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What O'Reilly and Shapiro are upset about is something else altogether. For there is no evidence the white kids of Taylor County hate all their black classmates. A preference for socializing with one's own is not hatred. CYO dances used to be restricted to baptized Catholics. That didn't mean the priests and nuns hated all non-Catholics. The same is true for the Newman clubs and Hillel houses on college campuses. These clubs represent the desire of a group to socialize together. This is not racism. It is natural and normal, and there is nothing morally reprehensible about it.

This demonstrates to me beyond a shadow of doubt that Buchanen hates both Jews and Blacks, and probably gypsies and slovaks as well.

I'm not going to toss about the over-worked nazi label, because too many use it on non-socialists, and the heart of nazism is socialism (national socialism). I do NOT think Buchanen is a socialist, but I had no idea that Buchanen was such a hater.

To affirm the right of "association" is fine. But to claim that this white prom was not racially based is absurd. Segregation is the heart of racism. And I hate it for the way it twists the minds of our young.

Asbestos suit in place. Flame away.

I don't know whether you'll consider this post to be a flame, but I think your statements showed an inability to reason and draw accurate conclusions from the evidence. We probably agree on many of the details surrounding this incident, but some of your conclusions are backwards.

This demonstrates to me beyond a shadow of doubt that Buchanen hates both Jews and Blacks, and probably gypsies and slovaks as well.

Pat Buchanan pointed out that religious groups have often restricted their activities to their own membership and that this action doesn't represent hatred. He makes a valid point, and you are trying to twist his making of that point into claiming that he hates blacks and Jews. Your little rant about the Roma and slovaks only shows your own prejudice against Mr. Buchanan. (Many of the Roma consider "gypsy" to be a racial slur against them. If you are going to play the racial sensitivity game, you need to avoid the use of racial slurs.) He says nothing that suggests a hatred towards anyone. His contempt is for the racism of political correctness and those who support it. From other comments that he's made in other places, I think he has an irrational dislike of the nation of Israel, but generalizing that flaw to a hatred of Jews is a stretch.

We don't know the racial make-up of this school or how their public prom was handled. If the entire public prom was done in a way that gave preferential treatment to blacks, I can understand some people wanting to hold a separate prom with more traditional themes. Rather than openly restrict the prom to whites only, I think they should have set the theme and made clear that they would tolerate no change to their choices in music, decoration, and other details. If blacks wanted to enjoy that kind of prom, they'd be welcome as well. However, if these people had tried and tried to reach reasonable compromises and received nothing but grief in return, I can understand their wanting simply to avoid the source of conflict. The truth is that we don't who did what or who was being unreasonable in this situation. Any guess we make on either side is just a guess based on our own prejudices.

Segregation is the heart of racism. And I hate it for the way it twists the minds of our young.

Again, you have it exactly backwards. Racism is the hatred and contempt that is one cause of people segregating. The separation doesn't cause the racism. The racism is one cause of segregation. Again, I don't think that all segregation is driven by racism. I've been romantically involved with a woman who was black, but I think most people are going to be predisposed to romantic relationships within their own race. Generally, that's my preference as well. I don't think this predisposition is evil or racist. I think people may segregate along racial lines when they feel that they are misunderstood by those outside their race. I don't think that all blacks who eat dinner only with other blacks at a school or work environment have hatred or animosity towards whites. Some do, but others are just gravitating towards their own. In a predominantly black school, I would guess that whites often do the same thing for the same reason. That segregation is not a cause of racism.

Like you, I hate racism for the way that it twists people's minds, but racism is only one of many lies that I hate for the same reason. Politicaly correctness is a similar lie that twists people's minds and needs to be opposed.

WFTR
Bill

"This demonstrates to me beyond a shadow of doubt that Buchanen hates both Jews and Blacks, and probably gypsies and slovaks as well."

You forgot midgets and troglodytes...

"Segregation is the heart of racism."

Then kindly contact BET, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the thousands of "Black" Associations, Clubs, and entities to inform them of your profound understanding of "racially based" segregation.

It's not racist or immoral to have white proms that exclude black people because:

Everybody does it (Northerners are as racists are Southerners)
Two wrongs make one right (Blacks are allowed to have black grad ceremoniess)
False analogies (Never been to a party where all the people were white?)
Strawman (You want the government to intervene. The US Constitution allows freedom of association)
Appeal to sympathy (The media just loves to pick on Southerners).
Appeal to tradition (That’s the way it’s always been)

Segregation remains in much of American culture, not only because whites want it, but also because minorities chose to structure their communities in a way to utilize it for their own advantage. It is not a healthy sign in either case. We are not so far from the days of segregated bus stations, public facilities, schools, etc. that we shouldn't be alert to the cost of it. "Associating with our own" is the way whites justify it, "promoting diversity" is the favorite catchword of minorities. Both are free to conduct themselves in this way, so long as they do not restrict the rights of others. That is the real risk they run. It is fair for people to be concerned about this for the welfare of our nation, and to be alert about what point we cross that line.

I don't know if there is any one place where that happens, but it is worth our effort to be critical at times and be willing to ask each other the hard questions we need to, so we can determine the true motivations and the impact of decisions on others.

It is fair to raise concerns about inconsistencies in the discussion. Why is it okay for minorities to do it, but not whites? The replies may help us to get to the bottom of some longstanding divisions and put them on the table. It is important that public institutions such as schools, etc. actively work to provide models that promote unity, as well as individualism. In this the prom seems to fall short. It may be legal, but it sure doen't seem right for the kids. What will they learn from this?

To affirm the right of "association" is fine. But to claim that this white prom was not racially based is absurd. Segregation is the heart of racism. And I hate it for the way it twists the minds of our young.

I happen to agree with you but, if you are going to hold up "white only" functions as racist then you need to clarify that "all" racially segregated functions and clubs are just as racist.

If you are willing to do so you will show yourself to be a truly compassionate conservative however, if you start spouting off nonsense about "cultural events and organizations" you will show yourself to be yet another Liberal bigot that thinks only "white" people can be racists.

At the risk of sounding cliche' "whats good for the goose is good for the gander" and when people wander in here condeming "white only" functions a racist and call Black,Hispanic, Oriental or other ethnically segragated functions and clubs "cultural in nature" I have to question their true commitment to ending racism.

I've got a few words for you.

1st amendment, the right of people to peaceably to assemble.

Granted, you may not like racists have the rights of the constitution, but they do, now why this kids chose to "peacefully assemble" with only there own kind, is there business, but simply put, they chose to, they wanted to, I guess they thought they were actually african american and that this was okay.