Black People : Help me understand "racism"

[excel10k]

I do understand racism. I just don't understand how in this day and age we can use racism as an excuse for most of the social problems we face.

I am of the opinion that racism exist and always will. I am also of the opinion that racism effects my life minimally. Some people seemed to be consumed with a daily burden that racism touches their life each and every day.

I live in the deep south. I work directly with a lot of white people and meet a lot of white people on a regular basis. I treat them as I would want to be treated and almost always receive recipricol courtesy. I have received far more help from whites than I have ever received resistance. It has been years since a white person has actively tried to hinder my progress or cause me heart ache. Again, I know racism, especially subtle racism exist and always will. But, does racism hinder our progress or create our social ills?

Help me understand how racism is such a problematic issue. I am trying to present this issue in a non-confrontational manner, but I am very resistant to general, non-substantive excuses. So, I am interested in specifics of how we can justify blaming racism for our problems. I do understand the historic relevance of racism. I think we can mentally enslave ourselves or perpetuate our social ills if we give racism more power than it actually have. There are many white supremacist that only WISH they had as much power as we attribute to racism.

My biggest problem with blaming racism for our problems is that if our problems are based in racism, we are dependent upon the racist to change before our problems can be resolved. If we can accept responsibility for our own problems, we can resolve those problems by changing our behavior or choices. As far as I know, in this day and age, racism does not prevent us from changing either.

I would love to engage in a constructive, intelligent conversation on this issue based on facts and logic rather than emotion and knee-jerk defensive ideology.

 

[Da Street So'ja]

it's very simple

I do understand racism. I just don't understand how in this day and age we can use racism as an excuse for most of the social problems we face.

I am of the opinion that racism exist and always will. I am also of the opinion that racism effects my life minimally. Some people seemed to be consumed with a daily burden that racism touches their life each and every day.

I live in the deep south. I work directly with a lot of white people and meet a lot of white people on a regular basis. I treat them as I would want to be treated and almost always receive recipricol courtesy. I have received far more help from whites than I have ever received resistance. It has been years since a white person has actively tried to hinder my progress or cause me heart ache. Again, I know racism, especially subtle racism exist and always will. But, does racism hinder our progress or create our social ills?

Help me understand how racism is such a problematic issue. I am trying to present this issue in a non-confrontational manner, but I am very resistant to general, non-substantive excuses. So, I am interested in specifics of how we can justify blaming racism for our problems. I do understand the historic relevance of racism. I think we can mentally enslave ourselves or perpetuate our social ills if we give racism more power than it actually have. There are many white supremacist that only WISH they had as much power as we attribute to racism.

My biggest problem with blaming racism for our problems is that if our problems are based in racism, we are dependent upon the racist to change before our problems can be resolved. If we can accept responsibility for our own problems, we can resolve those problems by changing our behavior or choices. As far as I know, in this day and age, racism does not prevent us from changing either.

I would love to engage in a constructive, intelligent conversation on this issue based on facts and logic rather than emotion and knee-jerk defensive ideology.

racism is like a radioactive landfill, the radioactive material was dump there LONG AGO and 10,000 years later is still contaminated

i agree people can make choices, trust me I GET THAT,

but now feel me, YOU CAN MAKE THOSE CHOICES BUT THEY ARE STILL BEING MADE IN A CONTAMINATED LANDFILL

AND if you want to see racism on a first hand basis, well come to Bed Stuy Brooklyn, Franklin ave, and see where white people
have moved in now, and after 10pm if you're a young black male and you're walking down the street you have to show ID to the cops, AND YOU HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG

tell me when you're ready so i can meet you at the airport or Penn Station

 

[excel10k]

racism is like a radioactive landfill, the radioactive material was dump there LONG AGO and 10,000 years later is still contaminated

i agree people can make choices, trust me I GET THAT,

but now feel me, YOU CAN MAKE THOSE CHOICES BUT THEY ARE STILL BEING MADE IN A CONTAMINATED LANDFILL

I acknowledged that racism exist and always will. I am interested in discussing the tangible side of racism insomuch as how it effects the negative social problems that dispropotionately effect the African American community. I don't think vague analogies about contaminated landfills can provide any answers to resolving our social problems.

AND if you want to see racism on a first hand basis, well come to Bed Stuy Brooklyn, Franklin ave, and see where white people
have moved in now, and after 10pm if you're a young black male and you're walking down the street you have to show ID to the cops, AND YOU HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG

tell me when you're ready so i can meet you at the airport or Penn Station

Personally, I don't have a problem showing a police officer my ID upon request. I would cheerfully show it to him and strike up a conversation with him about gas prices or the economy. It wouldn't bother me at all and I would be on my way. It would take 30 seconds of my time and more than likely if I walk in this area often, the guy would never stop me again.

If I were a police officer responsible for patrolling and crime prevention in a specific area, I don't think it would be unresonable to ask a person I am unfamiliar with to present ID. If he has done nothing or if he doesn't do anything wrong we don't have a problem. On the other hand, if he does turn out to do something wrong, I have a starting point of where to look because of the people I recognized as being "out of place" or "suspicious". I think it is just due diligence on the part of a police officer in fullfilling his patrol responsibilities. I think by him doing this, he can prevent or reduce crime. I am not in favor of crime and if it is in my neighborhood, I want the police to exercise due diligence to keep my neighborhood safe. It isn't like they are out doing a "felony takedown", they are just asking for ID.

You may consider this as being a push over or too easy going, but I have made several friends of police officers. Today, if I get a ticket anywhere in my area, there are a number of white police officers I can call or visit and have them make that ticket dissappear.

So, the example you have given is really an example of an opportunity to build relationships with potential allies rather than a confrontation. Again, I just treat people as I would want to be treated...even if they start off by inappropriately asking me for ID, jumping on the defensive and automatically making assumptions that they are racist is in and of itself racist. Furthermore, nothing productive can come of it.

That being said, my main point is the question of how "racism" hinder me from living a productive life, free of social problems such as the ones that disproportionately effect the African American community.

How does this contribute to fatherless homes, high rates of HIV/AIDS, the academic performance gap, drug use, drug sales, and the 6,400 black males that are murdered by black males each year? Vague analogies about contaminated landfills are not substantive enough to address this issue in a meaningful way that can produce solutions. I am not into complaining about problems, I am into drilling down to discover and implement solutions.

 

[Da Street So'ja]

of course

I don't think vague analogies about contaminated landfills can provide any answers to resolving our social problems.

of course it's going to be vague it you refuse to see it for what it is, also you didn't ask me to resolve anything the title of your thread is

Help me understand "racism" so please don't double talk me
i would appreciate it thanx

Personally, I don't have a problem showing a police officer my ID upon request. I would cheerfully show it to him and strike up a conversation with him about gas prices or the economy. It wouldn't bother me at all and I would be on my way. It would take 30 seconds of my time and more than likely if I walk in this area often, the guy would never stop me again.

yo i don't have time for games man this is BROOKLYN, NY str8 hood not your comfortable suburbania area
you wouldn't have a problem because you don't live here, please there are different cops everyday you might not ever see the same cop again or maybe you might if you don't have a problem let them ask you over and over again 365 days a year and i hope you don't get shot when you reach for
your ID.


NOW CAN I SEE YOUR ANSWER TO OUR SOCIETAL PROBLEMS
BUT WON'T THAT BE HARD BECAUSE ACCORDING TO YOUR TITLE
YOU NEED HELP IN UNDERSTANDING RACISM

I GIVE YOU AN ANALOGY A KID COULD UNDERSTAND AND YOU SHUN IT AS VAGUE, I'M NOT SOME PUNK IN THE STREETS, I'VE BEEN SHOT AT AND BEAT UP BY COPS I KNOW WHAT IS

DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE YOU'RE HARDCORE

CHECK YOUR HISTORY BEFORE YOU TALK

NOW AGAIN I WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND RACISM IN BLATANT TERMS

Originally Posted by Da Street So'ja
racism is like a radioactive landfill, the radioactive material was dump there LONG AGO and 10,000 years later is still contaminated

i agree people can make choices, trust me I GET THAT,

but now feel me, YOU CAN MAKE THOSE CHOICES BUT THEY ARE STILL BEING MADE IN A CONTAMINATED LANDFILL

 

[Da Street So'ja]

funny

I would love to engage in a constructive, intelligent conversation on this issue based on facts and logic rather than emotion and knee-jerk defensive ideology.

how we engage in a constructive intelligent conversation

when you have a knee-jerk offensive ideology?

i'm