rushmc 18 #26 April 30, 2008 Quote>WOW, what a stretch. Your reply would seem to put you in the group of people he was talking about - people who deny history. That is the environment that Wright grew up in. WOW, clasify them and they will shut up. CLASSIC. If that is what you belive please have fun in fun land. Make excuses if that is what makes you feel better and make a "point". If you want to live in the past so you have excuses go right ahead. It must be a sad place to be"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,406 #27 April 30, 2008 >If you want to live in the past so you have excuses go right ahead. I have no desire to live in the past. The present is far better. The difference between you and I is that I do not try to deny that the past existed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 18 #28 April 30, 2008 Quote >If you want to live in the past so you have excuses go right ahead. I have no desire to live in the past. The present is far better. The difference between you and I is that I do not try to deny that the past existed. No, I do not have desire to stay in, or deny, (history is documented I believe) the past. You want to use the past as an excuse to stay there so it can be used as an excuse. (if you can tell me what I think or believe I think I should be able to do the same)"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gawain 0 #29 April 30, 2008 QuoteSorry, I watched the video twice and disagree with most of it. People have always been judged by the company they keep. For the last 20 years, Obama has been hanging out with racist Rev. Wright. Does that not say something? God-damn America........the American government developed AIDS to destroy black people.....blah, blah, blah. Rev. Wright is a scumbag. Continually blaming white people for your problems is not the solution. Perhaps if we stopped labeling everyone "white" or "black", we'd begin to make progress..... Well said. Do I think this country is ready for a non-white or non-male President, absolutely. Do I think racism exists in this country? Absolutely (need proof, look at the voter profiles that won Sen. Obama the South Carolina primary). Do I think racism is a one way street? Absolutely NOT! The civil rights movement has been perverted into an entitlement movement. The country does not owe anyone a living. My disagreements with Sen. Obama have nothing to do with his skin. My disagreements with Sen. Clinton have nothing to do with her gender. My disagreements with Sen. McCain have nothing to do with his age. My response to the video author is: "Get over it -- PERIOD" It isn't the Washington Times or National Review that mentions race and sex all the time, it's the liberal rags of New York Times, Washington Post and LA Times that ask stupid questions like: "Is Barack Black Enough?" -- Who the f**k cares? Sen. Obama has received a near free pass until now. He's running for office of the most powerful position on this planet and people are just now talking about his Marxist leanings in college and his elitist comments in San Francisco.So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright 'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life Make light! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
likearock 1 #30 April 30, 2008 Quote>There's no way to finesse "9/11 was the chickens coming home to roost". Let's take a counterexample. Let's say that people decided that we're not doing enough for affirmative action. They decide to exclude whites from certain schools to "balance things" - and suddenly you find yourself unable to get an education, outside of a shack someone builds to teach the whites who can't get into the public schools. You find out that you're not allowed to get married to the woman you love, because the government decides to push interracial marriages in the interests of racial harmony. You are denied every job you apply for because you're not black. What would your response be? Would you just suck it up and not bitch about it? Or would you play the victim card, and criticize the system instead of "taking responsibility for your own failures?" There's no way that's even remotely a valid counter-example. My point didn't even have anything to do with race. It had to do with the ability to respect and not shit all over someone else's pain. No amount of politics excuses his 9/11 remark. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,406 #31 April 30, 2008 >There's no way that's even remotely a valid counter-example. I think if you looked back at history, you would see it as more valid - since that is precisely the country that Wright grew up in. A country where he could not marry a woman he loved if he was the wrong race. A country where he could not go to the local school because he was the wrong race. A country where he could not get a job because he was the wrong race. If you grew up in such an environment, you might not feel quite as patriotic towards the country that was screwing you every way it could. If none of that would bother you, then you are a better man than Wright. (Which, actually, I think most people are.) But as the guy in the video said, ignoring that past isn't a good idea. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #32 April 30, 2008 QuoteWell said. Do I think this country is ready for a non-white or non-male President, absolutely. Do I think racism exists in this country? Absolutely (need proof, look at the voter profiles that won Sen. Obama the South Carolina primary). Do I think racism is a one way street? Absolutely NOT! The civil rights movement has been perverted into an entitlement movement. The country does not owe anyone a living. My disagreements with Sen. Obama have nothing to do with his skin. My disagreements with Sen. Clinton have nothing to do with her gender. My disagreements with Sen. McCain have nothing to do with his age. My response to the video author is: "Get over it -- PERIOD" It isn't the Washington Times or National Review that mentions race and sex all the time, it's the liberal rags of New York Times, Washington Post and LA Times that ask stupid questions like: "Is Barack Black Enough?" -- Who the f**k cares? Sen. Obama has received a near free pass until now. He's running for office of the most powerful position on this planet and people are just now talking about his Marxist leanings in college and his elitist comments in San Francisco. QF(MF'n)TMike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #33 April 30, 2008 Personally, I always find the intelligentia type video to be condescending. They remind me of every offensive attempt by Hollywood to educate the masses who actually live in the day-to-day world of the working poor. His comments that he "educated himself" seem to imply that if you do not agree with him, you lack his wisdom. A transparent tactic. Is their racism among white Americans? Sure. Among white Europeans too. Black, hispanic, asian, and native Americans too. All of them harbor racist attitudes, probably in the same proportions. However, the speaker tried to establish linkage between the problems of black Americans and the racism of white Americans. The basic goal of Martin Luther King was "integration". The problem was that there was no "integration". The assimilation of a group into another culture. The hope is that a group will be gain the positive aspects of the culture. What black leader of the last 30 years has lead in a positive direction? To me, as a white person, I just see most black "leaders" as using racism as an industry. They are political figures who cannot produce or condone positive results because it defies their platform of victimhood. Black Americans who are successful are excoriated as "not black enough". Remember the criticism of Obama? Sure, he doesn't reflect the average American anymore than Bush does. However, he should be lauded as a role model and gain all their support. There is racism from all sides in America, but most of the resistance to blacks is coming from behind them. The industry of racism is led by other blacks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #34 April 30, 2008 Rush, you equally distorted the point I've tried to make; I'm merely responding to your tactic in a like manner. You completely dismissed my game analogy, how is it that it doesn't apply? You claim a level playing field shouldn't matter? I say the first three quarters of the game are very significant to the expected outcome in the fourth. I haven't heard anyone suggest "living in the past." Using the past as a foundation to understand progress is a different topic. However, if you're expecting a generation or two to entirely turn around 200 years of programming.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
likearock 1 #35 April 30, 2008 Quote If none of that would bother you, then you are a better man than Wright. (Which, actually, I think most people are.) Of course it would bother me. But if it bothered me to the extent that I belittled other people's tragedy to make a political point, then I'd deserve anything I got in return. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MajorDad 0 #36 April 30, 2008 QuoteSnip...... The industry of racism is led by other blacks. B.S. There are plenty of racists in all communities. No race or religion has a monopoply on it. The media certainly fans the flames because it is good for ratings and sales. For every Wright there is a Pat Robertson. Sizzle sells and it looks like Wright is loving the forum the media is giving him to preach his message to the world. It is looking like Race and Racism will become an issue in this year's U.S. Election and that may not be a bad thing. Certainly it will be emotional since racism is based on emotions not logic. Blue ones, Major Dad CSPA D-579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #37 April 30, 2008 Question is: Can FOX news & all the rest keep milking this issue all the way to November? Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MajorDad 0 #38 April 30, 2008 Of course they can. Remember the Industry that sprung up during the OJ Trial? It isn't about news anymore. It is all about feeding the 24-hours a day news cycle and have something new to say every 15 minutes. Will Wright only have 15 minutes of fame, or will he be milked by various interests for the duration (the latter I think...) Major Dad CSPA D-579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #39 April 30, 2008 QuoteQuoteSnip...... The industry of racism is led by other blacks. B.S. The actual statement was: QuoteThere is racism from all sides in America, but most of the resistance to blacks is coming from behind them. The industry of racism is led by other blacks. Two lines. The operative phrases are "industry" and "other blacks". Not just racism, but the idea that there is an industry. The media is just a tool. There are black political activists who promote the ideas of racism against blacks and victimhood in the US. It is an industry to line their own pockets and not provide solutions. That is more than a failure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lindsey 0 #40 April 30, 2008 QuoteQuoteQuote Exactly. Not all (or most) white folks "deny history". From your perspective, anyway. Curious as to where you might live, geographically? Sure, from my perspective I don't run across many white people who deny our history of slavery and racism. I live in Denver, CO. I don't run across many people who deny it either. In fact you'll not be too hard-pressed to find someone where I live who is still bitter about Lee surrendering. Makes for some pretty intense distrust. Luckily, those people don't make up the norm, but ya' run across 'em pretty regularly, and they tend to make themselves obvious and their viewpoints known. I live in rural Arkansas. linz-- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #41 April 30, 2008 Quote I think if you looked back at history, you would see it as more valid - since that is precisely the country that Wright grew up in. A country where he could not marry a woman he loved if he was the wrong race. A country where he could not go to the local school because he was the wrong race. A country where he could not get a job because he was the wrong race. If you grew up in such an environment, you might not feel quite as patriotic towards the country that was screwing you every way it could. Sheesh - a more positive man might take solace in the fact that all of these elements became past tense during his life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joedirt 0 #42 April 30, 2008 Awww... life must be hard for this poor little enlightened fella. He'll probably go nuts when his mom kicks him out of the cellar and makes him go get a job. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 18 #43 April 30, 2008 QuoteRush, you equally distorted the point I've tried to make; I'm merely responding to your tactic in a like manner. You completely dismissed my game analogy, how is it that it doesn't apply? You claim a level playing field shouldn't matter? I say the first three quarters of the game are very significant to the expected outcome in the fourth. I haven't heard anyone suggest "living in the past." Using the past as a foundation to understand progress is a different topic. However, if you're expecting a generation or two to entirely turn around 200 years of programming.... We start from a different premise. I do not deny the past nor do I ignore it. I think that the more near term past has more value. The near term shows the "I am the victim" mentality all to clearly. If one wants to be a victim they will alway be able to find a villian. So, I say get over it. It is done and you cant change it. All you can do is affect what is coming. Many want to stay in the past. The reason is easy to see. It is money"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,130 #44 April 30, 2008 Each person brings something different to the mix. Good thing, because each person needs something different from the mix. All you folks who think that Jeremiah Wright is somewhere close to the Devil -- how many of you think it's appropriate to really slam a young and somewhat careless swooper "for his own good?" How many of you yell at your kids, or paint something in a stark light to get your point across? How many of you have been to a church where emotion and rhetoric are more important than being quiet and respectful? Sometimes you have to face the past to put it past you. And different people will have different perspectives on the past. So, well, get over it. Just accept that people are different. Some of them don't think that 9/11 is the worst thing ever to happen. Some don't think that slavery is the worst thing ever to happen. Some don't think that square mains are the best thing to ever happen. Now chocolate, on the other hand, is only positive Wendy W. There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nerdgirl 0 #45 April 30, 2008 QuoteSo, I say get over it. It is done and you cant change it. All you can do is affect what is coming. Many want to stay in the past. The reason is easy to see. It is money Concur with your observation w/r/t many wanting to stay in the past - change is different & the past is known (no great surprise or insight there). And concur with your asserted reason too -- money & power that money brings. Who has the more virtuous (or less virtuous) claim to wanting to hold on to the past or perceived victimhood? Sen Trent Lott lost his position as Senate Majority Leader because he wanted to go back to the past (of Sen Strom Thurmond's time & inclination) & was unwise to say so in front of a camera. Is it better to know that he held those views, which are likely to reflect some percentage of his constiuency, or is it better to not know? Who has the more virtuous (or less virtuous) claim to creating new victimhoods? (Everytime I hear someone claim indignantly a variant on "I didn't get a promotion because they had to promote a minority," etc. I wonder ... goes back to that loss of money/power reason.) VR/Marg Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters. Tibetan Buddhist saying Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MichaelMoore 0 #46 April 30, 2008 Quote Impressive commentary from my perspective. Your thoughts? Not really. It’s just an opinion from an overtly liberal and dare I say feminized white male. The problem with whites these days is that they are confused on how to act in the presence of blacks. They’re scared to express why they are annoyed by black peoples attitudes. This lack of honesty is painfully obvious to most black people. This is the biggest reason many black people don’t trust us. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #47 April 30, 2008 I'm still trying to figure out if I'm a "right brain" or "left brain" learner. I'll comment when I figure that all out. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #48 April 30, 2008 Hmmm...I wonder if black people are scared to express how they feel about white people's attitudes. Probably are. Kinda like the guy at Southwest Airlines that was handed a noose a day or two ago. Indigenous people are scared to express their feelings towards white attitudes too. It might mean loss of jobs. So Rush is right. It's about money. Asian people don't dare, nor do Hispanics dare to express their feelings at an individual level either. Interestingly though, Hispanics, Blacks, Indigenous, Asians aren't afraid to express their feelings toward the attitudes of non-whites. I wonder why? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 18 #49 April 30, 2008 QuoteHmmm...I wonder if black people are scared to express how they feel about white people's attitudes. Probably are. Kinda like the guy at Southwest Airlines that was handed a noose a day or two ago. Indigenous people are scared to express their feelings towards white attitudes too. It might mean loss of jobs. So Rush is right. It's about money. Asian people don't dare, nor do Hispanics dare to express their feelings at an individual level either. Interestingly though, Hispanics, Blacks, Indigenous, Asians aren't afraid to express their feelings toward the attitudes of non-whites. I wonder why? I think political correctness has some thing to do with it. We have some much crap thrown at us it can be really hard to figure it all out. You know, when I think about the last posts here it kind of pisses me off. Because of all the bull shit non of us can be honest for fear of "offending" some one or some group. Well, the way I look at it I am only offended if I give some one the power to do so. I might get pissed off about something once in a while but I do not get offended eaisily. Anyway good thread! It is interesting reading others perspectives"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rushmc 18 #50 April 30, 2008 QuoteQuoteSo, I say get over it. It is done and you cant change it. All you can do is affect what is coming. Many want to stay in the past. The reason is easy to see. It is money Concur with your observation w/r/t many wanting to stay in the past - change is different & the past is known (no great surprise or insight there). And concur with your asserted reason too -- money & power that money brings. Who has the more virtuous (or less virtuous) claim to wanting to hold on to the past or perceived victimhood? Sen Trent Lott lost his position as Senate Majority Leader because he wanted to go back to the past (of Sen Strom Thurmond's time & inclination) & was unwise to say so in front of a camera. Is it better to know that he held those views, which are likely to reflect some percentage of his constiuency, or is it better to not know? Who has the more virtuous (or less virtuous) claim to creating new victimhoods? (Everytime I hear someone claim indignantly a variant on "I didn't get a promotion because they had to promote a minority," etc. I wonder ... goes back to that loss of money/power reason.) VR/Marg Hm, interesting but for the Lott point I feel he was made a victim he did not choose to stay a victim. He was only trying to make an old mans birthday a bright one and a statement was twisted out of having any common sense. And if Lotts statement is so bad why was Thurmond given a pass for his past? (this whole story still confused the hell out of me. I never did understand it) Marc"America will never be destroyed from the outside, if we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites