Pony

I have never had a stroller pushed directly between my wife and I whilst shopping at the mall by a white person, not by accident but with a look of arrogance and disrespect. I have never had a white person leave a social security interview room, enter the waiting room and walk over to me and say "dat my chair, you better move yose ass", walking past row upon row of empty chairs. I have never had a white person cut in line in front of my wife like she wasn't there, then look down her nose at her as if to say "yeah you better believe what you just saw me do, and what are you going to do about it!".
You get low lifes in all colors, but in my 'micor study' the black low lifes have more attitude and arrogance. Has it made me a racist, only of black lower class. So I suppose that is not racism, its a more defined form of classism

brindlebrundle

Fair points, but I hear a few people on here regurgitating the Michael Moore rhetoric about "the media". To quote Chris Rock, "When I use an ATM machine, I'm not looking over my shoulder for the media, I'm looking for..." - well, I'm sure you get the rest.

Point is, I work closely with lower income areas and selected housting parts of Houston, and my decreasing tolerance for the black community has come from everyday interactions. I respected the earlier comment about likening these poor blacks to the chavs and "Waynetta Slob" types we see in lower income parts of the UK. I don't mean to whitewash. But there is a consistency of bad behavior amongst the black community that I encounter.

When holding a door open for a black woman, 95% of them will pass through without a thank you, as compared to a 50-50 ratio with Mexicans, whites, etc (funnily enough, almost every single Asian will say thank you).
In the case of my friends black boyfriend, I gained insight into a world of baby mommas, baby daddies, crack sellers, car jackers, bad attitudes, laziness and violence.

I'm good friends with the owner of El Patio's on Westheimer, who once told me he gets agitated every time he sees a group of black youths enter his establishment, because it is guaranteed and almost accepted that they will "dine and dash", or even more cheekily, order glasses of water, a bowl of sugar and some lemons...and make their own damn lemonade for free!!

I also here about black youths who will "bum rush" a sports event or music concert by running through the turnstiles in large groups so that many get in for free.

That's what I'm talking about. Those who are in the frontlines and in "real life" here in Houston will be perfectly open about run-ins and experiences with the poor black community...it's those who are outside the loop and out of the trenches who try to reduce it to "the media" or accusing me of being a vague racist with my head in the clouds.

Big D

That is why I deleted my original post - however in summary - yes we have all seen the behaviour the OP is talking about - but not just from one section of society but all ethnic groups including white - its not specifically Texas I would suggest more city based and is probably to be found in most states. To make this a racist arguement is short sighted and flawed - and still has nothing to do with Texas!

Shit - i re-did my original post

Lord Lionheart

I'm a bore?! I almost fell asleep reading post 28. So predictable, you always like to have a pop at me since I struck a nerve mentioning your baldy head

peterbainham

I don't think anyone's trying to reduce it to "the media" but it's important to distinguish between impressions that have been formed by first-hand experience and those that have been formed by being away from the "frontlines" (as if this is some kind of war to be won or lost).

I also wonder just how deep your insight of black culture is through knowing a guy who dates your friend. I myself have a pretty good insight into the teenage pregnancies, meth-addiction, alchoholism, petty-crime and mindless violence of poor hispanics by living amonst them just as I would have a good insight into the anti-social behaviour of poor white people if I lived in a trailer in Alabama. But of course this wouldn't qualify me to make sweeping observations on the entire hispanic of white races, would it?

BritGuyTN

I think the point the OP is trying to make is that he/she is finding that some black americans are very different to black europeans in general

There is a huge underclass and culture of black americans that just isn't present in europe. The PC brigade might want to deny this but its a fact.

these kinds of people are responsible for my next door neighbour being shot dead at the stop sign outside my house

http://www.police.nashville.org/news...2005/11/14.htm

Also responsible for the brother of my wifes best girlfriend being shot dead whilst doing his job

http://www.police.nashville.org/news...2005/06/20.htm

I live in a gentrifying neighbourhood where houses on my street are selling for $400k upwards, but whithin half a mile there are crack houses. So I am not speaking from my ivory tower in white middle class surburbia.

I also own a number of apartments which are predominantly inhabited by black americans. when I purchased some of them they were in an area where I would be doing some maintenance and dudes in black escalades with tinted windows would enter the area make a quick stop then drive on off. On one occasion, I was asked if I was the 'po-lice'

With a lot of effort I have eradicated these types of people from the area where my properties are. Now I can say that I have around 15-20 black american families as tenants and hand on heart, none of these fit the profile that the OP is speaking of.

My wife is also an attorney and was previously a juvenile probation officer so I have a good handle on the reality of crime in the inner city, most of which is perpetrated by black youths fiutting the OP's description - FACT - something that many posters on here do not have a clue about.

brindlebrundle

There we go again. "Frontlines" and "In the trenches" are figures of speech used to describe people with hands on experience. The managers of a grocery store will refer to their checkout employees as the ones "in the trenches". I'm not implying anything about wars, feuds or fights...so please don't try to twist my words.

Secondly, my impressions HAVE been formed by first-hand experiences. I not some ignorant jack-ass who has watched an episode of 'Cops' and decided to wear a white hood. My point was simple - I came to the US as an open minded, tolerant person...and through the sights I've seen and experiences I've endured, I have ended up growing to despise certain parts of Houston's black population. That's it and that's all.

peterbainham

Please check out my edited post.
I too have first-hand experience but would never use such gung-ho language as "frontline" or "in the trenches" nor would anyone who has respect for the people they live amongst and call their family and friends. And your denial that you're not implying that this is a war is completely disingeneous.

brindlebrundle

Very interesting insight and valuable reading, thank you for your contribution.

Leslie

I've never had a black or white person do any of those things to me. You guys must look like easy marks.

brindlebrundle

I'm sorry if you've never heard that phrasing before. I admit that it may have been a poor choice of words given the subject matter, but to imply that my phrasing of "in the trenches" was making deliberate reference to a "us and them" race war is ludicrous.

I hear that phrase all the time, school superintendants referring to teachers as "in the trenches", corporations referring to their salesmen as "the guys on the frontline" - it's a figure of speech my friend, and I'm sorry if you've never heard of it. But don't confuse your own ingorance with what you perceive to be mine.

Sarah

Just out of curiosity, have you come here to defend your opinions or to change them?

brindlebrundle

I came to discuss them.

Pony

I am sure the elderly are always afforded more courtesy

gardnma

Jello,
Rhubarb,
Sledgehammer,
Monte Carlo races.