Already tried previous to the Civil War....
Posted on 10/15/2005 12:20:23 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob
No, this is not about the Rev. Louis Farrakhan and his march in D.C. Instead, it’s about an article today (15 October) in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer entitled, “ 'Slave syndrome' may still affect black behavior.” The thesis of the professor appears in the early paragraphs:
“The troubling images of African Americans displaced by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans' impoverished neighborhoods didn't startle researcher Joy DeGruy-Leary. ‘All Katrina did was reveal what was already there. I wasn't confused, wasn't surprised,’ she said....
“DeGruy-Leary, an assistant professor in Portland State University's Graduate School of Social Work, will discuss her theory of the relationship between race, culture, poverty and history today at the third Seattle Race Conference and tonight in a separate talk. Her theory of "post-traumatic slave syndrome" concludes that African Americans needed to adapt to survive more than two centuries of slavery, and that those adaptations are reflected in their behaviors today.”
Source: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/244686_seattlerace15.html
There are two problems with this professor’s “slave” thesis, neither of them noticed or mentioned in this article. The first is that emotional reactions are not biologically inherited by children, much less great-great-great-great-grandchildren. If you go back far enough, all Americans are descended from humans who bashed in the brains of other humans, and had no aversion to cooking and eating them for dinner. Those traits are exceptionally rare among modern Americans.
The second error in the article is this: the history of race relations in Seattle itself demonstrates that the professor’s theory is a vat of snake oil, designed to deceive rather than inform. Washington State was one of the areas from which Japanese-Americans were rounded up and put in prison camps without charges or trials, at the beginning of World War II. The specific story about Puget Sound was told in the book, Snow Falling on Cedars.
Surely this reporter was aware of that. The broader story is told in the book, Manzanar, about the imprisonment of approximately 110,000 Japanese-Americans for no crime, for racial reasons only. These people, most of them American citizens, lost all or most of their property and remained in prison until 1944-1945. They were treated no better than slaves for the time of their imprisonment.
And yet, Japanese-Americans today are among the highest of all demographic groups in their achievements and success, measured by any standard. If the professor’s theory about a “slave” syndrome had an ounce of truth to it, damaging effects should appear in the Japanese-American community in Seattle itself. But they don’t. That strongly suggests that the professor’s thesis is false, and that the reporter and his editor missed the story that was right in front of them
John_Armor@aya.yale.edu
Oh yeah that book is awesome. I higly recommend it! I learned more in the first 25 pages about the South than I ever did in AP American History!
That was Lincoln's plan (though maybe not his reason), but he was assassinated before he could implement it.
On a parallel note; I'd offer instead that a submissive, quiet, "accept authority", fear freedom, fear economic risk, live silently and passively tolerate ANYTHING that the government does IS an in-bred trait in societies like Soviet Russia, an perhaps, by extension, to the slave trade beginnings in Africa and Muslim Sahara.
A passive, non-rebellious figure survives. Has the potential for children, even if under slavery or socialism. A rebellious, or freedom-seeking, or ANY individual who stands out gets sent to Siberia, killed, outright, or forced into poverty and prison. Loss of jobs, food, travel, education means less (or no) breeding.
So, over the years beginning in Czarist Russia in the 1600's, rather than a Renaissance and explosion of economic freedom, the Soviet people get bred into submissive, passive, freedom-fearing people.
And slave descendent's (those who were survivors of slaves in taken from Africa to the US) are the ones who were NOT killed, actively resisting, or who were taking slaves themselves in Africa.
Or "break the window and steal the flat-screen TV syndrome".
Has to be. I remember reading an article about the book a while ago. Definitely will check it out.
Bush makes his case for nationwide reparations. After all, there are millions and millions of those who fit his special-needs-due-to-discrimination theory, in other cities besides New Orleans.
What determines that those in New Orleans receive these better living conditions? Destruction of their community? What then is to stop those eligible from burning down their cities and having them rebuilt bigger and better?
Except when they get attacked by Chechen terrorists. Then they get MAD!!!!!!!
Blacks are capable of being as competent as any race, but until they throw off the yoke of slavery fostered upon them by the lies their "leaders" tell them, and so-called "social welfare" programs that only foster increased dependency on government, then unfortunately, Blacks will continue to live in a form of self-imposed slavery no government program can ever cure.
Nice column!
"Blacks are capable of being as competent as any race"
True, in theory.
So, I did both. I responded to the post of the original article here on FR. But I also wrote a separate piece for Newsbusters. Despite the size and success of FR, the reach of Newsbusters is even greater.
John / Billybob
That's not true of the Scots-Irish and you ought to be ashamed of yourself for making those kinds of generalizations.
The overwhelming migration of the Scots-Irish to American came between 1720 and about 1760 and from that group came the majority of American presidents and generals.
They were the poorest group to immigrate here from the British Isles and they did very well. Aside from material considerations, (they weren't wearing velvet and jewels) they were the ones who took the brunt of the Indian Wars of all kinds.
If there are pockets of lassitude and white poverty in Appalachia, these pockets exist in every culture. But maybe they like the country life.
Shame on you!
Minnesota Vikings?
The problem is that people accept this notion that the whole World is against them. The World is neutral. Unless a person achieves fame or notoriety, the World isn't taking notice of what anyone does.
read latter.
Already tried previous to the Civil War....
Huh? I assume you're being sarcastic? I was talking about a backward group from that area, not all Scots/English?
"If there are pockets of lassitude and white poverty in Appalachia, these pockets exist in every culture. "
Yeah you are right. The success of a group of people is less tied to their culture than their adherence to a couple of values, including a strong work ethic, moral values, respect for life, etc.
A simplified version of this is reflected in the fact that is something like if you (1) finish high school (2) don't be a teenage mother and (3) don't have a baby out of wedlock they you will have some high chance of not living in poverty. Does anyone around here know the exact statistic?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.