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'Marriage Is for White People'
Washington Post ^ | 3/26/6 | Joy Jones

Posted on 03/25/2006 11:08:03 PM PST by Crackingham

I grew up in a time when two-parent families were still the norm, in both black and white America. Then, as an adult, I saw divorce become more commonplace, then almost a rite of passage. Today it would appear that many -- particularly in the black community -- have dispensed with marriage altogether.

But as a black woman, I have witnessed the outrage of girlfriends when the ex failed to show up for his weekend with the kids, and I've seen the disappointment of children who missed having a dad around. Having enjoyed a close relationship with my own father, I made a conscious decision that I wanted a husband, not a live-in boyfriend and not a "baby's daddy," when it came my time to mate and marry. My time never came. For years, I wondered why not. And then some 12-year-olds enlightened me.

"Marriage is for white people."

That's what one of my students told me some years back when I taught a career exploration class for sixth-graders at an elementary school in Southeast Washington. I was pleasantly surprised when the boys in the class stated that being a good father was a very important goal to them, more meaningful than making money or having a fancy title.

"That's wonderful!" I told my class. "I think I'll invite some couples in to talk about being married and rearing children."

"Oh, no," objected one student. "We're not interested in the part about marriage. Only about how to be good fathers."

And that's when the other boy chimed in, speaking as if the words left a nasty taste in his mouth: "Marriage is for white people."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: blackfamily; education; marriage; people; racist; racists; white
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To: 4U2OUI
"Growing up as a bastard child is for black people"

The two statement aren't equivalent: getting married is a good thing, being born out of wedlock is a bad thing. The equivalent to the children's statement would be "Playing basketball is for black people". Racist and stereotypical yes, but hardly a big deal in either case.

Frankly, I am more concerned with why a large number of black children think marriage isn't for them than someone who would get offended by being labelled as the marrying type.

21 posted on 03/25/2006 11:46:10 PM PST by LWalk18
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To: Lancey Howard

As bad as Jimmy Carter may have been as President, LBJ did a lot more damage to this country than Jimmy Carter ever could have done.


22 posted on 03/25/2006 11:47:57 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: LWalk18; dfwgator

It's a shocking figure, no matter which.

Someone above mentioned the Moynihan report, I remember that so well. I was very young, but remember reading some news article about it at the time, and remember the criticism he received. Even as a very young person, I knew he was right and his critics were wrong.

Someone else posted about the white illegitimacy rate, it was reported recently that it's now I think 30%. We're well on the way to seeing the dissolution of the family, but that's exactly what the socialists are after.

In the 1920s or so, black illegitimacy was around 15%, and that was considered to be a terrible thing back then. There was a great concern apparently.

Now I guess we would be lucky if that were the figure all across our population.


23 posted on 03/25/2006 11:55:20 PM PST by texasbluebell
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To: LWalk18

Answer the question, please. Would a statement that attributed a social condition or behavior predicated upon RACE, made by a white child, be immediately labeled bigotted/racist and censured???


24 posted on 03/25/2006 11:57:18 PM PST by 4U2OUI
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To: Crackingham
"In the period between 1970 and 2001, the overall marriage rate in the United States declined by 17 percent; but for blacks, it fell by 34 percent."

But, but, isn't 1970 to 2001 the era of "The Great Society" and "The War on Poverty?"

Seems like the husband (no matter what race we're talking about) has been, to a degree, replaced by the welfare check.

If we're honest, we will acknowledge that the gub'mnt did more harm than good with their socialistic programs.

25 posted on 03/25/2006 11:57:30 PM PST by nightdriver
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To: Crackingham

Marriage is for people who are not immoral.


26 posted on 03/26/2006 12:03:48 AM PST by garylmoore (Homosexuality: Obviously unnatural, so obviously wrong.)
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Comment #27 Removed by Moderator

To: texasbluebell

Dissolution of the family unit and existing religions are prime goals of ideological revolutionary movements. In the case of the US and Europe, the destruction of the two parent family is a holdover from the defunct International Communist movement that is being parroted by ignorant people today.


28 posted on 03/26/2006 12:05:05 AM PST by Post Toasties
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To: 4U2OUI
Answer the question, please. Would a statement that attributed a social condition or behavior predicated upon RACE, made by a white child, be immediately labeled bigotted/racist and censured???

I did answer the question- yes it would. And it would be treated like someone shot a dog because too many people are caught up in their feelings rather than dealing with real issues.

Everyone on this board knows very well that there is a stupid double standard regarding race in this country. Now that I have acknowledged it, do you care to talk about the actual point of the article?

29 posted on 03/26/2006 12:08:12 AM PST by LWalk18
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To: Post Toasties
All of this just for 'White People'? Amazing. Haven't these AAs ever heard about Asiatics, Hispanics, etc.?

From what I can tell, a lot of blacks tend to think that if you aren't black, you're white. Hispanics, Asians, Arabs... all get lumped in together as "white."

30 posted on 03/26/2006 12:08:28 AM PST by wizardoz
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To: RIGHT IN LAS VEGAS

Uh oh. Now you did it. You will most likely get the PC innoculation for that post. Free Speech does not exist.


31 posted on 03/26/2006 12:08:41 AM PST by 4U2OUI
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To: LWalk18

OK.

The article states there is a problem. What is the solution?


32 posted on 03/26/2006 12:12:34 AM PST by 4U2OUI
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To: Crackingham

When my daughter married in a rush (too young, 19, and unwisely as it turned out 4 years later - he "never believed in marriage.), everyone thought she was pregnant. (Which surprised her but not me.)
She was actually told that the "white" girls got married when they were pregnant and the Mexican girls did not.


33 posted on 03/26/2006 12:13:27 AM PST by hocndoc (http://www.lifeethics.org/www.lifeethics.org/index.html)
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To: Crackingham
"Oh, no," objected one student. "We're not interested in the part about marriage. Only about how to be good fathers."

That's about as smart as saying that one wants to compete in the 100 yard dash, but only while blindfolded.

34 posted on 03/26/2006 12:16:45 AM PST by Post Toasties
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To: 4U2OUI

Tubal ligation.


35 posted on 03/26/2006 12:17:24 AM PST by Clemenza (I Just Wasn't Made for These Times)
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To: Crackingham
The black Christian pastors who love the Lord need to focus on this topic. The black community needs more strong and brave leaders who will combat the moral plagues that are destroying so many good black people.

The blatant Bible rejection and immorality of the white culture is just as bleak in many areas. God looks at the heart and determines motivation, and we are to combat the ungodly trends of our times.

36 posted on 03/26/2006 12:18:47 AM PST by Old Landmarks (No fear of man, none!)
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To: Clemenza

Only if the procedure were voluntary - Offer the woman a __________ ____ ___ ____ and she would do it.


37 posted on 03/26/2006 12:22:00 AM PST by 4U2OUI
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To: BunnySlippers
Who taught these children to be bigots?


38 posted on 03/26/2006 12:23:06 AM PST by July 4th (A vacant lot cancelled out my vote for Bush.)
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To: 4U2OUI

Agreed. Offer it, don't force it.


39 posted on 03/26/2006 12:23:18 AM PST by Clemenza (I Just Wasn't Made for These Times)
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To: dfwgator; texasbluebell
"The Great Society" - The 'gift' that just keeps giving.

What's so "great" about it?

40 posted on 03/26/2006 12:28:21 AM PST by Paleo Conservative
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