Posted on 07/22/2013 6:08:33 AM PDT by shortstop
The president told us on Friday what it’s like to be black in America.
A couple of days before that, his attorney general said that America needs to be honest about race. Since then, any number of prominent black people have said we need to have a national discussion about race.
So let’s.
Let’s have a discussion about race.
Not a one-sided harangue, but a two-way discussion. Let’s move beyond the politically correct “Whites are racists, blacks are victims” and actually talk things out.
You do that by hearing both sides.
Toward that end, in the spirit of the president’s remarks, I’d like to discuss what it’s like to be a white man in America. And I’d like to be held to the same standard as the president. His remarks were personal impressions based on generalizations, traditions, culture and folklore.
He was called brave.
I’ll be called racist.That’s because our system is based on a double standard. Black criticisms of white society are insightful; white criticisms of black society are bigotry.
White people know that if they say anything that doesn’t exactly toe the line of political correctness, they run the risk of losing their jobs and their public reputations. We live in a society where the accusation of racism is evidence enough; to be accused is to be guilty.
That’s what we white people think.
We also think that we pay the bills. We think that we disproportionately pay the taxes and that black people disproportionately collect the welfare. We feel like we are being ripped off and that this uneven shouldering of the burden will eventually bankrupt and kill our country.
I work in a building that houses a Social Security office. One elevator serves that office specifically. It is stunning to note the demographic difference between the elevators. Overwhelmingly, white people go up one set of elevators to work, and black people go up the other set of elevators to apply for SSI.
Young, healthy people.
All day long.
The culture of many white Americans is one of hard work and self-reliance. Our heritage teaches us that work is ennobling, and our religion teaches us that by the sweat of our brow we should eat our bread.
And we feel like we are being robbed by a socially dysfunctional urban black America where out-of-wedlock birth, educational failure, criminal conduct and other irresponsibility perversely entitle people to money we earned to support our families.We believe that races are equal, but cultures are not, and that a woefully failed black urban culture is cancerously destroying lives and communities. And we feel like we have to both foot the bill to support it and fight it, and watch out for spillover that might threaten us.
White people also believe black America has a predatory crime problem that creates a real danger for all of us.
We believe that because it happens to be an undeniable truth. Blacks are disproportionately involved in crime, and while some blacks believe that’s because of a racist criminal justice system, most whites believe it’s because blacks are more likely to commit crime.
We all pretend not to notice the race of the mug shots on the evening news, but we’re only pretending. We notice, and we don’t forget. We don’t believe the criminal justice system is victimizing inmates, we believe the criminal justice system is protecting us from inmates. We believe people in prison deserve to be there – they did the crime, they do the time.
Black violence – much of it directed against other blacks – has over the years since 9-11 racked up a higher body count than the war on terrorism.
White people think that is a big deal.
If black people are complaining about Stand Your Ground laws of self-defense, white people are saying that you don’t have to worry about it if you don’t attack anybody. The cry against Stand Your Ground is a cry in defense of people who are violently assaulting other people. Black people are disproportionately injured in all types of self-defense situations because black people are disproportionately involved in attacking other people, and pushing those people into self-defense. That’s not a problem with the law, that’s a problem with people’s conduct.
White people also believe that we are disadvantaged in the workplace. We believe that quotas and diversity programs discriminate against us in hiring and promotion. This is truest in the government and corporate workplaces.
It’s true for the white male hoping to get hired on the police or fire department, and it’s true for the mid-career white person passed over for less-qualified minority employees.
Many white people are bothered by the social conduct of some black people. Often there is a loud, obnoxious and profane behavior, and a crude sexual harassment of women in public settings.
Black apologists often speak of “culture” and of the need for whites to understand and respect black culture. The president on Friday said we needed sensitivity training. Many whites would like that to be a two-way street. We’d like a little courtesy extended to our sensitivities, too.
White people believe that black people have a chip on their shoulder about race. And a persecution complex. And an inability sometimes to talk or think about anything else.
We also think that black people get pulled over by the police for the same reasons anyone does – for breaking the traffic law – and that the cry of racism anytime anyone has contact with the police is a bunch of crud.
These are some of the things white people think.
Of course, my account is just as full of generalizations as the president’s. He made assumptions about the thinking of the very diverse group of Americans who happen to be black, and he made assumptions about the thinking of the very diverse group of Americans who happen to be white. I have done the same. He was undoubtedly part right and part wrong. I am also undoubtedly part right and part wrong.
Do you think some of my observations were hurtful and overbroad? What of the president’s implicit assertions that white women on elevators are racists, and that cops on patrol are racists, and that store employees are racists? Are his claims different or more justified?
The president, to the extent that he understands the subject, told us what it’s like to be a black man in America.
But what he had was not a conversation, it was a condemnation. And two can play that game.
With all this clamoring in recent days for a conversation, it is understood that what activists and politicians really want is one more denunciation of white America. The conversation is about how racist America is and how unfair it is to blacks.
And that’s simply not true.
And if this is truly a conversation, then I am free to say that.
But I’m not.
And that’s what it means to be white in America.
Wow.
I saw bumper sticker:
“If I knew they be so much trouble,
I’d pick cotton myself!”
If I was soooo pissssed black, I’d go to my bellowed South Africa!
Sharptons would be black heroes if they tried to lead blacks into civilized Americana.
God bless MLK, Rice, Carson, Cain and other blacks showing the path to decency and civility.
Isn't part of the problem because of people like Van Jones who travels the hate whitey circuit to make hate speeches or Louie Farrakhan and his House of Islam keeping power over his congregation not giving them the power of self respect. Regardless of who is doing the preaching, 'slavery' is part of the human condition...the need for workers; the need to keep people too busy to cause trouble; white men, women, and children were slaves also, put into bondage from cities like London around the world...the one sidedness of just Black Victims is another glaring example of re writting history. Lonsberry understands the problem....but he doesn't use that knowledge for political purposes.
Yeah, mine fought with a NY regiment in nearly every major civil war battle but I read secret diaries that they just wanted to beat the south so they could confiscate the slaves for themselves. NOT! I guess abolitionists don’t count huh?
Black violence against whites may or may not be increasing (I regard it as a constant, as I will explain below), but it is certainly being better documented.
Black-white relations are best thought of as having several epochs, or eras. I'm not well-informed enough to break down 1609-1808 (epoch I), but clearly 1808-1865 was epoch II, 1865-1877 was epoch III, 1877-1954 was epoch IV, 1954-1965 was epoch V, and we are living in epoch VI, now perhaps drawing to a close.
Epoch VI is characterized by affirmative action, massive transfer payments, sporadic black-on-white violence (frequent enough for all whites to know, infrequent enough to be a national story), and radically deteriorating social conditions for the 60+% of blacks who live the urban lifestyle.
The role of "civil rights leaders" in our epoch is to keep the money flowing. This is their profession, their principal employment. Whites have transferred to blacks somewhere north of $7 trillion in cash, and have abandoned multi-trillions worth of real estate, plant, equipment, and investments.
Why does this happen? My thesis is that it is the role of the Trayvon Martins as the "bad cop" to the civil rights "leaders" good cop that keeps the white population shelling out. Too much violence? Less money. Not enough violence? Less money. One Trayvon a month in every gated community? Just right.
THAT is why this is a huge deal to the "leaders", and why only dozens of "followers" turned out for the "massive rallies" over the weekend. The followers know who and what Trayvon was, all too well. The leaders know that all the future Trayvons now have an additional factor to consider, and if their transfer payments start falling as a result, WTF are they going to do?
Yeah I can see your side as well, 100%.
My big point is though, now we need to move beyond race and start just getting along.
I don’t see blacks moving that direction.
There needs to be some leadership on their side.
Funny how the left’s definition of racism doesn’t apply to those you refer to.
If you apply their definition, those people can’t be racist because they have no power to impose their racism on others.
They haven’t had to move in that direction.
Who’s going to lead them?
Why would they follow?
They get everything for free. Just for breathing air. How do you negotiate responsibility from their standpoint? What carrot would you possibly be able to offer over ‘free everything’?
When they try to cash their $100 billion welfare check and can’t by half a dozen eggs with it,
that’s when they’ll start to figure things out.
Well, figure things out means different things to different people.
They’ll figure out that those half dozen eggs might be at YOUR house in YOUR refrigerator. And set out to obtain them.
Then what?
There are a bunch of really well armed vultures (China, Russia, etc) circling this country just waiting for a hint of real social discord. Betchyour bippy they’ll side with the takers. Just because.
This won’t end well for any of us. Lots of unused natural resources in this contiguous landmass that a lot of nations would love to have access to. If only those pesky Americans were gone...
When I was in college, I worked three summers in an all-black construction crew. 8 Black men, and me... I got a good dose of the culture. Much of this seems spot on.
But, these were WORKING black men. The Supervior had 7 children... 6 daughters, and one son. ALL SIX of the daughters had either graduated, or were in college. His son never tried.
I was often paired with a elderly black man, Willy (no middle name) Bell. We worked together... played as domino partners. He taught me a lot. I really came to admire the old man. He was strong as a bull, not afraid to work... or to take a few minutes to rest after finishing a job. :-) He taught me where to hide.
Willie DESPISED the new "culture" of the young black men that came in and out of our crew. He thought they were "worthless", and didn't mind telling them so.
I never really knew what Willie thought about me... Other than, "you're worthless with a sledge hammer, kid". (It was true... I broke several, trying to swing like Willie) But, I *THINK* he came to like me. At least, I like to think so.
That’s the thing.
Someone on their side needs to step up and say “you need to work for your selves, the same as everyone else - no more freebies”.
That is what Obama’s presidency has enabled.
I do not however see Obama stepping up to that role. Quite the opposite, he panders badly to the exact opposite.
I believe nothing will improve now, until we elect a new president.
I could be wrong, but I see zero sign of any additional progress before 2016.
I’m sick and tired of “race,” sick and tired of hearing how rotten whites are and how they endlessly need to “change.”
I’m tired of a punk like Trayvon being so very, very precious, we’re all supposed to mourn his death, while the many whites who are beaten, raped, robbed and killed by nonwhites every single day, well, they just don’t matter. Shut up about it, Whitey!
I’m tired of paying for schools and parks that whites don’t dare use. I’m tired of white kids getting beaten up in the public schools and their parents having to pay for those public schools AND send their kids to private school.
I’m tired of all the jobs going to immigrants, immigrants I never voted to allow in, and that’s another thing I’m supposed to shut up about. You hear about “Hispandering,” and pandering to blacks, but nobody panders to us. Just once I’d like to know what it feels like to be pandered to. Whites are just supposed to go to work, hand over our money, shut up and hang our heads in shame.
Well, at this point, I have no sympathy for anyone, and you know what? I’m not alone. Whites are waking up. I hear sweet little old white church ladies openly expressing anger and disgust about what this country has become. Whites used to apologetically whisper, “Well, I’m not prejudiced, but...” But now they’re fed up. The nonwhites, the media, Obama, etc., have pushed us too far. Hey, they’re going to call us racist, anyway, no matter how much we apologize and grovel and give, give, give. There’s no gratitude, never a word of thanks, so we might as well show them just how “racist” we can really be.
This country was started by a bunch of white guys, and many of us liked it just fine the way it used to be. Anyone who thinks whites are so rotten and need to “change,” well, there are ships and planes leaving this country every single day. Go find a country more to your liking, where you won’t have to put up with us mean, racist, evil crackers.
As long as the media is only about conflict and pain, this wlll continue in the media.
Thus it will never stop in the media.
Thus the only recourse is to ignore the media.
IMHO
To stress the relevance, one might consider the disaster that is Detroit. Most of the commentary raises legitimate issues. But the dynamics do not simply reflect, racial, fiscal or both, causative factors. There has been a multifaceted, but compulsive, avoidance of reality for several decades, which has now harvested disaster.
William Flax
quotas will always be used against you.
unqualified candidates will be hired over you.
personel heads, usually with degrees in feminist studies, have no qualms about telling you have been discriminated agains just because you are white.
The MSM really really really hates you.
NYC effetes have nothing positive to say about anyone in history or the news who happens to be white.
Ivory tower idiots have no problem making you pay for some past real or imagined wrong you have nothing to do with.
Ivory tower idiots refuse to acknowlege any wrongs against you in any historical context. (ie slavery in history was not seperated by skin color. just the conquered and victor)
Other groups are allowed to be engaged in activity which you would be specificall precluded as a matter of law. (ie. blacksingles.com, naacp, uncf)
There will be zero progress anytime.
Why on earth, if you’re getting free everything, would you ever step up and work?
Especially if you’ve been indoctrinated since birth that you are ENTITLED to the free everything because your ancestors, who’ve been dead 100+ years, were once slaves?
‘It’s our turn now’ mentality isn’t an easy thing to reverse. And it’s what’s here now.
They have no incentive to listen to any responsibility talk. From anyone, of any color.
If you think that will ever happen you’ve never really been around that particular demographic for any great extent of time. OR, you’re PollyAnna. History doesn’t treat PollyAnna very kindly.
Bump for later use.
“97% of the problems which blacks experience living in America would evaporate within five years of the democrat party being outlawed and banned.”
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I’m sure that you realize as I do that outlawing the Democrat party would accomplish nothing. Even outlawing the teachings of the party would accomplish nothing. We have allowed absurdity to be taught as truth in this country for decades and the ruined minds that have learned to believe that up is down, freedom is slavery, etc. are only able to learn the hard way. Those who could not see what was going on in the 2008 elections and the group includes some of the most “educated” people in this country, will defend the destroyers of the USA right up until they are buried in mass graves.
A young fellow who worked for my little business twenty five years or so back told me that he was convinced that some people go to school to learn to be stupid, he said you could not be that stupid naturally, you had to be taught. I am beginning to think he was ahead of his time.
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