Correct me if I'm wrong....

[Aikman_TheGreat]

....and I might be. But what made the USA great, is now killing the USA.

1. Racism. We thought it would be great to have a multi-racial country. And it is. But now we have this huge issue with racism. Even after the civil-rights movement, we still are dealing with this black vs white, or white vs black issue. People have tried to call it white vs minority, but the main the is the black/white issue. The main reason behind it is "race assumism", thats what I like to call it. I dont have numbers to prove this, but I bet 2% of this nation is really racist, for whatever race. But we still deal with it, just like on this board. I dont think any of us are racist, but look at the thread that "exploded". Point being, it was a great idea to have a multi-racial country, but now we have to deal with racism and "race assumism".

2. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Thats a great way to start a country. You have the right to live. You have the right to liberty. And you have the right to pursue your happiness. But now, people are telling people they have the right to have things, nice things, or any things. People misinterpret the "pursuit of happines" as "the right to have things". Freddie Mae and Fannie Mac proved this to be wrong. They gave people houses they couldnt afford (because they "have the right to have a house"), and now we have a ton of foreclosures. Thats just one example. To me, you dont have the right to have things, you have the right to pursue things. You have the right to pursue the nicest cars, houses, or whatever. But you dont have the right to have them. Is that making sense?

Both are great ideas. Both SHOULD be great. But if you look at America, it seems like its not working too well, as of now.

[OnePimpTiger]

I don't think racism is that big of a deal and it's getting better. The media and people who rely on racism for a living (ie Sharpton, Jackson, etc) want to make us think it's a big deal, but in individual lives and communities, most of the time at least it's not any where near as bad as it's perceived in the media.

As far as #2, amen! And I can boil it down even farther...Capitalism made this country great. Now people are attacking Capitalism and asking for Socialism...ask Russia how that worked for them.

[duwal]

I don't think racism is that big of a deal and it's getting better. The media and people who rely on racism for a living (ie Sharpton, Jackson, etc) want to make us think it's a big deal, but in individual lives and communities, most of the time at least it's not any where near as bad as it's perceived in the media.

As far as #2, amen! And I can boil it down even farther...Capitalism made this country great. Now people are attacking Capitalism and asking for Socialism...ask Russia how that worked for them.

racism is still absolutely live and well, people are living in a fairytale if they think it isn't as bad as reported. I live in the Bay Area, one of the most accepting of cultures in the world and I can tell you it exists heavily, especially in white people, it was brought out with the election when people didn't want to see an african american run the country, the case of the cold-blooded execution of Oscar Grant who was sitting on the sidewalk after being detained and shot by Bart officers. Just read this morning the mayor of Los Alamitos is resigning after sending out an email depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons. Only a fool would say that racism has gone down, it has just been hidden and kept inside with the fear of what will happen if they express their true feelings

[Aikman_TheGreat]

I don't think racism is that big of a deal and it's getting better. The media and people who rely on racism for a living (ie Sharpton, Jackson, etc) want to make us think it's a big deal, but in individual lives and communities, most of the time at least it's not any where near as bad as it's perceived in the media.

As far as #2, amen! And I can boil it down even farther...Capitalism made this country great. Now people are attacking Capitalism and asking for Socialism...ask Russia how that worked for them.

Wow, man. I thought I worded it pretty good, but you made it so much better. Thank you.

I agree with you on the race thing, it is the media that makes racism such a big deal. Thats why I came up with the "race assumism" and "race assumist" phrase. That what it mainly is. People thinking racism is a big deal, which today, its not.

[Aikman_TheGreat]

racism is still absolutely live and well, people are living in a fairytale if they think it isn't as bad as reported. I live in the Bay Area, one of the most accepting of cultures in the world and I can tell you it exists heavily, especially in white people, it was brought out with the election when people didn't want to see an african american run the country, the case of the cold-blooded execution of Oscar Grant who was sitting on the sidewalk after being detained and shot by Bart officers. Just read this morning the mayor of Los Alamitos is resigning after sending out an email depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons. Only a fool would say that racism has gone down, it has just been hidden and kept inside with the fear of what will happen if they express their true feelings

Well, I'm not a fool. But I know that racism has decreased A LOT since the 1960's, and even more since the slave days.

If I'm a "fool" for thinking that, then I am. I dont experience racism. But I have experienced certain races wanting reparations for something that happened a long, long time ago that didnt even affect them personally. In all, racism is just a perception now a days.

And I dont like being called a fool.

[OnePimpTiger]

Aikman, I definitely agree about the "race assumists." I really think the majority of the racism problem is people looking for it...that keeps it at the forefront of everyone's minds, those who look for it, those who are afraid of those who look for it, and those who hate those who look for it.

racism is still absolutely live and well, people are living in a fairytale if they think it isn't as bad as reported. I live in the Bay Area, one of the most accepting of cultures in the world and I can tell you it exists heavily, especially in white people, it was brought out with the election when people didn't want to see an african american run the country, the case of the cold-blooded execution of Oscar Grant who was sitting on the sidewalk after being detained and shot by Bart officers. Just read this morning the mayor of Los Alamitos is resigning after sending out an email depicting the White House lawn planted with watermelons. Only a fool would say that racism has gone down, it has just been hidden and kept inside with the fear of what will happen if they express their true feelings

I live in the South, one of the places where racism is supposed to be the worst, and it's not as bad as it's portrayed. Yeah, it's still alive and well no doubt, I'm ashamed to say I even have family members who are quite racist, but the media makes it seem like it's this constant struggle that you face everyday and it's just not. I live in a very small, very rural, very backwoods town...no joke, Deliverance was filmed less than 30 minutes away...and there is very little if any problem with racism on a regular basis here. A lot of people may have racist beliefs or thoughts (mostly the Baby Boomer generation and older), but you'd never know it by the way they actually interact with other races. Most racist people have those thoughts and ideas towards gangs and thugs and the bad examples of a group of people, but when they're faced with regular people of a different color, they realize we're really all the same and treat them no differently...at least that's my experience. Maybe I don't see it as much because I don't pay attention to it...I don't like trash no matter what color it is.

[Aikman_TheGreat]

Aikman, I definitely agree about the "race assumists." I really think the majority of the racism problem is people looking for it...that keeps it at the forefront of everyone's minds, those who look for it, those who are afraid of those who look for it, and those who hate those who look for it.



I live in the South, one of the places where racism is supposed to be the worst, and it's not as bad as it's portrayed. Yeah, it's still alive and well no doubt, I'm ashamed to say I even have family members who are quite racist, but the media makes it seem like it's this constant struggle that you face everyday and it's just not. I live in a very small, very rural, very backwoods town...no joke, Deliverance was filmed less than 30 minutes away...and there is very little if any problem with racism on a regular basis here. A lot of people may have racist beliefs or thoughts (mostly the Baby Boomer generation and older), but you'd never know it by the way they actually interact with other races. Most racist people have those thoughts and ideas towards gangs and thugs and the bad examples of a group of people, but when they're faced with regular people of a different color, they realize we're really all the same and treat them no differently...at least that's my experience. Maybe I don't see it as much because I don't pay attention to it...I don't like trash no matter what color it is.

Exactly. I dont need to add anything to that. But what OPT said, is exactly what I think.

[themanishere]

I really think the majority of the racism problem is people looking for it...

but the media makes it seem like it's this constant struggle that you face everyday and it's just not. A lot of people may have racist beliefs or thoughts (mostly the Baby Boomer generation and older), but you'd never know it by the way they actually interact with other races.

It is not so much that racism is cultivated from interaction. It is present in the institutional organization of our country - not blatantly so any more, but it is there. I discussed this in the other racism thread a bit.

The "people looking for it" idea comes from the way the institutions in our country influence our lives. People are always in situations that are institutionally grounded, and since there are racial undertones in these institutions, racism is bound to arise. We don't face it every day, but the concept of racism is a part of the foundation of the structures in our country. This will never change unless we essentially restructure (or even eliminate) the concept of "race" as it is currently utilized.

I just think people need to take a step back before immediately embodying the "I'm against racism and want to abolish it" stance. The problem is people then go into the idea with a short-sighted conceptualization of the history and development of "race." I am saying we should try to understand the totality of the racism problem before we go up in arms about saying "it doesn't exist any more" or "racism is not so prevalent any more." Racism is, and always will be, embedded in the consciousness of our society until we rethink what "race" really is.

[daniel3417]

Racism isn't a big issue in this country anymore. I'm not saying it's extinct, but once you have elected a minority to your highest office, you can accept the fact that your nation has come full circle. It's all media driven. How many of us are as racist as Katie Couric tells us we are?

[OnePimpTiger]

It is not so much that racism is cultivated from interaction. It is present in the institutional organization of our country - not blatantly so any more, but it is there. I discussed this in the other racism thread a bit.

The "people looking for it" idea comes from the way the institutions in our country influence our lives. People are always in situations that are institutionally grounded, and since there are racial undertones in these institutions, racism is bound to arise. We don't face it every day, but the concept of racism is a part of the foundation of the structures in our country. This will never change unless we essentially restructure (or even eliminate) the concept of "race" as it is currently utilized.

Weren't you the one who sent me some of your writings about a one-world government and tearing down all boundaries, physical and metaphorical, between people? What you just said made me think of that.

The concept of race will never be eliminated and the basic structure will always be there, although the components might change a bit. The only way to eliminate the concept of race is for everyone to be the same skin color and that will never happen. As long as there are visible differences in the way people look, there are people who will think that makes them different. It's a shame that we can't get past that fact, but I don't think we ever will.

I just think people need to take a step back before immediately embodying the "I'm against racism and want to abolish it" stance. The problem is people then go into the idea with a short-sighted conceptualization of the history and development of "race." I am saying we should try to understand the totality of the racism problem

I 100% agree with that statement as I quoted it. The first step to becoming one of Aikman's "race assumists" is to set your mind to "fighting" racism. When you do that, you start to look for it and, a lot of times, "find" it where it never really existed. They don't realize that by trying to "fight" racism, they're only keeping it alive in their minds and in the minds of others and are only perpetuating the problem....as you said, they're not understanding the totality of the problem.