindless idiots and this is why we can't break from the crazy stranglehold the ptb have over us.

Originally posted by Cuervo

Originally posted by PrplHrt
reply to post by Hefficide

 

You don't think race affects how certain people live their daily lives? Tell me with a straight face that blacks aren't voting for Obama because he's half black.

I certainly can tell you with a straight face that Mittens owes much of his own success to being two halves white.

Yep. Much more than Obama does for being black.

reply to post by Hefficide


I think what saddens me is that I was truly convinced otherwise in 2008. When I voted for Obama, I voted indifferent to his skin. I was proud of my nation because I thought they were doing this as well and that we just simply wised up. Then, in the last four years, I'm more convinced that I was wrong and that many people did vote for him because of his skin color.

It's heartbreaking. It's like seeing an obese friend finally eat some vegetables only to discover that he was doing it because their favorite reality tv star is doing it. There was no actual breakthrough.

Then the other side of me says "I don't care how we get there, just as long as we get there".

Maybe this spoiled rotten reality is where her apparent racial guilt comes from. I don't know.

From the sounds of it she's just looking for a moral high ground band-wagon to jump on.

"Don't let THEM stop us again"...

Well woman - If your voting for Mr Half Cast Obama - Your LETTING the controllers control you.

She's talking crap and pretending its gold.

Originally posted by Cuervo

Originally posted by PrplHrt
reply to post by Hefficide

 

You don't think race affects how certain people live their daily lives? Tell me with a straight face that blacks aren't voting for Obama because he's half black.

I certainly can tell you with a straight face that Mittens owes much of his own success to being two halves white.

More false information. I will correct both of you free of charge.

Both Obama and Mitt owe their success to what we call in the legal crime " political fraud " .
You are both welcome, I give facts free so no need to pay me back.

Obama has used his race to gather more votes than people using his race as an excuse to vote against him.

reply to post by kosmicjack


Its only human nature when ignorance is strength, when not knowing is cool.
Like today.

However had we different values as a culture, and put knowledge on the pedestal that it rightfully belongs on, our Natural reactions would be vastly different.

Originally posted by solidguy
Obama has used his race to gather more votes than people using his race as an excuse to vote against him.

Maybe, but that's pure assumption based on media portrayals and net posts which weren't even analyzed statistically in a formal fashion, now were they?

We cannot just post our unfounded opinions which are the result of animosity, dress it up as a pseudofact , then expect individuals with higher standards of truth to accept it.

I don't accept it, Prove it. Meet basic standards of validity or face my condescension.

reply to post by muzzleflash

I like how you automatically assume that the media affects my decision about anything.

I am one of those people who does NOT live and die by the television.