The numbers don't lie

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

I have a knife drawer in my kitchen with 20 knives in it. Three of them are nice and sharp, and the other 17 are just not sharp enough to do the job, and they don't sharpen themselves. Should it surprise me or anyone else that the 17 dull knives don't get picked to do work? Why ever would someone think that, without regard for suitability and ability to do the job, I would pick each knife one time out of twenty?

So although blacks may be 12% of the population, that does not mean that they should be 12% of everything, including 12% of incarcerated felons, 12% of murder victims, 12% of death penalty sentencees, 12% of the unemployed.

Playboy Playmates are soooo often blonde. But blondes definitely are not a majority of the population. Why should they be the majority of the playmates? Just like your question, that one has a lot of answers.

If all blacks and all whites were of objectively equal qualifications, I could see an argument that in an unbigoted society, their employment rates should equal approximately their proportion of the overall population. But not everyone is equal. If blacks don't typically have college degrees or vocational training on the order that whites do, then DUH, that could explain higher unemployment rates.

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-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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Edit: To answer your question, I think 400 years of being beat down by whites might have something to do with the current lag in black prosperity.

There are now at least several generations born into an era in which it is ILLEGAL to "beat down" blacks. That excuse is now just a cop-out. You succeed if you work hard and take success seriously.

I myself make only about $25,000-30,000 a year. I'm white, college educated, from the suburbs, went to EXCELLENT schools, succeeded in school. My income, for one thing, is not the ultimate measure of my success in life, to me. For another, I am the reason I have not not "succeeded" financially more than I have. Shit, if I wanted to make $50,000 a year, I could do it. I might have to make changes I don't necessarily want to make, like go to school, or switch job types. But I don't blame anyone for my lame-o income but ME. I KNOW I could get off my ass for more money, and I don't DECIDE to.

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-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[kallend 1,672]

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Edit: To answer your question, I think 400 years of being beat down by whites might have something to do with the current lag in black prosperity.

There are now at least several generations born into an era in which it is ILLEGAL to "beat down" blacks. That excuse is now just a cop-out. You succeed if you work hard and take success seriously.

I myself make only about $25,000-30,000 a year. I'm white, college educated, from the suburbs, went to EXCELLENT schools, succeeded in school. My income, for one thing, is not the ultimate measure of my success in life, to me. For another, I am the reason I have not not "succeeded" financially more than I have. Shit, if I wanted to make $50,000 a year, I could do it. I might have to make changes I don't necessarily want to make, like go to school, or switch job types. But I don't blame anyone for my lame-o income but ME. I KNOW I could get off my ass for more money, and I don't DECIDE to.

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So why are you complaining?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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Edit: To answer your question, I think 400 years of being beat down by whites might have something to do with the current lag in black prosperity.

There are now at least several generations born into an era in which it is ILLEGAL to "beat down" blacks. That excuse is now just a cop-out. You succeed if you work hard and take success seriously.

I myself make only about $25,000-30,000 a year. I'm white, college educated, from the suburbs, went to EXCELLENT schools, succeeded in school. My income, for one thing, is not the ultimate measure of my success in life, to me. For another, I am the reason I have not not "succeeded" financially more than I have. Shit, if I wanted to make $50,000 a year, I could do it. I might have to make changes I don't necessarily want to make, like go to school, or switch job types. But I don't blame anyone for my lame-o income but ME. I KNOW I could get off my ass for more money, and I don't DECIDE to.

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So why are you complaining?

Um, where did I complain about what?

I did speak in condemnation of affirmative action, and of this crap about how unemployment numbers are only fair if the exact percentage of unemployed matches the exact percentage of that racial group in the overall population.

I don't recall complaining that I was in any way being "beat down".

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-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[Skyrad 0]

For a nation of people so proud to be Americans it always makes me laugh that you all need to prefix American with somewhere else. Especialy as most 'African Americans' have never been to Africa, proberbly most 'Italian Americans' never been to Italy and the same for the 'Irish Americans' and Ireland.... It pisses off most Irish and Scotish when Americans claim to be Irish or Scotish but it wasn't until I was living in South Africa that I realised how much it also pisses off most genuine Africans, they even made a TV program about it in which loads of black Africans ranted for an hour! LOL....

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Skyrad 0]

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Fine, I'll call you Desmond von sky puppy esquire the third if it will make you happy. [url]

Man, I nearly had to change my pants, thats the funniest thing I've ever seen you write!

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

• Quote

[Tonto 1]

Hey Kato,

Where in Africa were you born?

I'm African. 8 generations born and raised in Africa. I'm white.

You're a Black American.

I'm a white African. I know more about African culture, the bush and the land here than you will ever know - and you know more about the US than I will ever know. Be proud of who you are now - not of where your ansestors were 100's of years ago.

Those are my thoughts, anyway.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[Ron 7]

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Hey Kato,

Where in Africa were you born?

I'm African. 8 generations born and raised in Africa. I'm white.

You're a Black American.

I'm a white African. I know more about African culture, the bush and the land here than you will ever know - and you know more about the US than I will ever know. Be proud of who you are now - not of where your ansestors were 100's of years ago.

Those are my thoughts, anyway.

Ladies and gentalmen...We have a winner!

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[PhillyKev 0]

Hey, BillV, I forget which thread it was that I started you declared the dumbest argument yet, but I think this one wins.

From now on I'm a martian-American. I will be insulted if you don't call me that, and you can all feel free to declare your moral indignation that I wish to be called that even though I wasn't born on Mars.

[ladyskydiver 0]

OMG!!! You two are cracking me up!

Hey...my ancestors had a lot of fun...they tried a little of this nationality...a little of that nationality...so should I be referred to as a Heinz 57 American or a Mutt American or???

Reality check - I'm American. I was born and raised here. Who cares what my ancestor's nationality(ies) were? It makes not a whit of difference. What I do with who I am is what makes the difference.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

I think this thread has gotten off topic. I don't think his point was the PC title of his ethnicity, but more along the lines of jobs, or lack of jobs. Ok, some people don't like the titles, others don't. Let's get back to this topic.

The unemplyed demographic is the majority of who I work with on a daily basis, and there are a good amount of them out there that it keeps me employed. If there is a nationality in this country, I've talked to them over the last year about vocational development and career change. The problem is not the motivation, but money. You need money to go to school, but without a job, proof of income, or if you have bad credit it is often impossible to get the training you need to get the career you want. Yes, there is the vocational training unemployment services offers, but it is a joke and takes forever for any money to be approved for a training outside of the classes they offer.

I talk to over 100 people a day about education, 97.8% of them cannot pursue most education due to funding. This is not just a black or white thing, it is every race and creed. I watch the excitement of a possible new future drain from their face as they realize they are stuck and will be for some time as they go back to a min wage job and try to improve their credit over the next few years and hope that their life will allow them to pursue the change at that time.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[Ron 7]

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Hey, BillV, I forget which thread it was that I started you declared the dumbest argument yet, but I think this one wins.

Then feel free to step out of it.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[PhillyKev 0]

When did I ever claim to be above participation in stupid arguments? I'm not an elitist-American.

[Ron 7]

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When did I ever claim to be above participation in stupid arguments?

LMAO

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I'm not an elitist-American.
______________________________________

Nope your a lefty-American

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[Skyrad 0]

Do you have to be born in America or live there to be an American? Cause if not I want to be known ans an Non Anti American American

When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Ron 7]

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Do you have to be born in America or live there to be an American? Cause if not I want to be known ans an Non Anti American American

Oh crap, there goes the neighborhood

I'm not so sure we can let you play, I mean 150 years ago your great, great grandad was not nice to mine.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[storm1977 0]

You are a Non-African American, Non Anti American, and a Non-American

that makes you a Non-african-american-anti-american-american

or NAAAAA or NA to the 5th power.

Welcome to the club. We meet every other Wednesday at 7PM EST :-)

Chris

-----------------------------------------------------
Sometimes it is more important to protect LIFE than Liberty

[kelpdiver 2]

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I talk to over 100 people a day about education, 97.8% of them cannot pursue most education due to funding. This is not just a black or white thing, it is every race and creed. I watch the excitement of a possible new future drain from their face as they realize they are stuck and will be for some time as they go back to a min wage job and try to improve their credit over the next few years and hope that their life will allow them to pursue the change at that time.

People have to take advantage of the public school system. If they wait until after then, yes, they're in a pretty bad bind. Unfortunately it's hard for teenagers to think in that bigger picture, or even know enough to do so, so the parents play a key role.

A HS diploma guarantees nothing, but it does put you well ahead of the large number that don't bother.

[mpsniper98 0]

his point is that most blacks aren't connected to Africa at all. just as most whites aren't connected to their respective countries from multiple generations ago.

NBFT

[Kennedy 0]

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Are you saying Black people in america can't claim Africa as part of their ancestry.
There is a quote that goes "you end where you begin"
If we deny ourselves our connection to Africa then we do ourselves a disservice.

How exactly are you connected to Africa?

People arguing for affimative action like to point out how culture, religion, and language were stripped away (obviously horrible things).

But, with those facts in evidence, how is black culture in the US related to African culture?

---

I recall a white student (born in South Africa) receiving hate mail, physical threats, and being threatened with suspension because she wouldn't stop putting up posters or take her name out of the running for an "excellence in african american achievement" award (the other students up for the award were allowed to put up posters).

Why? Was she not African American? She was born in Africa, and has since moved to America with plans to stay. She was an excellent student. Why should she not compete?

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[KATO33 0]

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his point is that most blacks aren't connected to Africa at all. just as most whites aren't connected to their respective countries from multiple generations ago.

How are blacks not connected to africa if their ancestors came from africa???

Blue Skies Black Death

[Kennedy 0]

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How are blacks not connected to africa if their ancestors came from africa???

What does genetic make-up/ancestry have to do with cultural similarities (or lack thereof)?

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[billvon 2,463]

>What does genetic make-up/ancestry have to do with cultural similarities
>(or lack thereof)?

Our family keeps a lot of Irish traditions despite the fact that no one in our family who's currently living is native or first generation Irish.

[Kennedy 0]

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Our family keeps a lot of Irish traditions despite the fact that no one in our family who's currently living is native or first generation Irish.

As does my own.

The difference is that people constantly bring up how culture, religion, and language were stripped from slaves (just look at the AA thread). With that being the case, how is black culture in the US today related to African culture?

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[PhillyKev 0]

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With that being the case, how is black culture in the US today related to African culture?

It's not, that's the point. They are trying to re-establish that connection BECAUSE it was stripped away from them. Using the term African-American is one small piece of that. And I'm sure if there were any way for them to trace their roots to a tribe or region of Africa they would prefer to use Zulu-American or something to that effect. But, they don't have that ability because, once again, that history and knowledge was stolen from them.