What do you consider the greatest problem in race relations in America?

[dennishoddy]

Too many people are looking for a reason to be a victim.

There is a report out there that says the US public is getting tired of the "government by crisis" mentality.

I'm also tired of the racism ******** that the Dems keep putting out to shut down discussion of important legal issues.

I'm also pissed off at the consertives that won't get a set of nuts and dissuss this.

 

[Okie4570]

JFK signing Affirmative Action into place in the 1960's was what I believe the start of the 180° turnabout, where ones race entitled them. That sense of "we deserve this because we are of this race", instead of just wanting to be treated equally.

 

[JB Books]

I don't have any problem with a Black Firefighters Association or a Black Police Officer Association or any Black professional organization, although I can see how it could be construed as racist.

I also don't have a problem with BET or TV One. Those are networks founded by African-Americans for their community. In regards to a"WET," the response I have gotten when I have posed this question to Black friends is, "You have all the other stations." At first, I thought that's a weak answer, but I see the point. For many, many years, minorities were only represented as tokens in mainstream TV and movies.

As for some of the other points, I do believe their is reverse racism, and I think it is BS that it seems to be acceptable. I have been called racist names by clients, I have been shunned at the weddings of friends, and I believe, although cannot prove, that I was denied a lease in a historical black area because I am a big blonde blue-eyed guy.

 

[Pokinfun]

I am American Indian and German. I am very dark skinned, but grew up in a German family, with my dad and German grandparents. I am truly brown on the outside and white in the middle. I can remember, not to long ago, being pasted over for jobs because of the color of my skin. A couple of years ago, I tried to rent a motel room with the vacancy sign on. I was turned away, when a white couple came in behind me and were rented the room. After 3 motels, I had my daughter, who is 3/4 white, go in and rent the room for me. That day hurt because my 14 year old daughter felt sorry for me. The irony was, I was taking her to Washington DC and Philadelphia, to teach her about our nation and government.
I spent 20 years in the Army, and never got a free ride for anything. I now teach school, I tell the kids there is always going to be ignorant people, and screaming at them only reinforces thier views.
I know most people are good people, and don't like all of the racism crap because they are grouped with the few people who are racist.
The reason minorities are constantly screaming about racism, is any minority member in our nation who has attempted to just be equal, has been turned away when the vacancy light was on.

 

[TerryMiller]

I am nearing 67-years-old, and I can say that I've been blessed with being able to know and work with Blacks, Hispanics, Orientals, Indians (the American type), Jews, Muslims and Christians (oh, and one Buddhist) and have always felt that we all had mutual respect for each other.

For the most part, our differences were mostly overlooked because of the relationships we built together. Only on one occasion do I remember someone calling me "poor, white trash." I was young enough then to not even know for sure what he meant. For the most part, except for those that were true immigrants that hadn't gained citizenship, we were all Americans. Shoot, even those that didn't have citizenship were respected because they worked so hard to achieve what this country would allow them to do.

I suppose what galls me the most are those that want to call this a racist country but ignore the fact that there are a lot of those people of the other races buying their music, watching their movies, and doing business with them. I fail to see how we can be racist and do all that.

However, I must confess that I've developed a "bias" over the years. Sadly, I've found myself avoiding those movies, music, and businesses that are a medium for wealth for those of the politically Liberal bent. I've still got a number of Liberal friends, but for the most part, they don't express themselves perhaps as much as I express myself.

So, perhaps instead of being racist, sexist, homophobic (yes, I know and respect some gay individuals), and preachy, I must profess to be a "politicist" who just happens to be a Christian and a conservative.

 

[JB Books]

Tlbnlawton,

I'm sorry that crap happened to you. I have had friends who are lawyers, doctors and preachers who have suffered the same sort of BS, and been followed in department stores, etc.

I think White Americans sometimes don't get that real racism exists because they never have occasion to experience it. My hope for America is that some day we are just Americans. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't be proud of your background. I am a mutt, Italian, Lebanese, German, Irish and Scottish. I'm proud of all of them.

Welcome to OSA, and thank you for speaking up.

 

[JB Books]

Terry, I also can see how constant negative reinforcement can change a person's mindset and make them dislike a certain group or race. When you continuously have bad experiences, it can be difficult not to be biased, even against other Whites.

My wife and I came back on a flight from Houston yesterday. We always sit upfront because I always purchase an extra seat. That let's me board the plane first. Across the aisle was the loudest, most ignorant sounding redneck couple and motherinlaw, I have encountered in years. They made the folks on duck dynasty look like blue blooded Vanderbilts or Rockefellers. I mean it was really horrible. They made Festus Haggen sound like an international sophisticate. I was pissed that we got stuck listening to them. Then I thought to myself, "Hey self, you are being the exact type of prejudgemental elitist ******* you, yourself, hate." I struck up a conversation with them and found out both the mother and son (he was older than me) were coming back from MD Anderson. Both were being treated for cancer. They were sweet, lovely people facing some very horrible and devastating medical conditions. Inside, I felt about an inch tall.

 

[jmike314]

Been reading this thread and thinking. Forgive the monologue...just my 23 cents:

Growing up I was never taught to look at others and judge them based upon the color of their skin, their economic status, or their religious/political beliefs. That, however, did not deter others from doing it to me. I've lived in midwestern states all my life and have no desire to be anywhere else. I definitely have not experienced the same racial prejudices that my parents suffered...as they did not endure those of their parents. That isn't to say that it was easy for me.

I lived out in the country. Looking around our house you would see corn, soybeans, cattle, & rednecks. I will apologize if that word offends anyone...this was a self describing term used by the family living next door to us who would regularly have a confederate flag hanging off the front door of their home. I understand that some people do not see that flag as an issue, but having family from the south it was never seen as a welcome mat. In any case, these rednecks were good people & good neighbors. In high school I threw a party when my parents were out of town and cars were parked along the road. My neighbor came over, cussed me out, and told me to park those cars in his front yard. Once when some family friends were leaving our home after a visit, their car got a flat out in the middle of nowhere. When the watch group pulled up and asked what they were doing out this way, our friend nervously told them who they were visiting and those gentleman changed the tire for them and told them to have a good night.

A little of me growing up:
> In grade school, I remember the Klan still had organized marches down the middle of town.
> I was in high school with grand-daughters & grand-sons of Klan members.
> I earned minority scholarships. I busted my hump to get them. Graduated top 10% of my class with honors in tow.
> Despite being raised in an entirely liberal family, I formed my own conservative views and was never forced by my family to think otherwise.
> As a young adult, on more than one occasion I recall being followed around department stores by security (either that or older white men saw me as very interesting).
The racism is there. I see it regularly, albeit progressively more subtle each year.
The thing is, I've never pulled the race card or blamed anyone for what I may or may not get in life.

To address a few other posts:
> Why are we putting the term race in quotes like it means something else?
> As a teacher, I had 2 kids in class trading the N word back and forth and neither could see why I was upset (1 black & 1 white). I see this as a disconnected & uneducated generation.
> Black history month started out as a week 90 years ago because nothing was being taught about blacks that played a part in this country's history. The choice of February was simply because of the birthdays of Lincoln & Douglas. Is it really that big of an issue to learn something new?
> Blazing Saddles is a favorite movie of mine after being introduced to it by my father. The original uncut version.

To say that people should move on or get over it, in my opinion, is irresponsible and downplays a subject that is still very real. The Civil Rights act is yet to be 50 years old...to me that's still fairly young in this nation's history. To add, we live in a time where the population is mixed with those that lived the extreme hardships and those that don't have a clue about it. For some it still stings...for others it doesn't even register.

One last story that illustrates my point. As a senior in high school I was part of a group of about 20 students that did community service projects (90% of the group black). We spoke at a Rotary Club meeting one morning and met several American Legion members. Afterward, a WWII vet came up to a group of us and thank us for coming and expressed his pleasure at how things were "changing for the colored people". My friends were needless to say taken back by how he referred to us. I reached out and shook the man's hand and thanked him for his compliment. The rest of the group looked at me and said "Did you hear what he called us?" to which I replied "That man is a veteran and for whatever reason he went to war, he defended the country that let's us be here speaking today. He gets a pass."

We're different and we possess different views based upon a myriad of factors. Pray this country always allows us to remain that way.
It's not always about racism. It's not always racist. But to deny that it still exists is simply wrong.

 

[Okie4570]

Well said and many, many valid points in your post jmike314, thanks for sharing.

 

[Quick_Draw_McGraw]

This is how I see the world.

I see being prejudice, as meaning having formed an opinion of an individual or group of people based off of a sterotype. I think being prejudice goes beyond just race. Everyone has a little prejudice in them be it based on race, income, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or if you went to the University of Texas. It's what you do with those prejudices in my mind that determines the sort of person that you are.

If you take the time to and effort to be open minded, and treat every individual as just another person, then you can quickly work past negative sterotypes that you might have. I think everyone has to have the ability to talk about their prejudices to ever hope to really address them. I think just because you voice a prejudice doesn't make you racist, unless you solely voiced it just so you could get in a fight with the intention of just trying to show everyone why you think your right.

I see racism as acting on a negative prejudice. I see it as taking an action with the intention of inflicting harm, or a strong indifference to "accidently" inflicting harm.

Also

Well said and many, many valid points in your post jmike314, thanks for sharing.

Agreed.