Are you serious? Please, give it a rest. White people have been taking advantage of their "whiteness" for centuries(whether they knew it or wanted to or not). Countries and culutures have been taken over, millions killed(purposefully and often not) and enslaved, yet all the benefits(and of course some disdain from those poor minorities) from this all went to white people. Let's be fair, say white people give all the gold, diamonds, natural resources, countries, and everything else back to the natives and call it even. Then complaining might be in order. A few inconveniences or feeling guilty or mistreated, get over it. That violin was too loud. Turn it down a notch.:bang: Being white and poor is still different from being a minority(or female) and poor.
Have you ever given anything to a minority just because? You are right though, and anything that wasn't created or produced wholly by and/or for Caucasians, you should boycott. So no diamond ring for your wife, no gold necklace either. Throw that tea out, no popcorn or pasta, run all the stoplights, we could go on for days. The fact that you have the temerity and come onto MAP and complain shows that you have not taken a second to think of all the things that happened up till now that would even give you a foundation for making complaints in the first place. Was your country stolen, your people enslaved and murdered, your religion and culture ever stripped from you? Were you ever told you couldn't eat somewhere because you weren't a certain color or stopped by the cops because of your race? Denied education, a job or job advancement, or made to feel inferior because of your skin pigmentation? Lynched, firebombed, massacred, or anything else recently? No, and do you know why?:dunno: ps-I wouldn't show your wife this thread if I was you...
To your opposition of my statement, I will admit that I have not done research, nor do I have any credible source of information to state proving my point. Anything I will or do say is based on personal experience and observation and since I am not a credible source in this field as I stated in the first post (I'm just exposed to it all the time), then in any institution, forum, or conversation anything I say is not credible. That said, here's what I have to say. I am not foolish enough to believe that out of the thousands of people getting benefits for being a minority, that there are not a few hundred or so that do not give back into the system (willingly anyways) that helped them to get where they are. That makes me angry. That same anger is directed towards people who are not a minority as well. This situation is unique for my comments though based on they got those benefits, which I could never recieve, soley on the fact that they are a minority. To your second comment about what I'm actually trying to say, I find it very unfair. Since you are assuming something about me, I'm going to assume something about you. I'm guessing that you've ran into a lot of people who give off hidden meaning in their actual intent. I would like to state that I do hold views that I know would be extremely offensive to others. That said, I do not say these things, or would not project them to anyone who does not have the same views unless in debate, nor would I ever take action on those views for the sake of my fellow man because I feel I have an obligation to live peacably as a community member and an obligation to respect other human beings. The views I'm talking about do not relate to this subject at all, I'm just stating that I'm a human being, aware of it, aware that I believe in things others do not, like any other human being does, but I am aware that I need to live and progress with others and must act accordingly. With that, I am offended by your assumption of my true intent, as I put that remark in there so people did not think I was generalizing. Was the comment focused a little too intensely on one group of people, yes it was. Could it have been written better, yes it could have, but it vaguely applied to the situation in which is a part of the thread topic. If you do not believe my sincerity, and there is nothing I can say to change your mind about my integrity then so be it, but I have stated my point and that is as much as I can do. I apoligize if I came off a bit too strongly and caused you to doubt my intentions. To recap on your finishing comment which is in reference to your original question, "how I know," well, I would just call it common sense born of life experience and that it happens, and it upsets me, but also that I have absolutely no crediblilty in saying it and my comments may have been a little too direct and therefore offensive. For that I apologize.
Life isn't fair.... That makes me angry.... You do know what you sound like right? Being married to a "minority" doesn't mean you have any right to judge minorities unless you: A) Have walked a mile in their footsteps(meaning actually becoming a minority) B) Have done a lot more research, soul searching, and discussing different things that happened to minorities that you have benefitted from. Even then, I doubt you would come up with such a blatantly racist stance. Nobody had to put words in your mouth, you already did.
Nice user name! I agree entirely. As I said in the original post, the problem isn't the minorities or women. It is the white males who have enforced policy that is direct or indirect that directly opresses minorities or women. We need to get rid of that. But then what do you do with everything that is left? All the hatred and ill feelings? If I represented the white man right now, all I could do, literally, is say "look guys, I am so sorry for everything that has happened, I want things to change, please forgive me. This situation is going to prevent us from progressing further as a human race, what can we do to resolve this that isn't going to cause further friction?" And that, as far as many people who have had to deal with that opression, would say that what I just said is not sufficient, and understandably so. Who am I to say forgive and forget when I caused the insult and injury? I think your post is directed at the "white" community a little too strongly. We aren't the only ethnicity to be ruthless pieces of garbage in the entire span of history. I'm also not complaining. I do not want any special benefits, I want everyone to have equal opportunity and these things that make us into minorities to be done and over with so the potential for progressing as a human race is greater. I don't like the divide.
I have given service to my country with no intent other then to protect the people in it and our way of life regardless of their ethnicity or sex. I have had my religion and culture stripped from me by my own country that is supposed to protect it for the sake of professionalism in other countries. I have been places I couldn't go because I am white, have been threatened because I am white, had my food spit in, have had things thrown at me for being white, and American. I have had people attempt to make me feel inferior because I am white growing up. I lost many friends growing up because it wasn't cool anymore to be friends with a white kid. I haven't experienced everything, no, but I have experienced some and I know to some extent of the despair it can cause. I haven't had people try to kill me because I'm white entirely, but because I'm an American and I suppose to some people that's the same thing? I know enough to understand, and I don't appreciate having so many assumptions forced upon me because I am not doing anyone else that service. Yes my comments are broad and do not apply to everyone and everything, but there is enough of it to be discussed. I think we should all have a little thicker skin, and some humor for this thread so it doesn't go downhill too fast.
It went downhill from your first post! The fact that you call it "your country," and you complain about "minorities" and "women" were some of the early indications. Living abroad, I have become a minority, though from my own choice. Besides the things I learned in college, having friends from all races, and taking a few classes that introduced me to a lot of history I had no idea about, this has been a big eye opener for me. You learn about yourself and your assumptions a lot when you "become" the minority. You can complain and apologize all you want, until you give them their country back or stop benefitting from their loss, what can you say?:dunno:
Thanks I agree people should give back to help others. I was one of the lucky university students. My parents paid my full university tuition and i never owe a cent. A lot of university students i met have debt as high as , well, clouds. so I got involved in student politics. That and cause I'm interested in politics. I was elected and served on the students' union for a year. That and our lobbying plus the election of an openminded Newfoundland premier (Danny Williams) helped create a tuition freeze and last year, the full elimination of interest on student loans. Its a help.
Yes, my user name I like. I don't see how calling myself a perverted mountain mystic would have the same flair. We aren't comparing races here, but taking over America, Africa, parts of Asia, etc is hard to top. You were complaining when you really have no right nor reason to do so. If you have problems, pull yourself up from your bootstraps like many minorities were forced to do so before the days when they were offered things like financial aid or there were quotas put in place. If you do something wrong in life, atone for it. If you benefit from something you shouldn't, find a way to stop benefitting or find other ways to do something in its stead. Complaining online without having done your research is not a good way to win over anyone. There are plenty of books out there about all the things alluded to and more, so if you take the time to educate yourself, you might learn more than from looking at manga.
Or you could be a Welshman living in England to really experience racism and inwardly smile at the knowledge that the days of the English invading anyone are long gone along with their culture.
My country consists of the people in it, regardless of who or what they are, if I agree with their views, way they live, or what they do. I am an American and to me, that is what America allows (or tries to) its people to do and what it is. That is also not everyone's view IN America, nor is my view a constant. And that's fine with me. I will show my pride of what I see it as and want it to be, I will do my part (which I did, and will continue to do) to try to make it be what it's supposed to be, and I will never be ashamed of it. It's something I signed my life over to protect, and luckily it did not require my life. To take offense for me having pride in my country, and calling it my country, is absurd and offensive but the beauty of the way I see things is that all I'm going to say is you're entitled to your opinion. No matter the lack of understanding or willingness to be open I may think I observe from your outlook, no matter how unconstructive to this thread I think you are, your opinions are yours to have and they are welcomed. I respectfully disagree with your very strong convictions and I do not believe I am capable of discussing anything with you on this topic. Methinks your hatred is too strong, and your disposition to try and force your opinion is too great for a thread meant to discuss.
Slip summed up my thoughts pretty well. To add a bit more: the problem with these kinds of thoughts is that they are riddled with confirmation bias. You may know someone from a "minority group" who has the attitude you describe, and they stick in your mind. But how many wealthy white males, born into money and privilege, do you pass every day without giving them a second thought? Not to mention that the "minority" who's attitude you're upset with may have it because they are fed up with having to live on handouts, while the wealthy white male has a pleasant attitude precisely because he's had everything handed to him by accident of birth.
This is better. I recant my previous statement of your being way too strong in your opinions that we can't even talk about anything. I can work with this. Yes, I acknowledge that my ancestors have done some screwed up stuff. I also acknowledge that my ancestors probably learned it from people who did the same to them, who had people do it to them, and so on and so on. It's nothing new. I believe you're taking this argument out of context and are trying to apply the world view, rather then just the specific country (America in this case) that I am meaning to discuss. I feel like you're making the topic too broad. I would also appreciate if you don't make too many assumptions about me, the original poster. I am not in any financial, educational, or personal dilema in which I would need assistance. I have worked my butt off to make sure of it. I'm not in the best situation, but I'm steady right now. Six months down the line though . . . . I'll either be made, being made, or be having my soul crushed. With my work ethic and professional attitude, I expect of myself to do well though regardless of anything. I am not complaining with this thread, and discussing things with people all over the world, actual people, about certain topics I find to be a very proficient way in educating one's self.
This is partly my fault, but I don't want the topic to just stay soley on minorities and what they have to do in order to get benefits because they have been opressed. The other side, the individuals who have established these circumstances in the first place are the ones to blame aren't they? I can't sit here and say I understand why they are that way, because obviously they need to change. But what can be done about it? To just continuously give benefits to minorities forever to make up for it to me creates a definitive line in saying, "you're different then me." and none of us can just walk around being a human being rather then an ethnicity.
What can be done, besides returning the country or making reparations? This is unlikely to happen and nobody in their right mind would expect it to. However, look at the Presidents/CEOs/Board of Directors, etc of all the Fortune 500. Now look at politicians, heads of banks, university's, etc and look at the percentage of white males in top roles. Now look at the percentage of white males in the US population. Do those percentages come close? Now you can talk about fair, equality, humanity, and all those other kumbaya sounding phrases. Life isn't fair, and our country's(yep I am American too, I do take pride but try to be a bit more careful in my wording) his/hertory is as dark and messed up as any other. Unless you know the facts of that history, you can't even begin to start dealing with it or making these alright in the present or future. Not on MAP either, really take the time to learn all the dark and scary things that went into the making of the United States of America and some of the bad things that continue to this day. Then you might understand why some people look at us with hatred or wish us unwell. Luckily, the old school "Do unto others as they have done unto you," isn't that prevalent today, or else you(and I and many others) would have have something to complain about.
The only time the whole equal opportunities thing bothers me is when it's abused. Like when women want to assert their independence but still expect you to run to their beck and call and cater to every whim. Or when an ethnic minority person is caught thieving and then plays the race card. Oh and the PC stuff. That really bugs me. The women in my work swear like truckers. But god forbid any man should utter the "C" word. There's a special level of hell for men who dare to use the "C" word.
