Racism

I've made an observation in the last couple of days since Barack Obama won the presidential election. There have been many stories in the news about the country being united and moving beyond some of the racial issues of the past but it appears to me that Obama winning has sparked a new round of racism. I've received numerous racist emails with doctored photos and jokes in the last couple of days and most of them are forwarded from people that I know aren't racist yet they add comments about how funny the email is. I understand they are just jokes but they would definitely be offensive to some people. So what do you think? Have you noticed this and if you have do you think it's offensive and malicious or just harmless jokes?

Haven't seen much of that yet. Except maybe for one I like to tell at work.

like the email about all whites reporting to the cotton field on Jan 20th, or do we now call it the black house, or did they start construction on the oval porch, or the coin with washington's face painted with black marker???? No havent noticed those......

Oval porch!!

Some of the jokes running around will be racist. There is still an element of racism in our country. I must point out, there would have been plenty of jokes about McCain had he been elected as well. Are the jokes racist in reality,or just poor in taste. I must add that it is in fact people of color that have launched alot of these jokes as a way of "giving the finger" to the establishment. There are some fools that want to turn the whole country ghetto. Look at the source before you play the race card. More importantly don't bring your own insecurities into play on the subject. This is NOT an attack, but the observations of some who is likely much older than you, who seen and experienced more and likely reads more than you...

Artie, a question? Why must you already cry victim? That attitude already betrays what Obama has worked for. Read more about the man and you will understand.

The "glass cieling" has been broken however. Minorities can no longer play the race card when they fail to acquire a job or promotion. That shit is over. There tiniest hint of that behaviour is cause for a lawsuit that too many people don't even want to spend the money to defend. Black and Latin Americans have to step up, get the education and give up the ghetto bullshit if they want to be taken seriously in the workplace or the boardroom. "Keeping it real" has been an excuse for being broke and stupid for too long. The cycle of poverty had been perpetuated by people conditioned (often self imposed) to take scraps rather than work for what they want. That and this odd sense of entitlement that many people seem to have today is that which never ceases to amaze me, let alone always pisses me off. I don't care if all someone gets is a trade school education (college isn't for everyone. The world needs tradesmen. Just don't bitch about what you don't have if you don;t have the skills to get it...). There are options for anyone willing to take steps to grow.

Quote:

Originally posted by rainbowdemon

Oval porch!!

I love having you around.

thats right bdww

I haven't heard too many racist jokes, but I'm black, so the jokes wouldn't be told to my face. I know there's an undercurrent of racism everywhere in this country, but as a baby boomer who remembers the 60's riots and segregation, this nation has grown more tolerant and respectful of people of color as well as immigrants from the East, Europe and Central America. I guess there will always be bigotry and racism in a multicultural world, but I've lived long enough to see the products of the long suffering descendents of slavery, despair and indignance rise to great heights, not only for my ethnic group, but for many, many others in the U.S. The dawn is upon us, so say a prayer for us all. "God Bless America!"

Quote:

Originally posted by Bangledesh

...

I love having you around.

I know rite.

It seems to me quite a few people are secretly racist. I thought (especially in Canada) very few people were racist, since my family has never been like that...my dads bestfriend while I was growing up was his friend Becky, who was black..I just never really seen Becky as anything but another man...but my dad would tell me he took shit for being his friend, because a lot of people were secretly racist. I learned this when I started working..I really had no idea people were still so ignorant..but, maybe they just had a different upbringing than I..

Quote:

Originally posted by ArtieLange

I've made an observation in the last couple of days since Barack Obama won the presidential election. There have been many stories in the news about the country being united and moving beyond some of the racial issues of the past but it appears to me that Obama winning has sparked a new round of racism. I've received numerous racist emails with doctored photos and jokes in the last couple of days and most of them are forwarded from people that I know aren't racist yet they add comments about how funny the email is. I understand they are just jokes but they would definitely be offensive to some people. So what do you think? Have you noticed this and if you have do you think it's offensive and malicious or just harmless jokes?

I really haven't noticed much in the way of the redneck whites pushing back. I have noticed an increased amount of these types of messages. I have heard things at work before the 4th, as in lets stick together, lets paint the white house black, whitties gonna be the oppressed now, etc etc. Maybe it's just where I work & the microcosm there in. PEACE.

Quote:

Originally posted by BDWW

Some of the jokes running around will be racist. There is still an element of racism in our country. I must point out, there would have been plenty of jokes about McCain had he been elected as well. Are the jokes racist in reality,or just poor in taste. I must add that it is in fact people of color that have launched alot of these jokes as a way of "giving the finger" to the establishment. There are some fools that want to turn the whole country ghetto. Look at the source before you play the race card. More importantly don't bring your own insecurities into play on the subject. This is NOT an attack, but the observations of some who is likely much older than you, who seen and experienced more and likely reads more than you...

Artie, a question? Why must you already cry victim? That attitude already betrays what Obama has worked for. Read more about the man and you will understand.

The "glass cieling" has been broken however. Minorities can no longer play the race card when they fail to acquire a job or promotion. That shit is over. There tiniest hint of that behaviour is cause for a lawsuit that too many people don't even want to spend the money to defend. Black and Latin Americans have to step up, get the education and give up the ghetto bullshit if they want to be taken seriously in the workplace or the boardroom. "Keeping it real" has been an excuse for being broke and stupid for too long. The cycle of poverty had been perpetuated by people conditioned (often self imposed) to take scraps rather than work for what they want. That and this odd sense of entitlement that many people seem to have today is that which never ceases to amaze me, let alone always pisses me off. I don't care if all someone gets is a trade school education (college isn't for everyone. The world needs tradesmen. Just don't bitch about what you don't have if you don;t have the skills to get it...). There are options for anyone willing to take steps to grow.

Very well put. Excuses are for losers. Just look at the penal population in this country. You've stated exactly what we need to hear and say to my brothas and sistas, as well as anyone who feels that they don't have the same chances as anyone else, White, Black, Latino, etc. If the effort is there and the soul is willing, you can accomplish anything.

da Stroka

Quote:

Originally posted by BDWW

Artie, a question? Why must you already cry victim? That attitude already betrays what Obama has worked for. Read more about the man and you will understand.

Take it easy I'm not crying victim I'm white, I was simply wondering if others were seeing this also. I intentionally tried to keep the statement neutral so I wouldn't start a thread full of arguing.

I post very rarely but thought this was a pretty good post with some very good responses. I read what BDWW had to say and agree with it whole heartedly. In my opinion I think there is still an element of racisim in the US, but there is an element of distrust whenever you have two different ethnic groups or races together.

I work in DC but grew up in the country for most of my life. I was never put in a position where I was around lots of African Americans, but I am in that position now. I don't consider myself racist, but understand that there are some cultural differences between other people and me. Sure it makes me uncomfortable sometimes, but I see them on equal footing with me.

It has been quite an eye-opening experience to walk around in DC and see the minorities energized and excited about the outcome of the election. I've also had some really strange thoughts along the lines of "Holly Shit, it's not the status quo anymore!" I've even thought along the lines that there is a Black president and what if he sets about implementing an agenda that doesn't parallel what I'm used to. It's not a pleasant feeling, but it makes you step out of your comfort zone and realize that something bigger is going on.

I voted for McCain, but I think that Obama winning is going to be a good thing for the country. Maybe now it's going to make people that weren't part of the process participate and get involved. Stop the stupid excuses and get off your ass! The country/world has been slogging away for some time. With the economy in the crapper somebody has to step up..... what I hope comes out of this is that one person (Obama) can't do it but the people with the real power realize it. But maybe this is the kick in the ass that the US needs to do something positive. If we're lucky the US along with other countries will step it up and get us past the financial BS and do something.

In the end it's not the President of the US or other Heads of State that change things... It is the people that affect change.

Sorry for the rant, but I guess I happen to see the opportunity in this and not the perceived negatives. It's bigger than race and hopefully people in the US and the world will see it and affect a positive change.

Had 3 or 4 jokes get texted to me the day after the election, the last 2 days...nothing

well now we can pick on the american natives.....

a joke is a joke,no harm no foul!!!

fools make it racist...

I think racial jokes is the least of the worries right now and in the future.

^^ well said ^^

Quote:

Originally posted by daytona1990

I think racial jokes is the least of the worries right now and in the future.

Indeed. Who gives a fuck about a silly email?

For the record...I am BLACK. Not African American. Not Negro. Just Black. BUT before I am ANYTHING else I am AMERICAN.

Artie, your opening smacked of liberal victocratic ideaology/mentality hence my response. I hope you can see that. In this forum, on this website race does not exist. For the most part countries don't either. We are all just people here. No faces, just voices. We all have our opinions. We won't agree on everything. With that said, it is time for EVERYONE to bury the bullshit. Victim mentality is what has been hurting ALL of us. People need to stand up and take responsibilty for that which is theirs, that which is not theirs but they can help and for their communities as a whole. If people acted more responsibly across the board, what could be accomplished?

Worry less about what you perceive to be racist, unless it is an overt, plain and clear remark, then act. Worry more about who you will be in the scheme of things. Will you be part of the solution, or part of the problem. I too am a boomer. I have seen more than my fair share of racism and bigotry. Yet I live in one of the most affluent cities in the world, lead a comfortable lifestyle, eat at the finest restaraunts, blah blah blah. My life became this whe I stopped blaming everyone else, owned my own shit, manned up and moved forward. Not to say I did not run into human speedbumps along the way....Katt Williams says "You need haters. The more haters you have, the better you know you are doing...."

I don't think racism has increased. I think it's just more public. Wspecially how plenty out there are threatened by a Black president or the stupid "he's a Muslim!" bullshit just cause of his name (as if being Black or Muslim is bad).