re: Am I the product of a racist environment ?

quote:

---

It's true. I've had blacks tell me that white couples get the advantage of 'start up money' when they get married. I asked how much. They said 'About $20,000.' I was very disappointed when I realized I never got my start up money.

---

I've had two different black people ask me if this was true within the last several months. Was the first time I'd ever heard of such a thing. I really don't think they believed me when I said no.

quote:

---

Whites do work hard, but alot of them come from wealth. And they get jobs and other benefits due to associates they know. So they don't face the same societal or economic struggles as blacks

---

Why do they come from wealth? Why do they have powerful associates?

What if the answer is that whites are more successful because they are more intelligent and have been breeding for civilized behavior for far longer than most other races?

Are you willing to accept that as the answer?

quote:

---

grew up in an environment where I was told that you always will have to work harder in life versus whites in order to succeed

---

That's true except to the extent that race-conscious programs have tried to artificially help blacks at the expense of whites.

quote:

---

. I was told that whites are always looking for reasons to incarcerate black people no matter how miniscule the crime. Meanwhile, whites almost always get a lighter sentence or none at all

---

Blacks commit a ton of crime and give plenty of reasons to be incarcerated.
They know the laws and continue to break them. Whose fault is that?
Why can't white people safely walk through black neighborhoods? Is that white peoples fault too?

I don't think the country is ready for an honest conversation about race. What the left wants is for white people to marginalize themselves.

I got warned how I was going to have to out work the country club class. Dad always complaining how he worked his uncle farms to buy sear roebucks boots for school, while some class mate was inviting girls to the country club for a coke after school.

quote:

---

I was told that you always will have to work harder in life versus whites in order to succeed. 

---

This is true of every race including whites. If you want to succeed, you must set yourself apart from all of your coworkers.

quote:

---

I was told that whites are always looking for reasons to incarcerate black people no matter how miniscule the crime.

---

That's just a flat out lie and likely just an excuse for the disproportionate amount of black men with criminal records. No one wants to put innocent people in jail.

quote:

---

Whites do work hard, but alot of them come from wealth. And they get jobs and other benefits due to associates they know. So they don't face the same societal or economic struggles as blacks. As a result, they can put in less effort in maintaining success. 

---

False. Few come from wealth and have connections to get them a good job without qualifications. The vast majority of people who get jobs are qualified and competent in their jobs, otherwise we'd be the most inefficient workforce in the world. I'll admit that I've gotten interviews before because I had a connection in the company, but I got the job because I was qualified and nailed the interview. Successful businesses don't hire morons just because they're connected.

quote:

---

I was told that I would never be fully accepted even if I obtained better financial status due to my race. I would generally be seen as lazy and anti-law, even though those factors are not the case. 

---

Complete bullshite. I bet most of the posters on this board have a successful black family or more in their subdivision if they live in the city, and have absolutely zero problem with it and welcome them. I do.

quote:

---

 I was told these things by my community growing up. 

---

Some of the older members of the black community were discriminated against horribly and everyone knows that, but that's not the case today. An educated or hardworking black person has just as much chance of succeeding in America today as anyone else. I guarantee you.

quote:

---

Of course it's not colorblind. And any expectation that it would be so is ignorant and ahistorical.

---

I think nowadays, everyone should theoretically be colorblind in their day to day life. Obviously it's impossible and not beneficial in certain areas of life. I don't know when the OP grew up, but if he grew up during the Civil Rights Movement, then sure, I wouldn't dare expect the African American community to be blind to race. They didn't have the same rights as other people. Today, I think growing up in such a community is more harmful than good. There are strategic times to be aware of race, but generally people should treat everyone the same and not pit races against each other

quote:

---

I was told these things by my community growing up. My parents instilled in me to respect everyone, which is what I do. And i grew up knowing that i would have to work for everthing, since i lack wealth, powerful associates, or privelege by birth. But I never held that against anyone, and simply study and work the best way that I can.

---

I'm the grandson of a Chinese immigrant who moved to the United States right after Prohibition in the 1920's. When he arrived at the age of 9 on a boat in New Orleans, he went to school for only three months. He learned a little bit of English and arithmetic before going to work with his uncle at a cleaners in Uptown. He worked 6 days a week from sunrise to sunset for very little money, especially at that time. He would end up staying with this job for the next 50 or so years.

During those 50 or so years, he served in WWII as a chef on a battleship; got married; and had 5 children including my mother. They were never rich but had a strong bonded family and stressed the importance of an education. With that, he was able to put all 5 of his children through college; pretty much of which became entrepreneurs, engineers, or doctors.

People have their prejudices regardless of race. I've received it as a mixed-Asian. But I roll with the punches and continue to do the best that I can to make something of myself. It's like a previous poster stated, if you present yourself to people in a sophisticated matter; all of the other stuff won't matter as much. Personally, when I meet people; I don't think about race. I'm just myself by being polite to others and showing confidence, and people respond back the same way.

You do that, and nothing else will matter.

quote:

---

It sounds like your parents gave you plenty of excuses to fail.

---

I got hammered for pointing this out

quote:

---

volod

---

How old are you?

I'm 69 and obviously grew up in the 50&60s. I was accepted as white because that is my appearance. I was taught some of the same things about black people although not sounding as bad as you were told. My parents and neighbors had a good relationship with black neighbors and trusted many of them to work in their homes. We did when mom was too sick to keep up the house work.

It was normal back then. It seemed a bit strange to me but I didn't spend much time thinking about it. That was just the way it was back then.

Then came the late 60s. Things began to change very quickly. I wouldn't think anyone raised in the 70s and after would be taught those things.

Instilling respect for everyone is an excellent trait that makes the world a better place for us all. Being taught that you are not and never will be equal is a terrible thing and based on lots of personal experience I'm going to say it is mostly incorrect. I'm going to say that the races will never be "equal". It's just a naturally occurring thing among all animals, we being one of them, but we have made great strides toward it since the days of my youth. I wish some people would stop trying to divide. We could do even better.

It seems like a racist environment to me and one that is very harmful to society. Don't dwell on what you were taught. If you feel like you aren't equal just think 1. you didn't ask to be born a certain race and 2. look at how good your life is in a country that is the greatest ever.

quote:

---

I was watching BookNotes on Cspan yesterday. They had a black male prof hawking his book about how slavery still exists today in the US. It's called Prison. The short story:
Blacks don't commit crime. They are falsely arrested and sent to prison for 3 main reasons:
a. Racism
b. The Prison Industrial Complex
c. Capitalism's need for cheap labor

What do you think about that idea?

---

quote:

---

You also lack preferential treatment on Government contracts if you wanted to pursue them. Cards are stacked against you as a white man.

---

Reminds me of this thread I started last February. This wasn't even a government contractor. Jefferson County, Alabama's Sewer Department simply didn't hire anyone because all of the qualified applicants were white. The only reason I even knew about it was because I worked for the Birmingham City School System at the time, and for some reason most of the people there received the Birmingham Times. That publication bills itself as the "south's oldest black weekly" or some such nonsense. It makes no sense to me that no other publications picked this up and ran with it. That just makes me think this is widespread behavior and they don't think it's news.