I saw this ad on last night's news. It was almost funny...until I realized how sad it is. I will not claim to know ALL of the details, but my limited research hasn't surprised me. Let's fire the whole lot and start over with regular people! They are ALL too connected and slimy for me!!
Showing posts with label Georgia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Georgia. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
More Evidence of Southern Hospitality
So I came across an article, in the AJC, regarding the growing Hispanic population in Gwinnett County (an Atlanta suburb.) A sick hobby of mine is browsing http://www.ajc.com/ and reading the reader comments...especially the "Vent" section. It's pure comedy for a moderately-liberal-Black-yankee like me ;) I sometimes get caught up and write these long rants. Today is one of those days, the comments turned to how this is the second time moving was necessary...the first being when "the Blacks" came. Here's my rant:
Interesting comments. Can't say that I'm surprised by any of it. Yes, I'm a "Yankee" who chose to live here. But, I remain surprised at the level of bigotry and ignorance some of you have.
I grew up in a majority white--but fairly diverse--surburb outside DC. I knew several Black families that owned--and maintained--nice homes. When I lived in Maryland, my child attended a private school which was nearly 100% Black. Parents were very involved and the students tested well and were good kids.
Reading these comments leads you to believe these things aren't possible. But, I know several Blacks, in and out of Atlanta, that tell me differently. I AM one of those Black people and find your comments highly offensive! Is it that you haven't left your front stoop? Or are you that blind?
White folks did not invent morality or "goodness." Let's hypothetically agree that Blacks/Hispanics/Others are somehow morally corrupt or less than Whites. Well how do you, as good ole Christian boys, explain that? Did God somehow corrupt an entire race of people? I mean you claim Blacks do most of the violent crimes (more on that later) and that we are stupid and low level, so how do you explain that? How do you explain Blacks who don't fit those stereotypes? I will agree Blacks are disproportionately represented in our prison systems and that we are falling behind in many categories like education and income. It's not crazy to expect that poverty leads to crime. No matter the race, that is the truth. You can go to the trailer parks of Wisconsin and find a higher crime rate than other areas in the same town. It's the same with Atlanta and America overall. Poverty leads to crime.
I love how nonchalantly a few of you write off slavery. It's time to get over it? What am I getting over?The fact that I am a CREATED race? Remember the story of how your ___ immigrated to America? Doesn't that give you pride? When learning the story of MY heritage, I didn't exactly feel pride. As a child, that's a lot to wrap your head around. I asked myself, what can I take pride in? Thankfully, my mother, education and maturity taught me to value that history and I allowed it to empower me. But that's a tall order and we're dealing with generational issues of low self-image and feeling very un-empowered.
Slavery forced Africans to let go of their history, family, language, religions and culture. In one fail swoop, my heritage was wiped away and there was no turning back. There was no way to solve the damage done and now we must all deal with it. How are we going to deal with it? As this article shows, minorities are not going anywhere. Where will you run to? The moon?
Names were replaced and chains (tangible and not) were placed on us. After slavery, there were over 100 years of legalized chains which prevented Blacks from having equal rights. Take any group, ANY GROUP, from its home, force a new EVERYTHING on them, enslave them for hundreds of years and what can you expect when you release them? Especially when society continues to say they are less and expects less from them? Those Africans didn't have $20 in their pockets or the freedom to start anything. They were prohibited from READING! And this was less than 100 years ago! Yet, their descendants should somehow measure equally to Whites? And slavery doesn't hold any weight today? Give me a break!! Slavery is alive in kicking in ALL of us. As witnessed by you pompous folks who think you are too good to be around minorities and see all in one way.
RE: Crime Stats. I will not deny that Blacks are disproportionately represented in the prison system. As I said, poverty can do that. However, you should be more careful with your sweeping allegations and how you word things. Studies have shown minorities and/or those with older vehicles have much higher pull, arrest, and conviction rates. Cops, whether on purpose or not, see "suspect" with certain people more than others. That does NOT mean certain groups COMMIT crimes more than others. Also, and maybe this comes from living in GA, but you need to remember Blacks are only 12% of this country! And some areas have little to none. It's not even possible to blame Blacks for committing MOST crimes. Check out what the FEDERAL GOV has to say about it http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus/current/cv0540.pdf.
Also it's important to note that most crimes are not interracial. Again check out the FED's stats, MOST crimes committed against you are done by your own http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus/current/cv0542.pdf
Your fear and white flight are mostly unfounded. Yes, Blacks are ARRESTED and CONVICTED at higher rates for some violent crimes. But it is impossible to say we commit more. How can you quantify that? Rape is the most common violent crime. It is also mostly unreported. Based on the demographics of this country, I'm all but certain your assumptions are incorrect. But this is a silly game and we shouldn't even go there...why should we have to prove ourselves? Can we not get acceptance based on being human? Or are we still stuck in slavery? It's either one or the other.
The real issues are poverty and education. Until everyone has access to good schools and a decent quality of life, we will have citizens (of every color) who are more likely to commit crime, use drugs and become disconnected from their communities. How can you expect people to care about YOUR community? You make it so clear that they are beneath you and that this is somehow your pristine territory, so again where's the motivation to change their "ghetto ways" or whatever you call them? It's time to realize we live in ONE community.
Interesting comments. Can't say that I'm surprised by any of it. Yes, I'm a "Yankee" who chose to live here. But, I remain surprised at the level of bigotry and ignorance some of you have.
I grew up in a majority white--but fairly diverse--surburb outside DC. I knew several Black families that owned--and maintained--nice homes. When I lived in Maryland, my child attended a private school which was nearly 100% Black. Parents were very involved and the students tested well and were good kids.
Reading these comments leads you to believe these things aren't possible. But, I know several Blacks, in and out of Atlanta, that tell me differently. I AM one of those Black people and find your comments highly offensive! Is it that you haven't left your front stoop? Or are you that blind?
White folks did not invent morality or "goodness." Let's hypothetically agree that Blacks/Hispanics/Others are somehow morally corrupt or less than Whites. Well how do you, as good ole Christian boys, explain that? Did God somehow corrupt an entire race of people? I mean you claim Blacks do most of the violent crimes (more on that later) and that we are stupid and low level, so how do you explain that? How do you explain Blacks who don't fit those stereotypes? I will agree Blacks are disproportionately represented in our prison systems and that we are falling behind in many categories like education and income. It's not crazy to expect that poverty leads to crime. No matter the race, that is the truth. You can go to the trailer parks of Wisconsin and find a higher crime rate than other areas in the same town. It's the same with Atlanta and America overall. Poverty leads to crime.
I love how nonchalantly a few of you write off slavery. It's time to get over it? What am I getting over?The fact that I am a CREATED race? Remember the story of how your ___ immigrated to America? Doesn't that give you pride? When learning the story of MY heritage, I didn't exactly feel pride. As a child, that's a lot to wrap your head around. I asked myself, what can I take pride in? Thankfully, my mother, education and maturity taught me to value that history and I allowed it to empower me. But that's a tall order and we're dealing with generational issues of low self-image and feeling very un-empowered.
Slavery forced Africans to let go of their history, family, language, religions and culture. In one fail swoop, my heritage was wiped away and there was no turning back. There was no way to solve the damage done and now we must all deal with it. How are we going to deal with it? As this article shows, minorities are not going anywhere. Where will you run to? The moon?
Names were replaced and chains (tangible and not) were placed on us. After slavery, there were over 100 years of legalized chains which prevented Blacks from having equal rights. Take any group, ANY GROUP, from its home, force a new EVERYTHING on them, enslave them for hundreds of years and what can you expect when you release them? Especially when society continues to say they are less and expects less from them? Those Africans didn't have $20 in their pockets or the freedom to start anything. They were prohibited from READING! And this was less than 100 years ago! Yet, their descendants should somehow measure equally to Whites? And slavery doesn't hold any weight today? Give me a break!! Slavery is alive in kicking in ALL of us. As witnessed by you pompous folks who think you are too good to be around minorities and see all in one way.
RE: Crime Stats. I will not deny that Blacks are disproportionately represented in the prison system. As I said, poverty can do that. However, you should be more careful with your sweeping allegations and how you word things. Studies have shown minorities and/or those with older vehicles have much higher pull, arrest, and conviction rates. Cops, whether on purpose or not, see "suspect" with certain people more than others. That does NOT mean certain groups COMMIT crimes more than others. Also, and maybe this comes from living in GA, but you need to remember Blacks are only 12% of this country! And some areas have little to none. It's not even possible to blame Blacks for committing MOST crimes. Check out what the FEDERAL GOV has to say about it http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus/current/cv0540.pdf.
Also it's important to note that most crimes are not interracial. Again check out the FED's stats, MOST crimes committed against you are done by your own http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/cvus/current/cv0542.pdf
Your fear and white flight are mostly unfounded. Yes, Blacks are ARRESTED and CONVICTED at higher rates for some violent crimes. But it is impossible to say we commit more. How can you quantify that? Rape is the most common violent crime. It is also mostly unreported. Based on the demographics of this country, I'm all but certain your assumptions are incorrect. But this is a silly game and we shouldn't even go there...why should we have to prove ourselves? Can we not get acceptance based on being human? Or are we still stuck in slavery? It's either one or the other.
The real issues are poverty and education. Until everyone has access to good schools and a decent quality of life, we will have citizens (of every color) who are more likely to commit crime, use drugs and become disconnected from their communities. How can you expect people to care about YOUR community? You make it so clear that they are beneath you and that this is somehow your pristine territory, so again where's the motivation to change their "ghetto ways" or whatever you call them? It's time to realize we live in ONE community.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
An apology for slavery?
As I'm sure everyone knows, Virginia legislators have expressed "profound regret" for the role Virginia played in enslaving African-Americans. At first, this "apology" did nothing for me and I wondered what the point was. But, I was still happy to hear it as I was hoping it made someone feel better. I also saw no harm and felt pride in my home state for this progressive move. Fast forward a few months and some Georgia Democrats are proposing a similar resolution.
After reading Republican legislators boldly say, "it will never happen" and "I don't owe anyone an apology", and reading locals negate the apology and mock the Black experience (in the AJC's "Vent"), I have to piece together my newfound thoughts on this. So here are my responses to the most common arguments...
"The victims are all dead"
Many of the victims are still alive and represent 12% of our country. Slavery did not end with the emancipation proclamation and its effects are reaching into the future. Current legislators may not have owned slaves but they were definitely around when Jim Crow was alive and kicking. Jim Crow was merely an extension of the same mentality which told people it was okay to enslave Africans in the first place.Take any group of people strip them of their history, culture and abilities to be self-sufficient and the chances are they will struggle for generations to come. Add in 400+ years of slavery, and another 100 or so years of legal discrimination, and another X years of discrimination and racism, based on a longstanding mindset that this group is beneath Whites, and struggle and hardship is all but guaranteed for many years and generations to come.
If we compare African-Americans (statistically) to other groups, I think it's clear what I mean. However, I think education is the clearest example, as it's the root of our greatest divides. Slaves were barred from learning and in some states, teaching a slave (or later African-American) to read was illegal. Once slavery ended, there was legal segregation and the schools were far from equal. Segregation ended the same year my mom was born...not so long ago. Moreover, there were many years of resistance to this and other civil rights issues. Some areas weren't integrated until the 70s! I was born in the 70s! Fast forward to now and minorities are still falling behind. Inner city schools (and others with large percentages of African-Americans) are far from equal. They started out inferior and only got worse.
After reading Republican legislators boldly say, "it will never happen" and "I don't owe anyone an apology", and reading locals negate the apology and mock the Black experience (in the AJC's "Vent"), I have to piece together my newfound thoughts on this. So here are my responses to the most common arguments...
"The victims are all dead"
Many of the victims are still alive and represent 12% of our country. Slavery did not end with the emancipation proclamation and its effects are reaching into the future. Current legislators may not have owned slaves but they were definitely around when Jim Crow was alive and kicking. Jim Crow was merely an extension of the same mentality which told people it was okay to enslave Africans in the first place.Take any group of people strip them of their history, culture and abilities to be self-sufficient and the chances are they will struggle for generations to come. Add in 400+ years of slavery, and another 100 or so years of legal discrimination, and another X years of discrimination and racism, based on a longstanding mindset that this group is beneath Whites, and struggle and hardship is all but guaranteed for many years and generations to come.
If we compare African-Americans (statistically) to other groups, I think it's clear what I mean. However, I think education is the clearest example, as it's the root of our greatest divides. Slaves were barred from learning and in some states, teaching a slave (or later African-American) to read was illegal. Once slavery ended, there was legal segregation and the schools were far from equal. Segregation ended the same year my mom was born...not so long ago. Moreover, there were many years of resistance to this and other civil rights issues. Some areas weren't integrated until the 70s! I was born in the 70s! Fast forward to now and minorities are still falling behind. Inner city schools (and others with large percentages of African-Americans) are far from equal. They started out inferior and only got worse.
Therefore, you have generation after generation growing up with low expectations when it comes to education. However, the media and "experts" seem oblivious to this and keep asking "why?" It's evident this is a systemic problem deeply rooted in our beginnings here. Don't get me started on how the slave mentality still exists in the African-American community. Our culture is almost solely based on our experiences here and sadly, a lot of our history has created horrible patterns of self-defeating behavior. We still have kids who think education is not for them and learning is a White thing. Where do you think that comes from?
"Why do you need an apology?"
"Why do you need an apology?"
Personally, an apology won't make me feel any better about race relations in our country. But, I do feel we've treaded too lightly on the issue of slavery and how it still plays into our society. I look at how separating families and restricting education created generational trends, which still exist and wonder how we can honestly say slavery is a thing of the past. I see evidence of slavery embedded in my culture and it's hard to deny the effects. I also look at our attempts to right wrongs with Japanese Americans and Native Americans and wonder why the biggest crime against humanity got brushed under the table. I guess it makes people feel better to pretend it's a thing of the past. Jay-Z's words apply here: "men lie, women lie, but numbers don't." Statistically speaking, African-Americans are still enslaved.
"What will an apology solve?"
I would hope an apology leads to more discussions. I think we spend too much time either being angry over what happened or trying to distance ourselves from what happened and continues to happen. All the while, what happened still affects our country today. Maybe those conversations could lead to a deeper awareness for both Blacks and non-Blacks. I tend to think non-Blacks are less than aware of how race is woven into our society. While Blacks (and other minorities) are sometimes overly aware. We have to find a way for each side to gain an understanding of each other.
"What will an apology solve?"
I would hope an apology leads to more discussions. I think we spend too much time either being angry over what happened or trying to distance ourselves from what happened and continues to happen. All the while, what happened still affects our country today. Maybe those conversations could lead to a deeper awareness for both Blacks and non-Blacks. I tend to think non-Blacks are less than aware of how race is woven into our society. While Blacks (and other minorities) are sometimes overly aware. We have to find a way for each side to gain an understanding of each other.
I completely understand when people say they didn't own slaves or they weren't responsible for XYZ. I get it. But, I also think many don't recognize that White privilege still exists and how race still matters. I've heard many negative statements, about Blacks, which generalized problems. I've read "those" parents aren't interested in raising kids. "Those" kids are violent or unruly. "Those" people need to get up off their butts. It goes on and on. And I know those feelings are common across the country. However, what I don't get is why anyone would believe "those" people are really so different. We bleed the same blood, literally and figuratively! Therefore, if "those" people are the same, there is obviously a problem. But, we have to admit to it first.
An apology can't change much. African-Americans are an invented ethnicity. Most know little to nothing about African culture or our heritage/lineage. Nothing will change that. Thousands died on the journey here and millions suffered as chattel. Nothing will erase any of the horrors African-Americans have faced since arriving in the US. Nevertheless, I hope small steps, like an apology, will lead to a new direction for everyone.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Race Rants #1
For my first issue of Race Rants, I have to call out these Georgians! Now, don't get me wrong, I love Atlanta. I would not have moved here if I didn't. But, that doesn't stop me from being surprised by some of the mess Georgians focus on. It's quite racist and ass-backwards down here. I hear so much about Yankees and how they have "ruined" the city. Well, I for one am THANKFUL for the Yankees. Heaven only knows what Atlanta would be without them!
For those who don't know, the modern day KKK was founded in Stone Mountain, GA, which is a suburb of Atlanta. On any given day, you can drive down any ATL highway and see several cars draped in confederate flags. And yes, they are draped! It seems one flag is not enough. To make SURE we get the point, these hillbillies place SEVERAL flags on their cars. They come in the form of bumper stickers, license plates, waving flags, and pictures taped to windows. If you didn't know better, you would think the civil war is happening right now....perhaps "they" have confused the influx of Blacks (into "their" suburbs) with a new fangled civil war?
These folks are downright crazy with hate for others. Recent news reports have shown everything from pointless declarations of an official language, to efforts asking us to “take back Georgia” by doing things such as; making it a crime to rent to illegals and limiting who a HOMEOWNER can have in their home. While I’ll admit to believing in immigration reform and doing “something” about the issue, I prefer a humanistic approach that will benefit all and not hurt the children. In my humble opinion, most of this stuff stems from shear hatred!
Yet, I was STILL in shock over this story. A high school, in Gainesville, GA, had to remove a flag display honoring diversity. Somehow, this school managed to enroll a diverse student body (most Georgia schools are limited.) To honor that, they placed flags, from all over the world, in front of the school. Officials thought it a wonderful way to pay homage to their students’ beginnings and to spark intelligent conversation for the kids. But, some Georgians didn’t agree. A few thought the American flag was too small and should be taller and much bigger than the others. Some thought this a bad idea because, this IS America. The school was forced to bring the display inside. I think they are all racist pigs!
For those who don't know, the modern day KKK was founded in Stone Mountain, GA, which is a suburb of Atlanta. On any given day, you can drive down any ATL highway and see several cars draped in confederate flags. And yes, they are draped! It seems one flag is not enough. To make SURE we get the point, these hillbillies place SEVERAL flags on their cars. They come in the form of bumper stickers, license plates, waving flags, and pictures taped to windows. If you didn't know better, you would think the civil war is happening right now....perhaps "they" have confused the influx of Blacks (into "their" suburbs) with a new fangled civil war?
These folks are downright crazy with hate for others. Recent news reports have shown everything from pointless declarations of an official language, to efforts asking us to “take back Georgia” by doing things such as; making it a crime to rent to illegals and limiting who a HOMEOWNER can have in their home. While I’ll admit to believing in immigration reform and doing “something” about the issue, I prefer a humanistic approach that will benefit all and not hurt the children. In my humble opinion, most of this stuff stems from shear hatred!
Yet, I was STILL in shock over this story. A high school, in Gainesville, GA, had to remove a flag display honoring diversity. Somehow, this school managed to enroll a diverse student body (most Georgia schools are limited.) To honor that, they placed flags, from all over the world, in front of the school. Officials thought it a wonderful way to pay homage to their students’ beginnings and to spark intelligent conversation for the kids. But, some Georgians didn’t agree. A few thought the American flag was too small and should be taller and much bigger than the others. Some thought this a bad idea because, this IS America. The school was forced to bring the display inside. I think they are all racist pigs!
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