Ferguson unrest

[Bonam]

This is unequivocally wrong. Race factors into every situation.

See... this is why we can't really take your comments regarding racism seriously.

[On Guard for Thee]

Because you disagree with what you call an insinuation does not a lie make.

[On Guard for Thee]

You're quite funny.

[Smallc]

This is unequivocally wrong. Race factors into every situation.

Well, it certainly doesn't in my life, and I'm about to be involved in what many would call a biracial marriage. You'll have to forgive me if I don't bow down to your wisdom on this matter.

[Smallc]

Because you disagree with what you call an insinuation does not a lie make.

It does when it's intentionally misleading and ignores pretty much every available fact.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Smallc

[On Guard for Thee]

I see you and Poochy are probably birds of a feather. Maybe get together with him and work it out to suit yourselves.

[Smallc]

Why bother? You've already invented your own facts. It seems like everything is finished.

[Bonam]

Well, it certainly doesn't in my life, and I'm about to be involved in what many would call a biracial marriage. You'll have to forgive me if I don't bow down to your wisdom on this matter.

I feel like leftist rhetoric on race has really diverged far from reality in recent years. Everything is always about race to them. Sigh.

[Smallc]

I feel like leftist rhetoric on race has really diverged far from reality in recent years. Everything is always about race to them. Sigh.

And the thing is none of us claim that racism

Is dead. Racism exists in many forms in too many places. That said, white on minority racism is probably at its lowest level in history, yet in leftist ideology, it's becoming a bigger and bigger issue.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Smallc

[On Guard for Thee]

A trial could have revealed actual facts. McCulloch running a Grand Jury would be like Willie Coyote being in charge of the hen house.

[Bonam]

And the thing is none of us claim that racism

Is dead. Racism exists in many forms in too many places. That said, white in minority racism is probably at its lowest level in history, yet in leftist ideology, it's becoming a bigger and bigger issue.

Yep. Frankly I think the far left who seem to care so much about racism are doing a major disservice to their own cause. It's like the boy who cried wolf. You yell racism over and over in every situation whether it's there or not, eventually people will stop paying attention and just ignore you. And real racism might then happen unnoticed cause everyone is ignoring those who constantly "bleat" (to borrow a favorite word from "the left") about it.

[Smallc]

A trial could have revealed actual facts. McCulloch running a Grand Jury would be like Willie Coyote being in charge of the hen house.

Hyperbole much?

[On Guard for Thee]

I have to wonder if these folks who are convinced racism doesn't exist or nearly so, have been any further than a few miles from their couches in their lives. Wasn't long ago I was in New Orleans. Guess what?

[bush_cheney2004]

My main problem with the usual patronizing liberal race baiting in this instance is that it ironically strips self determination and accountability from all "black people" in the name of "institutionalized racism" to justify petty theft and the unlawful assault of a police officer.

It is the worst kind of condescending racism of all. Michael Brown's actions determined his fate on that day....not all "white people".

[Bonam]

I have to wonder if these folks who are convinced racism doesn't exist or nearly so

There is cybercoma's claim that everything is always about race. And then there's your strawman that people claim that racism doesn't exist (which no one argued). You people do realize that there is something in between, right?

On a scale of 0 (racism doesn't exist) to 10 (everything is always about race), where do you think reality lies?

[Bonam]

My main problem with the usual patronizing liberal race baiting in this instance is that it ironically strips self determination and accountability from all "black people" in the name of "institutionalized racism" to justify petty theft and the unlawful assault of a police officer.

It is the worst kind of condescending racism of all. Michael Brown's actions determined his fate on that day....not all "white people".

Indeed. The liberal stance on race is frankly insulting to everyone. To blacks because it views them as somehow incapable of standing up for themselves or acting on the same level as other members of society, to whites because it assumes they are all inherent racists or beneficiaries of racism, and to Asians because it tries to sweep their existence under the rug as an inconvenient reality that fails to fit into their narrative.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Bonam

[On Guard for Thee]

People in the US especially, at least some, like to think racism doesn't exist in their world. Racism certainly does and it depends where you happen to be in the world. I'm a Canadian and am quite proud of the fact that we do pretty good but are far from perfect. I was recently in New Orleans and I saw it there. Not so long ago I was in west coast Africa. Interesting how it works there. You are asking me to make a 1-10 evaluation? That simplistic attempt at evaluating the situation is about as valid as trying to limit your pallet to no more than 10 colors in the world. It's a complicated issue that takes thinking beyond paint by number. but if you want to try and make a start based on your original question, I'd say we are closer to the right hand side of the scale.

[Bonam]

People in the US especially, at least some, like to think racism doesn't exist in their world. Racism certainly does and it depends where you happen to be in the world. I'm a Canadian and am quite proud of the fact that we do pretty good but are far from perfect. I was recently in New Orleans and I saw it there.

The US also varies hugely from state to state, city to city, region to region. What you see or do not see in New Orleans cannot be extrapolated to the US as a whole. And of course if cybercoma had full possession of his faculties on the topic of race, he would be the first to tell you that anecdotes do not make for data.

Not so long ago I was in west coast Africa. Interesting how it works there. You are asking me to make a 1-10 evaluation? That simplistic attempt at evaluating the situation is about as valid as trying to limit your pallet to no more than 10 colors in the world.

I agree it is simplistic, overly so. But it is at least better than having people yelling back and forth "omg racism is everywhere!" and "no!".

It's a complicated issue that takes thinking beyond paint by number. but if you want to try and make a start based on your original question, I'd say we are closer to the right hand side of the scale.

And I'd say we are closer to the left side of the scale, perhaps a 2 or a 3. But that at least creates a viable basis for discussion... how can we quantify things to determine how prevalent racism really is or is not? Where are we talking about when we want to assert how common racism is... the average across the whole world? America? Missouri? The particular neighborhood where this event happened? That would at least be something. But 113 pages and the discussion has failed to move past "omg! racism!".

[On Guard for Thee]

Well there again, which side of that scale you feel closer to likely depends on the community where you live/work. For me my street is as squeaky white as you can get. Where I usually work I'm the extreme minority. I love it. I have learned a lot from the privilege. If my street becomes a rainbow I'm quite happy. Point being is I have learned not to be afraid of other cultures. Every one of them has their share of bad boys.

[Bonam]

Well there again, which side of that scale you feel closer to likely depends on the community where you live/work. For me my street is as squeaky white as you can get. Where I usually work I'm the extreme minority. I love it. I have learned a lot from the privilege. If my street becomes a rainbow I'm quite happy. Point being is I have learned not to be afraid of other cultures. Every one of them has their share of bad boys.

Most areas that I have lived, studied, and worked in have been quite multicultural, as well, and the amount of racism I have seen has been fairly minimal. As for my street changing character... I don't think I've ever lived on any one street for more than a couple years, so that's never particularly been a concern of mine. Having been through 3 immigrations in my life and having moved around within countries countless times, who is living next to me depends a lot more on where I go next than on demographic trends of an area.

[Hal 9000]

Yes. Didn't you know? Black people have been oppressing whites for generations. They've got all kinds of social and institutional power to do so. /s

So...only white people are racist?

[cybercoma]

What you need is to check your guilt. Building an inclusive egalitarian society involves not shouting racist at every one every 5 seconds. Hearing that we're all racist and we just can't help it makes me want to vomit.

You're seriously dense if you think racism goes away because you pretend it doesn't exist.

[cybercoma]

Then what are you arguing, exactly? We have a bunch of armchair quarterbacks in here saying what the officer should have done, and that he only did what he did because he was racist. Well, how do you know? Were you there? Almost all of the available evidence points to your position being wrong, but that doesn't deter you one bit. As far as a few of you are concerned, this happened because a white officer killed a big scary black guy. It had nothing to do with the circumstances. The problem is that the facts don't line up that way, and you continue with it anyway.

It's pretty clear, unless you're an imbecile, that cops shouldn't shoot unarmed people.

[cybercoma]

See... this is why we can't really take your comments regarding racism seriously.

why? Because you have absolutely no clue what racism is and how it affects people? Join Smallc amd the others with your head buried firmly in the sand. If white cops killing black people every 3 to 4 days diesn't give you a clue that there's a problem then nothing will. But you cowards keep pretending there isn't a problem. At least you have the luxury to do so.

[cybercoma]

Well, it certainly doesn't in my life, and I'm about to be involved in what many would call a biracial marriage. You'll have to forgive me if I don't bow down to your wisdom on this matter.

Look at you. Marry a native girl and suddenly you understand racism. Meanwhile, completely ignore people who've been saying there's a serious problem and they experience racism everyday. Racism isn't over because some white kid who can't check his god damned privilege says so. You don't speak for the people who experience it and are bringing attention to it. And you sure as shit don't get to tell them that they're wrong because you in your white tower said so.