AmerLisa

Of course unless you saw what happened in NO after Katrina.

anotherlimey

Hold on, will admitting there's a problem actually do anything?

Leslie

As opposed to what? Denying it?

anotherlimey

As opposed to not doing anything about the actual problem of segregation?

Manc

No, but I can acknowledge that slavery / holocaust / piracy / great plague / cold war / tianamen sq / spanish inquisition / crusades / roman empire /

all this shit happened.........

but me, born in the 70's shouldn't have to account for it.

anotherlimey

Exactly; don't cry over spilt milk... clear the 'effin milk up.

AmerLisa

Isn't that the same as learning from past mistakes?

anotherlimey

Looking at that list I don't think anyone did.....

Leslie

Account for it? Of course not. Supporting positive change is all anybody can do now. We shouldn't feel guilty or bad about ourselves, we didn't do it. However, I think it is import to acknowledge now that it was all very real and the legacy we've inherited as a direct result of it ain't going to fix itself any time soon.

Manc

and with North Korea ready to blow up the western world, some muslims ramming planes into building and blowing up nightclubs in Bali, half of Africa starving to death, us sending kids to fight a war they needn't etc etc etc


I'd say we fail miserably at learning.

Ash UK/US

Talking about the word nigger (which I do not like at all)... my husband and I took our daughter and the dog for a walk last week... we went to the playground to let Emily play for a while... as walked in there, there was 7 or 8 young black kids (maybe 17 -18 years old) that had just finshed playing basket ball... all but one had started to leave (the playground is surrounded by large fields and the kids where walking across the field) the one that had stayed behind was looking for a key he had left on a bench when he couldn't find it he was yelling at the others across the field 'which one of you f***ing niggers got my key' he yelled that 3 or 4 times each time getting louder... apart from the fact that I do not want my daughter hearing that... makes you wonder why they expect respect from others when they can't even respect themselves... must be racism is ok when it comes from within

Ash

ironporer

I do not hate the Egyptians for holding my people as slaves. Nor do I want reperations or special treatment. Moses took care of all that a while back I suppose.

Leslie

*sigh* Racism by definition cannot come from within. This is rather elementary. It is quite different when my girlfriends and I jokingly call each other "bitch" than when a man calls a woman "bitch" in a threatening way.

However, I will acknowledge that the practice of black people using the word "nigger" is counter productive. Overwhelmingly, equal rights activists (of all races) are encouraging people of color to remove this slang from their vocabulary. As with all change it is slow coming.... however it is being used less and less, believe me.

Leslie

Yes but you've had several thousands of years to get over it.

AmerLisa

I never said we were excellent students.....