Posted on 08/26/2014 2:50:08 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
'Some of my best friends are black!' You're probably lying.
Do you have friends of another race? Statistically speaking, probably not.
With so much racial unrest going on in America these days, it can be hard for people to understand the "other" side. Maybe it's because white Americans never walked a mile in a black friend's shoes -- or maybe because they have no black friends to begin with.
Public Religion Research Institute found that whites' social networks are 91 percent white. Even more alarming, 75 percent of whites have a totally white social network.
For a nation that prides itself as a melting pot (or perhaps salad bowl), it's shocking that so many people could have so little racial diversity in their friend group.
Imagine a white person with 300 friends, about the size of a healthy Facebook friends list. Of those, the institute's research shows about 273 friends will be white, three will be black, three Latino, three Asian, three multiracial and three of an "other" race (and nine with an unknown race).
It's not much better for black people. For a black person, that same Facebook friends list would be made up of about 249 black people, 24 whites, six Latinos, nine mixed race, no Asians, three "other" race and 12 unknown.
Public Religion Research Institute's Robert P. Jones decries our tendency to "self-segregate" in a piece for The Atlantic.
"Widespread social separation is the root of divergent reactions along racial lines to events such as the Watts riots, the O.J. Simpson verdict, and, more recently, the shootings of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown," Jones writes. "... If perplexed whites want help understanding the present unrest in Ferguson, nearly all will need to travel well beyond their current social circles."
Whites alone aren't guilty of a monochrome social network. While three-quarters of whites have an all-white network, 64 percent of blacks and 46 percent of Hispanics have social networks made entirely of their own race.
The unrest in Ferguson has poured salt in long-festering wounds in our country. It's often been difficult for the various groups involved to see eye-to-eye.
But we'll never make any lasting changes unless different racial, social and religious groups make a serious, sustained effort to leave their insular communities and forge real relationships. We can't call America the great melting pot if we're not even willing to get close to each other.
I was under the apparent misapprehension that people were free to choose their friends as they wished. Maybe I need an expert to help me. This one could help me most by just shutting up.
Don’t tell my lady friend that I’m white, because she certainly isn’t.
/johnny
What’s facebook?
Black people have self-segregated for years, nothing new here. Maybe they once had a reason but it’s long gone. And whites have, understandably, given up trying to be pals. We have one black friend and his wife. That’s it. Weirdly, blacks and whites work together amicably.
Well, I would have black friends but there aren’t any nearby. I would need to drive maybe 25 miles to where they live. It’s no one’s fault. I chose to live here. And they chose to live there. My son’s classroom includes 8 Asian children though. And their mothers seem very nice. So that’s a start I guess.
In my experience, single women at places of employment do socialize across racial lines - with other women. Same with single men. There’s shopping for the gals and sports for the guys. It works.
Married parents usually socialize with other parents in their neighborhoods/school zones.
It’s not racist - just practical.
I don’t accept the premise that there is a “Black or white America” , sane Americans judge by the content of charachter not color of skin....
but to your question, here is a very likely viewpoint, So called “White America” has ceded the most social power, transfer payments, moral authority and position and place to the Black minority than any other majority ever did in history. For thirty plus years the worst possible accusation one could make of a white person is to be called a racist. To shake the racist charge once and for all, “White America’ elected an absolute nitwit into the office of the Presidency. What does white America get for it all?
the Knockout game- accusations of racism- constant talk of reparations- black self segragation at University, and almost obscenely lopsided black on white crime rate, particularly in violent crime(Rape and murder)
There are more than a few who profit off of hatred and want to keep it going....there are also quite a few low information idiots, who are just too stupid to see what is being done to them...as they await their Government checks.
I have no liberals, socialists or racists as friends.
It's a popular social networking website.
I think we think each other’s taste in music stinks.
Uh, Ms. Stupid Lady? Maam? Blacks are 12% of the population. If whites' friends were 50% black or whatever number it would take to satisfy you, they'd likely only be faking it to escape the wrath of people like you, born from your utter ignorance of math. And demographics. And pretty much everything else. If you need any further help, please hesitate to ask.
It would be more revealing if blacks' friends lists excluded the lighter 88%, but that would be waycisst, right?
I’ve had times when my best friend was black, and times when I have no black friends, and other variations within my running circle, from outer ring acquaintance to fairly close.
In the South it is common to have very good and best friends who are black, in California, it isn’t common at all.
It’ not a melting pot.
We are very balkanized and it’s getting worse not better.
The powers that be prefer to keep us that way.
Divide and conquer.
One black family in my little town. I’m not particularly close with them but we’re certainly friendly.
When they moved here they had an open house to introduce themselves. It got off to a slow start but by 10pm that night there were a dozen rafts parked along their shoreline and cars lined up on both sides of the road.
“Well, I would have black friends but there aren’t any nearby. I would need to drive maybe 25 miles to where they live.”
Don’t worry, the government will take care of that for you.
Since more than 90% of black people support Obama, that means that more than 90% of black people can’t be my friends, since I don’t make friends with evil morons.
I can’t be friends with Democrats, and that eliminates 90% of blacks.
Also among the reasons I can’t stand most Reform Jews.
I also don't have a Korean daughter in law or granddaughter. But my daughter in law is Korean and my granddaughter(the center of my universe) is part Korean.
They must’ve oversampled Dem/Libs in this poll; since race is a qualifier to them.
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