Does Britain need to catch up ?????
#16
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
Strictly speaking they didn't call the slave men 3/5 of a person, they just arrived on a compromise figure between the North and the South as to whether the slaves should count at all. The South wanted them to count in full because then they would get much more representation. The North wanted them to not count at all because they didn't have voting rights, thus each Southern voter would have a disproportionately large vote. It's completely backwards from what most people think.
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 265
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
Definitely in the deep south racism is alive and well on many levels. I lived in southern GA until a few months ago. It surprised me that in southern GA some high schools still have a segregated prom each spring. From what I understand, both the white and black populations like it that way.
#18
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
It's true that they have segregated proms. They just don't have officially segregated proms. But one will be sponsored by the school, and the other one will be paid for by parents and held elsewhere; they all know which event is the "white" prom and which is the "black" prom. Whether they like it or not I can't say, but the fact remains that even recently kids of the "wrong" color have gotten in trouble and even been physically attacked for going to the "wrong" prom.
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-bl...tegrated-prom/
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-bl...tegrated-prom/
Last edited by Speedwell; Dec 20th 2013 at 3:45 pm. Reason: add link
#19
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
It is indeed. The good news is that I read a number of articles this spring in which it stated that the students themselves were trying to create integrated proms -- so one hopes that as generation succeeds generation such practices will die out.
#20
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
Therein lies the rub. The "American dream" was predicated on social mobility and now studies suggest that that mobility is lower than the UK's and a lot lower than many western European countries. The cost of education and healthcare are two big factors in this.
#21
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
I can remember being shocked/surprised to read an article last year about a High School in (I think) Arkansas holding its first ever integrated prom. I guess I was too naïve to realize that it was still possible or even legal to maintain such segregation.
#22
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
Fraternities/sororities also often seem to be for distinct groups.
#24
Account Closed
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 195
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
It's very difficult to argue there isn't racism here, in this area I think it's more against the Hispanics than anything. That's not to say the blacks aren't targets too, I remember when I was doing some volunteer work for meals on wheels a certain elderly lady talked about how she went to watch her grandson play football against a team from the metroplex, and said how there wasn't one white face on the teem or among the opposition supporters. As far as work goes yeah I think in this area minorities in most places have a fair chance, The superintendent in the largest school district in the area is black for example. As for social mobility I think it is available in Texas more than many other places. I can't compare it much to Northern Ireland though because for most of my life Northern Ireland was very white. Boiler does make a fair point about the self segregation of churches, and there are historical reasons for that but churches are becoming more integrated thankfully. My church while majority white have a fair amount of Hispanics and native Americans and a black man, but that is in a bigger town, some of the rural Baptist churches locally wold freak out if a Black person walked in sadly.
#26
Banned
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,154
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
It's very difficult to argue there isn't racism here, in this area I think it's more against the Hispanics than anything. That's not to say the blacks aren't targets too, I remember when I was doing some volunteer work for meals on wheels a certain elderly lady talked about how she went to watch her grandson play football against a team from the metroplex, and said how there wasn't one white face on the teem or among the opposition supporters. As far as work goes yeah I think in this area minorities in most places have a fair chance, The superintendent in the largest school district in the area is black for example. As for social mobility I think it is available in Texas more than many other places. I can't compare it much to Northern Ireland though because for most of my life Northern Ireland was very white. Boiler does make a fair point about the self segregation of churches, and there are historical reasons for that but churches are becoming more integrated thankfully. My church while majority white have a fair amount of Hispanics and native Americans and a black man, but that is in a bigger town, some of the rural Baptist churches locally wold freak out if a Black person walked in sadly.
#27
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
The thing I find so weird here is that it's not an arrestable offence to use racist language. First Amendment protections and all that of course, though this 'right' does allow racism to flourish (KKK / Westboro Baptish Church / Black Panthers spring immediately to mind).
#28
Banned
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 5,154
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
I *love* in the US that I am free to say what I want (I am aware of specific exceptions to the First Amendment, before anyone mentions that). That right doesn't exist in the UK anymore.
#29
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
Oh indeed, which is why I strongly supported the First Amendment, even if 'hate speech' is made legal. It's for the greater good, for the very reasons you cite.
I *love* in the US that I am free to say what I want (I am aware of specific exceptions to the First Amendment, before anyone mentions that). That right doesn't exist in the UK anymore.
I *love* in the US that I am free to say what I want (I am aware of specific exceptions to the First Amendment, before anyone mentions that). That right doesn't exist in the UK anymore.
#30
Account Closed
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 195
Re: Does Britain need to catch up ?????
I have noticed some MEPs from some European countries mention how they aren't used to the aggressive way UKIP MEPs debate, and say that kind of aggression isn't present in there political culture. On the American side of things with the primaries coming up I believe that we will see some very intense internal party debate between Tea Party type candidates and more establishment figures, especially in very Republican areas like the area I currently reside. I think some of those battles will be even harsher in some places than the actual election as in some of those areas there will be no substantive Democratic challenge.