Posted on 05/09/2013 6:29:52 AM PDT by Kaslin
Three young Cleveland girls missing and presumed dead turned up alive and in good health. A hero of the story is a neighbor, Charles Ramsey, a black man who helped free the girls from the home in which they were apparently imprisoned for some 10 years.
Among other things, Ramsey said: "I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into a black man's arms. Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway. Dead giveaway. Dead giveaway. Either she homeless or she got problems. That's the only reason she run to a black man." Presumably the black man the "pretty white girl" ran up to was Ramsey himself.
But a check of The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Cleveland Plain Dealer shows that while the papers quoted Ramsey, none saw fit to include his observation that "a pretty white girl" running up to a black man means "something is wrong here." Looking uncomfortable, the television reporter, from local Channel 5, an ABC affiliate, promptly broke off the interview. No follow up, as in, "What, you've never seen a Shirley Temple movie?" (Kidding, just kidding.)
News sometimes makes reporters feel uncomfortable. So what? Ramsey's comments reflect how the Good Samaritan felt -- which makes it news. If Ramsey's other comments get reported, why not that one? Besides, Homeland Security tells us, "See something, say something," But when this particular citizen does, many in our establishment media do not want to tell us what he said?!
Question: Assume Ramsey were white and said: "I knew something was wrong when a little pretty white girl ran into my black neighbor's arms. Dead giveaway. Dead giveaway." Does the comment get removed, excised or cleaned up? Not likely, for a favorite media narrative is that racism remains a major problem in America. Put Ramsey's comment in a white man's mouth, and voila! In the soul of this otherwise Good Samaritan, we have "stereotyping," if not "bigotry" or "racism."
When athletes, for example, say "ain't" or use double negatives, sportswriters sometimes clean up the language, presumably to avoid making the players sound uneducated. That's one thing. But when you ignore comments like those of Ramsey, then media serve as a public relations bureau, not as a conveyor of "news."
In 1991, researchers for the National Race and Politics Survey asked both blacks and whites if they agreed with a series of politically incorrect statements about black people: "Blacks are aggressive or violent"; "Blacks are boastful"; "Blacks are complaining"; "Blacks are lazy"; and "Blacks are irresponsible."
In almost every case, more blacks agreed with the negative statements than did whites. While 52 percent of whites, for example, agreed with the statement, "Blacks are aggressive or violent," 59 percent of blacks also agreed. On the question of blacks being boastful, more blacks than whites agreed, at 57 percent and 45 percent, respectively. On, "Blacks are complaining," 51 percent of blacks agreed, while fewer whites, at 41 percent, agreed. Fewer whites (34 percent) than blacks (39 percent) agreed that "blacks are lazy."
Stanford University's political scientist Paul M. Sniderman and survey research specialist Thomas Piazza examined the 1991 survey. They write: "In every case, blacks are at least as likely as whites to hold a negative view of blacks. ... Indeed, when it comes to judgments of whether blacks as a group exhibit socially undesirable characteristics, where there is a statistically significant difference between the views of blacks and whites, it always takes the form of blacks expressing a more negative evaluation of other blacks than do whites."
Years ago, the Los Angeles Times ran a front-page story about black tradesmen who work in predominately wealthy white areas like Bel-Air and Beverly Hills. All experienced instances of racism. One said a woman refused to open her door when he, a suspicious looking black man, came to answer her service call. Another talked about the time someone sicced dogs on him.
I discussed this article with a non-reporter friend who works for the Times. I told him a white roofer recently did work for me and told me that someone shot at him as he tried to repair the roof on a building in Compton, a predominately working-class black and Hispanic neighborhood in the Los Angeles area. The roofer told me that he experienced other instances of mistreatment that could only be attributed to anti-white racism.
"Where are the stories of white tradespeople working in predominately black and brown areas? What about their stories?" I asked my newspaper friend. "You won't get that story," he admitted. "Too many people would be upset. But a story about how badly whites treat blacks offends no one."
Whites, he said, remain deeply guilty about white racism -- and feel comfortable about being called on it. Stories about black or brown racism against whites can spark angry calls and letters from the "civil rights establishment," ever vigilant for examples to show the "persistence" of white racism.
As for Ramsey's comments, our racially sensitive major media find it easier to excise this black man's provocative remarks rather than explore what Ramsey meant. Dead giveaway...
I couldn't agree with you more. I like to think that conservatives are nicer than liberals. But I have found that some freepers are downright nasty people whom I would never, ever want to deal with in the real world. It is depressing reading the news, but it is often more depressing to see the responses of some of freepers.
I would never have believed dat the media would edit my "pretty white girl
runnin' into a black man's arms" comment .......'till today!
(Welcome to the world of media weasels Mr Ramsey)
On a more serious note I loved it when Ramsey stated that "I'm no hero ... i'm just an American like you, workin' for a livin'"
His 911 call was awesome. About every 3rd word was bleeped out for TV.
Much ado about nothing. I presume when he said “a little pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms” he meant his own arms. Had he said “into the arms of a grizzled old coot,” the meaning would be the same but the controversy wouldn’t be there.
Just look at the names that some freepers call the president and his wife.
Have you not noticed that “trashing” is the unofficial FR sport anymore?
BUT, when we do get of like mind and use Gods standard for what is right and what is wrong, things will happen.
and taken it on as an individual.
Good for him.
Exactly! I figured Ramsey was not squeaky clean when he ducked his head at a siren of an LEO vehicle that drove up while he was being interviewed right when it happened. Of course people had to dig up everything he ever did, though none of it recent and began to trash the man. Wonder why people don't want to get involved most of the time?
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I saw the first interviews when this first happened; Angel Cordero was interviewed first by a Spanish speaking local reporter and he said he heard screaming and went to the house, but could not understand the lady screaming. He said he and another man got her out of the door. Ramsey was interviewed next and he said he heard a woman screaming and when he got to the door another man was there but the other man didn't know what she was saying. Ramsey said they got her out.
Cordero claimed not to speak English, stayed in the background and Ramsey was interviewed by many reporters after that. He never claimed to be the only one to help her get out of the house, when interviewed he was asked questions about what he did and he answered. I figured Cordero was an illegal when he didn't speak out anywhere- but all the sudden now that there is talk of a reward Cordero does speak English! Now he claims he alone is the hero and many want to trash Ramsey.
I think both men responded to her cries for help, I think they both got her out and both did a great thing in an area and a time when most don't want to get involved. Neither man is likely what we all think of when we think of heroes but I will bet both looked like heroes to that woman trying to escape that house and heroes to the other two women as soon as they knew what happened. That day both men were heroes just for being willing to get involved, in spite of the fact I am sure both knew it could be dangerous for them since they had no idea what they were getting into. People forget heroes are human and have flaws as well as good traits; just as we all do.
Ramsey works as a dishwasher, but he had the day off. He is not on welfare or unemployment.
He showed his paycheck in one of his interviews, when the reporter asked him if he thought he’d get a reward. His answer, “Bro, I got a job! Give it to them.” And he pointed to the house where the women had been imprisoned.
Whites feel deeply guilty about racism?
Speak for yourself chump
Yep - it was refreshing.
So this hero is not accustomed to white girls running to black men?
Why is his honesty offensive?
Its the truth to him...in Ohio
He should come to the lower income white areas of Nashville
Probably 25 percent of white girls there run to black men nightly
That story sounded to me like BS when I heard it, but evidently one of the girls told police that they never went outside during the whole time in captivity except twice, and both times they went across the yard to a detached garage. So it seems like this might have been made up or exaggerated or have nothing to do with these girls.
Dammit Chip you are ruining the opportunity for folks to bleat about race
Just because someone posts on FR, a public forum, does not mean they necessarily are “of FR”. Anybody can sign up and post here. You are just like the white guilters, so enlightened like a liberal, “look at me, I’m not racist like the other white people.” “I’m not a bottom feeder like all the other FReepers”. I wonder why people want to cast aspersions upon other people who are actually a lot like themselves, only to make themselves look better I guess. Yes, you are much better than I am. Just remember when you want to dis members of Free Republic that the posters that you object to may not actually BE Free Republic members.
I work in Cleveland. I was walking down the hall the day this went down and overheard a black woman on the phone saying “Charles Ramsey is so ghetto. He’s an embrassment to black people.”
I strongly disagree....he is a real American...that’s what we do. A man going about his everyday life when fate, luck, God...something presented an opportunity to actually do something for someone else. He put his own safety aside and did what needed to be done.
He has done more for race relations than that idiot in the White House ever has.
Am I supposed to feel properly reprimanded or something?
Unfortunately all I can do is laugh at pathetic cowards like you.
I have a friend who has never been inside her Brother-in-laws home...and they’ve been married 36 years.
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