Politics.

[dzuunmod]

I'm late to this I know, but last week a religious leader (one that's white, too, which was surprising to me) at Obama's (now former) church said a few things about Hillary Clinton:

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, a Chicago activist, also apologized for last Sunday's sermon at Obama's church, in which he said Clinton's eyes welled with tears before the

Comments

[labellavoce83]

Wow, totally agree with you on the affirmative action thing. I've always been against affirmative action/equal opportunity. Someone should be hired instead of me if they have more talent/potential than me, not because their skin color is different and the company needs to fill a quota.

I believe comments like "We are oppressed" perpetuate racism because some people are blind to racism until those comments are made. For example, when I was kid, I didn't notice one of my friends was black until she had mentioned a conversation she had had with her parents; they told her white people didn't want to touch her because they were afraid the black would rub off. After that, I noticed people had different skin colors. Maybe not the best example, but I know I get aggravated when I go somewhere and there's a rally or an "ethnic awareness" parade somewhere. Because you know if I wanted to throw a "white people rule" parade (which I guess you could argue is any St. Patrick's Day function), I'd be shot.

If America truly is a melting pot, why can't we all just exist? You know? I think walking around constantly telling people your oppressed will mean that a) people will do it more, b) people will get annoyed, and c) people will do it more BECAUSE they are annoyed. Like we have one friend who claims to be a devout Catholic and pretty much avoid talking religion with him at all because he will try to convert us. People who aren't religious or a minority who don't look down on others for it don't really care to hear about 900% of the time, you know? Maybe that's just me, though...

I'm not saying we should ignore the fact racism exists, but maybe to preach about tolerance for everyone instead of saying "People hate me because of this skin color" would be more appropriate.

[image_cut_outs]

Uhmmm quotas are illegal; Affirmative Action isn't about that. AA doesn't mean that people are hired just because they are a racial minority. AA involves gender also. The point is to have fewer talented people left out in education and workplaces because of their color or gender, as the opposite effort has been the case since America's inception. If America was a perfect system in need of no adjustments, then AA would be bad. It isn't perfect, so adjustments should be made. btw AA helps white women more than any other group, and you're a white woman. Turns out, you're not being screwed as badly as you believe.

There are ethnic parades for white groups. California, NY, Massachusetts are places off the top of my head that I know have them. I wish you wouldn't imply that everyone is free to openly do what they want except the poor white folk. What a joke. Not everyone of color thinks a group of white people who are assembling for a march are the KKK or evil, give us a little more credit than that. And who exactly would shoot you? Just curious.

Being annoyed is now a reason for oppression? I'd like further explanation on this point instead of completely blasting it.

[labellavoce83]

Or maybe I'm not being screwed as badly as I believe because my talent speaks for myself. At my last job, there were more women working there than men and I made more money than any of the guys there. As a graphic designer, I was proud of that because I've often been told it's a man's field. I have never encountered prejudice due to my gender because I have always been "superior" or "intelligent" enough to stand out above the rest.

When I HAVE encountered prejudice, it's been because I'm blonde so people automatically assumed I'm stupid. So you know what I do? I prove that I'm not. I don't hold a "blonde people really aren't stupid" rally and I don't pass out flyers about it. Is it annoying? Of course. But instead of putting on a show about it, I just prove everyone wrong. I get a weird sense of satisfaction out of proving people are ignorant.

And what are the poor white folk? I think you're reading far too much into what I'm saying, as I figured would happen. And no, AA isn't MEANT to do that, but it DOES. The same way welfare isn't mean to give money to people who don't deserve it, but it always happens (and don't tell me it doesn't because I have several friends who are caseworkers). I'm also not sure what you're talking about with the quota thing, as I'm sure (at least with my college) they had to accept a certain percentage of minorities. And please don't twist that around to mean I didn't want any minorities at my college.

I also never said being annoyed is a reason for oppression. What I meant to say is that I pretty much avoid rallies in general, whether or not they're for a cause I like, because I think they're annoying. If someone is throwing papers in my face and not letting me merely back out of a parking space to get to work or class, I will be mean to you, whether you are white, black, yellow, orange, what have you, and you can't tell me I'm racist for ignoring you when you're just invading my space. I'm sorry, but I have had enough people play the race card on me, friends, and family that it just gets irritating after awhile and I've started turning a blind eye to it, especially when the same people who complain about being oppressed for their race nearly kill one of my friends for walking through "their town" just because he's white.

[image_cut_outs]

You equated being blonde to being a person of color? I question your understanding of race in America. I wish the US was that easy for most minorities, but it's not. Asian men do better overall in school than any group in America, but they still have a harder time getting the same respect and opportunities as white men (U.S. Commission on Civil Rights). So congratulations on proving those people wrong for all of the other people who will never be so lucky.

-"Or maybe I'm not being screwed as badly as I believe because my talent speaks for myself."
That doesn't make logical sense. You said people are getting work over you, because of their color and AA (where I got the you being screwed part). I said a fact of AA is that it helps your group more than any other and you said, no, your talent is what got you where you are. You essentially said that the facts are wrong and as a white woman you haven't benefited from AA. But when you implied only people of color got a leg up because of AA, you were sure it was their color which got them the job over other people and you said it was unfair.

When I said AA isn't meant to do that (place ppl in a job or school and not pay much attn. to intellect or talent), I meant for the most part it doesn't do that. And quotas are illegal. I don't know how simple I can say it. Where did you get this information that your school was doing that? "I'm sure" means you have facts or you're just assuming that?

Poor white folk is satirical. It's a reaction to you saying white people can't do what these minorities are free to do. I hardly think white people are getting the short end of the deal (and facts say they aren't). The general rule is the highest social class of any country is always more free to do what they want than those who are lower. If any group had a problem with a white parade it would be the (majority white) media that loves to spin that kind of thing.

If anyone is reading far too into this, then it ain't me. You told me not to say you don't like minorities as if I've shown that I pull arguments out of my butt. I loled at that and the "don't tell me" line. I think you're being hyper sensitive. Any assumptions I made were based on things *you* typed.

I don't know what to say about that last paragraph other than you've shown a pattern of thinking your isolated incidences apply broadly beyond your world. Those incidences don't much help me understand your oppression argument.

I look forward to your response, although I probably won't respond.

Ciao