ron, let me take this test head on...
>>1. Tell us the origin of the word "slave".<<
i don't think it is applicable to my point of view.
>>2. Tell us who sold slaves to the white operated slave ships?<<
at least some blacks did. i'd guess blacks were the majority of "sellers."
>>3. Tell us whether blacks have ever enslaved other blacks.<<
absolutely. my guess is that all macro "civilizations have practiced slavery to varying degrees at one time or another in their history.
>>4. Tell us whether you have ever seen, heard, or felt a racist thought or act against a person not of your race.<<
i'd have to say the answer is yes - but not anymore. due to my experience with a wide variety of races of varying levels of integrity and approach to life, i can no longer think in simpleton terms of "black" and "white" (asian, hispanic, etc...) just like i can't think in terms of zodiac signs.
i am not able to depersonalize any "race" b/c i know too many very good, outstanding people from all races. i'm on the level where individuals are accountable for themselves - and only themselves. any other approach is irrational, imho. i personally know of situations where a person of a particular race are biased negatively against others of their own race.
>>5. TELL US WHEN THE SONS/DAUGHTERS OF EVERY WHITE FAMILY WILL NO LONGER BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SINS OF THE GRANDFATHERS/MOTHERS OF A SELECT FEW WHITES WHO HELD SLAVES....<<
i firmly believe that people are only responsible for their own actions. i have know a fair number of minority folks and none of them really wanted anything other than mutual respect and admiration for their good qualities. i ignore the political agendas. many folks of various nationalities fought and died to rid this country of the evil called slavery - included a very large number of white folks.
>>6. And most of TELL US WHEN BLACKS WILL FINALLY REMOVE THIS "CHIP" OFF OF THEIR SHOULDERS, AND FINALLY REALIZE THAT EACH OF HAVE TO STAND ON OUR OWN MERIT, REGARDLESS OF OUR RACIAL HERITAGE<<
ron, i believe the chip on some minority folks' shoulders is due to the present situation, not something that happened before they were born. i think we can agree that education is KEY to success in our country. would you send your kid to a school in south central la? i wouldn't. i'm a grown man and wouldn't want to hang out where 10 year olds play on a daily basis! a large % of people not properly educated and not properly supported get angry and lose hope and guess what? race doesn't matter!
real poverty, imho, is a poverty of the mind. why don't folks have hope? why don't they have educational opportunities like the suburbs? if i were in those shoes, i would be mad. i would be frustrated. and, like millions of people in hat situation, i hope i would still be rational about the situation and try to improve my lot in life as best as i knew how. most folks do. you just read and see about a minority of folks causing trouble.
my anecdotal evidence is that if you approach people with mutual respect, there is no chip on their shoulder. maybe 1/100 is so upset that they can't control themselves and you avoid them.
>>African-americans are POISONING there own spirituality and passing on misplaced resentment to their own children by continuing to play the "slave" card during a time they should be focusing on how to infuse positive values such as overcoming adversity and bettering there lives from generation to generation.<<
99% of blacks don't play the "slave card." political types do to make waves and be heard. what you say is absolutely true on an intellectual level. unfortunately, emotions are powerful. let me give you an example. i developed a painful condition that prevented me from using my arms in many ways. intellectually, i could have done all sorts of exercises for the rest of my body while my arms withered. i didn't. i focused on the pain and wondered why i had to face the REAL possibility of never working again - all in my mid 20s.
i personally understand why intellectualism doesn't always win out. i had an advantage - i knew what to do. many folks who want to do positive don't have many resource only b/c they didn't pick their parents better.
fortunately, surgery corrected the majority of the problem. shortly after i was treated very differently at work. i was given a fraudulent performance review and no bonus arrangement - this when i knew i had better look for new work - which i did. i responded and documented, very specifically, about $1 million in savings since i had worked there for 2 years. 20 pages of accomplishments (and it hurt to type it).
2 weeks later i got a written response to the tune of "nevertheless, your performance must improve." the glare in my boss' eyes was a sight to behold. he was livid.
eventually we parted ways. i truly believe they mistreated me b/c i was now a worker's comp case. that is not a good feeling, ron. i contributed so much to that company and to be slapped in the face - it was tough. especially since i contributed more than my boss, napoleon.
1. eight years ago i designed a shipping process that drastically increased throughput and productivity with about $5k in expenditures. 5 other facilities spent $2 million to get the same results. they are still using my system 8 years later.
2. i re-engineered conveyors and packaging to improve productivity and throughput.
3. i assisted in the most successful productivity measurement installation in the company.
4. i instituted the use of a currency counter to facilitate ticket sorting and eliminated repetitive strain injuries.
to have some twerp punk me - a twerp who hadn't done anything but sell his soul for power - was an insult.
i'm a long term planner so i accepted reality and looked for a job while they fabricated their "case" against me. i found a job as they were releasing me and it worked out well for me.
i do understand the frustration of being judged on something other than the content of my character and my contribution to a cause. that is my small glimpse into the frustration many minorities have - b/c you wouldn't know i was disabled unless you worked with me or i told you.
i'll tell you what, though. I DON'T TELL MY EMPLOYERS ABOUT MY BEING PARTIALLY DISABLED AND I SURE DON'T TELL THEM ABOUT MY WORKERS COMP CASE! you see, i can hide the thing that causes them to treat me differently. and i do. minorities can't.
>>This has the course that many races and ethinicities, whether Asian, Latin, Jews, Poles, Italians, Irish... etc, have followed. They ALL HAVE ISSUES in their pasts that could fuel some form of resentment towards another group of
people, but they have focused on forgiveness and asserting their self-worth through POSITIVE reinforcement, not perpetual guilt trips.<<
not entirely, true. just look to the mideast. also, keep in mind the african american situation is kind of unique. forgiveness isn't about letting someone continue to hit you. racism is alive and well. let me give you an example. i had a white friend who was trouble. sure, he could kiss but inbetween breaking into cars and stealing them. "a good kid gone bad" is what my mom called him. how many black car thieves are perceived as "good kids gone bad?"
anyway, the key to success in thie country is education and the system is stratified. minorities currently get a lower level of education than whites. right here, right now.
>>In fact, my father's family were dirt poor strawberry farmers from the backwoods of Arkansas who NEVER received a lick of support or sympathy from the Federal Government nor any black person. They received NO affirmative action, no food stamps, no ADP, no free cheese, milk. They never had a organization like a National Association for the Advancement of Dirt Poor Strawberry Farmers.<<
i can appreciate your background. i have the ULTIMATE respect for hard work. the govt is going abour solving the economic discrepency in the wrong way. they should bring all schools up to a top notch level rather than provide some kids with an inferior education and then let them in college with lower scores. i guess the latter is easier.
bias exists in the work place. i don't think it is unreasonable, under the current environment, to force the selection of an african american when the am is equally qualified as a white candidate. i know that is theory and practice is MUCH different. biased management will just think of a reason why the white guy is more qualified since "equal" doesn't exist.
>>I was the first child among all all my father's brothers and sisters to attend college. So don't preach to me about being economically disadvantaged.<<
this is why i don't like race based programs. i much prefer economic need programs.
>>There is MORE THAN ENOUGH BLAME TO GO AROUND. But no one can change the past. All we can do is change the future and treat each other more decently than our ancestors did.<<
giving the benefit of the doubt and respecting all people has worked wonders for me - both professionally and personally.
i don't feel guilty about slavery of any type. sex slavery is going on all over the world as we speak - especially in eastern europe. slavery is wrong and should be abolished. blacks don't make me mad. poor excuses of human beings make me sad - and they come in all shapes, sizes and colors. i look for good in people and the vast majority of the time i see it. when i don't, i avoid them. but i will not let the 1% punk ruin my ability to get to know the 99% good.
my 2 cents. |
