Stanzi
Well-Known Member
Steve you seem like a reasonable and intelligent guy but that's a total false equivalency.
Hawkeyes Past, Present, Future Share Feelings on Racial Injustice
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
- Status
Steve you seem like a reasonable and intelligent guy but that's a total false equivalency.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
For those of you struggling with the concept of White Privilege, let me share a personal experience that may help some wrap their minds around the concept.
I'm generally not a fan of disclosing personal information at all, especially on some type of forum, and tend to play things very close to the vest. But if doing so helps enlighten some, so be it. As a disclaimer, I will add that using White Privilege as a crutch does indeed happen at times, and that's frustrating to see, but those situations should in no way distract from the underlying reality. It absolutely does exist. So, here goes:
My mother grabbed me and left my father in the middle of the night due to my father's alcoholism when I was three. We survived initially on food stamps and my mother worked various odd jobs to help make ends meet. Due to her own co-dependency issues she remarried him several years later after he found out he was terminally ill (I wasn't even aware he existed until he showed up one day drunk and crying). He died a slow agonizing death two years later.
We remained below the poverty limit while residing in an old 60 foot mobile home. Not surprisingly, in my early teen years, I got involved with the wrong crowd and caught up in truancy, drugs, fighting and petty crimes. I abruptly quit school at the end of my sophomore year with a report card at the time that read straight Fs.
I don't know how it happened, but at some point around this time I had an epiphany. I jettisoned my "friends," studied for the GED and passed the test, basically talked my way into college, ended up excelling, and now I have an advanced degree and live life as a "one-percenter." No one in my family of four older brothers and one older sister thought that I had a chance in hell of accomplishing anything, so I didn't receive a dime of support. During this time, my mother also died a slow death from cancer. I paid off over $200,000 in student loans by living for years in small apartments with roommates until I got past (literally) 10 years of post baccalaureate education and training.
So, how does White Privilege come into play with all this?
Imagine, really concentrate and imagine, how that exact same scenario would have played out if I was black...... Do you honestly deep down think that I would have been afforded those second chances? Genuinely, sincerely, ponder it.
That in a nutshell is White Privilege.
I'm generally not a fan of disclosing personal information at all, especially on some type of forum, and tend to play things very close to the vest. But if doing so helps enlighten some, so be it. As a disclaimer, I will add that using White Privilege as a crutch does indeed happen at times, and that's frustrating to see, but those situations should in no way distract from the underlying reality. It absolutely does exist. So, here goes:
My mother grabbed me and left my father in the middle of the night due to my father's alcoholism when I was three. We survived initially on food stamps and my mother worked various odd jobs to help make ends meet. Due to her own co-dependency issues she remarried him several years later after he found out he was terminally ill (I wasn't even aware he existed until he showed up one day drunk and crying). He died a slow agonizing death two years later.
We remained below the poverty limit while residing in an old 60 foot mobile home. Not surprisingly, in my early teen years, I got involved with the wrong crowd and caught up in truancy, drugs, fighting and petty crimes. I abruptly quit school at the end of my sophomore year with a report card at the time that read straight Fs.
I don't know how it happened, but at some point around this time I had an epiphany. I jettisoned my "friends," studied for the GED and passed the test, basically talked my way into college, ended up excelling, and now I have an advanced degree and live life as a "one-percenter." No one in my family of four older brothers and one older sister thought that I had a chance in hell of accomplishing anything, so I didn't receive a dime of support. During this time, my mother also died a slow death from cancer. I paid off over $200,000 in student loans by living for years in small apartments with roommates until I got past (literally) 10 years of post baccalaureate education and training.
So, how does White Privilege come into play with all this?
Imagine, really concentrate and imagine, how that exact same scenario would have played out if I was black...... Do you honestly deep down think that I would have been afforded those second chances? Genuinely, sincerely, ponder it.
That in a nutshell is White Privilege.
That's a very good post and things like this are helpful. My only question is, why do you think your second chance was rewarded because of white privilege and not because of hard work?
Screw it. Here's my story. My mom was divorced with 2 kids bu the time she was 21. Around 10 a step dad came into the picture that made finances better but life in general way worse. He wasnt the most abusive guy in the world but it was pretty bad. They moved away as soon as I graduated high school, leaving me to find my way with no help at all. I wanted to go to school but had no idea how to do it or pay for it. I stumbled across a trade and took the one thing I learned from my step dad (going to work every day) and turned it into a profession where I make pretty good money. You could argue that I had white privilege because i ended up with a step dad who sucked balls and taught me work ethic by example, but in my opinion thay argument would be racist if you try to make it. Maybe guys like me are more triggered at the term then others, but I'm equally sure there are black guys out there who worked their asses off who are triggered by it too. It's easy to grow up with white privilege and condemn others for not believing in it. It's a lit harder to grow up with no privilege at all and still recognize it. Especially when you've dedicated your whole life to breaking the family mold of waiting for handouts.
Motigerhawk
Well-Known Member
You need to educate yourself in what white privilege is. If you are white, no matter your circumstances, you have privilege in this country.
This murderous cop was an Army MP and there are a lot of those types who want to rough people up and be in control who go into the policing business.
Not only that but I think the Supreme Court has ruled that the cops and govt officials cant be sued for damages. WTF, everyone should be accountable but so many arent and that is the problem.
Not only this but where are the psych tests for these cops to find out how deviant and racist they are. My gawd we have seen cops just fucking shoot people at traffic stops from 20 feet and the cop says they feared for their lives.
Bullshit these cops want to kill people of color. Racism and murder is alive and well in the good ole USA.
Most cops are fine but the hiring aspect and supervision needs to weed these bad criminal cops out of the job.
Last edited:
This debate is absolutely stupid. Let's break this down.
In 1776 the United States became a country.
In 1865 Lincoln freed the slaves.
So about 90 years later is all.
Granted women as well as African Americans didn't have the same rights as Caucasian men until later.
Since then every nationality has come to America. Jewish people, Italian people, Irish people, Chinese people, Mexican people, and so on and so forth.
Now some, such as my ancestors came around the time the slaves were freed and many many more came much much later..
But and this is huge, are you ready????
What group of people is always at the front of the line complaining of racism? What group of people start the most riots? What group of people are looting when something happens?
My ancestors were spit on, discriminated against as were many many other people's.
But as I said in a previous post, you don't hear me complaining.
People right here on this board are sharing stories of not having an easy start at life and they are white. I don't consider a self made man as being privileged regardless of race. Infact that is a man I want to know and learn from and I certainly don't care what color he is.
In 1776 the United States became a country.
In 1865 Lincoln freed the slaves.
So about 90 years later is all.
Granted women as well as African Americans didn't have the same rights as Caucasian men until later.
Since then every nationality has come to America. Jewish people, Italian people, Irish people, Chinese people, Mexican people, and so on and so forth.
Now some, such as my ancestors came around the time the slaves were freed and many many more came much much later..
But and this is huge, are you ready????
What group of people is always at the front of the line complaining of racism? What group of people start the most riots? What group of people are looting when something happens?
My ancestors were spit on, discriminated against as were many many other people's.
But as I said in a previous post, you don't hear me complaining.
People right here on this board are sharing stories of not having an easy start at life and they are white. I don't consider a self made man as being privileged regardless of race. Infact that is a man I want to know and learn from and I certainly don't care what color he is.
You know they would be charged as equally involved in murderous armed robbery. They might only get off if they had really good lawyers because they were rich. Remember the Menendez Brothers.
There seem to be a lot of various other groups with agendas doing the rioting and vandalizing because they just want to do it, they want to upset the status quo, they want to mess up the system, and they can be both left and right wing.
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
The implications in this thread that the color of skin defines certain attributes in people is the fundamental flaw in the argument about racism. Single mom’s, absent fathers, higher crime rates, higher rates of imprisonment, more arrests, more deaths from gun violence, life expectancy, unemployment, welfare rates, and the list goes on. None of these attributes are “caused” by the color of skin. People who are black are not inherently disposed to these societal issues. These tragic circumstances, shown by data, are blamed on the wrong thing. They exist because of a long history of prejudice, of white privilege, of fear, of resultant poverty, of the inability to escape the trap many blacks are in. And do not bull shit me with stories of minorities who have risen above the data. Few and far between.
Last edited:
I can see why people are really fed up. In the last 10 years there have been so many killings of people of color by cops or white people using their badge or stand your ground as some logic for killing people for little reason. I cant remember when, 5 years ago, the cop shot a black man running away from him of course in the back, what used to be the worst thing someone could do, shoot someone in the back. Then the cop said he feared for his life, what a liar.
Eric Garner selling un-taxed cigs in NYC gets taken down and choked to death. For selling some cigs and cheating the man out of some taxes, wow where is the logic in that policing. You know every time Eric Garner showed up on the corner with his cigs the cops should just smile, write him a ticket, and take his contraband. Garner will go broke eventually buying cigs and not being able to sell them. Situation solved where a minor violation is met with minor police involvement.
But no many police overreact so bad.
Eric Garner selling un-taxed cigs in NYC gets taken down and choked to death. For selling some cigs and cheating the man out of some taxes, wow where is the logic in that policing. You know every time Eric Garner showed up on the corner with his cigs the cops should just smile, write him a ticket, and take his contraband. Garner will go broke eventually buying cigs and not being able to sell them. Situation solved where a minor violation is met with minor police involvement.
But no many police overreact so bad.
Man I just watched a 2 minute video of a cop lying there dead with his phone in his hand. I'm a huge hater of police brutality and half of the people on here think I'm racist for not having their exact views on the beat way to end racism, but man that video makes me sick to my stomach.
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
Many see what you are talking about as "white guilt". To keep saying people "must" acknowledge unconscious bias and white privilege can sound pretty arrogant.
As to the African repatriation comments, do some research. There are, and have been, Smseveral organizations that seek U.S. reparations and repatriation to Africa. The woman who accused retired Orlando Magic and former Illini basketballer Nick Anderson is the daughter of the head of one of those groups.
Whether one agrees with their mission or not, it is a real movement. I believe the group Osiris Akkebala affiliated with is called Pan African International Movement. While some see him as inflammatory, his basic contention is that Black Americans will never fully fit in here, because in his estimation, they don't "belong" here, they belong in their homeland.
This started with the murder, by a cop, of a man accused of a really petty offense. What it has been blown up into has clouded the memory of that man. It has clouded other issues, as well. But to accuse some of whataboutism, along with absolutes on what to acknowledge, smacks of superiority and elitism in it's own right.
A lot of white people marched with MLK, and made sacrifices in their own right. A lot of white people don't understand what the hell that cop and his colleagues were thinking. Many don't think in terms of bias, privilege, or even rioting. A lot of them are out of work, or just returned to work, along with a lot of Black, Asian, Hispanic, South American, Middle Eastern, European, and other Americans. Some are now BACK on the unemployment line as a result of all the rioting and looting. So when they agree with the cop being a brutal murderer, they may just be a little confused by a media that calls it a "divided America", because no sane person was "divided" on that.
When people see cops allowing looters into and out of certain stores, or see that pallets of bricks are being dropped off with no police intervention, yeah, they're a bit confused. Cops who kneel on a suspect and cause his death being "wrong" is a no-brainer. Cops not intervening in the face of rioting and looting should also be a no-brainer. Politicians, on all sides pontificating, or worse, covering their own asses, can be pretty confusing.
You'll just have to bear with the folks who aren't so "aware" and above the fray. No matter what color they are.
A lot of the protesters are white. You dont come right out and say it but I think you are saying it is African-americans who do most of the complaining of racism and start all the riots.
Well if you are not black then put yourself in their shoes as their ancestors were slaves, SLAVES!!! they have been strung up , hung and killed for no other reason than the color of their skin for 400 years in this country and it is still going on.
White people do the killing and we do not get strung up by black people.
I can easily see why blacks are scared, pissed, hurt, not trusting etc.
400 hundred years? America wasn't even a country until 1776. It was England prior to that. 90 years after it became a country slaves were freed. You go back 400 years and look at what England did to people. Scottish people, Irish people. They put heads on their bridges for heaven's sake.
I'm not saying racism doesn't exist, it absolutely does and it exists in every race.
Don't believe me? Let's go to LA. Let's go deep into Mexico. I hate to break this to you but white people are not liked in much of the world. Tolerated for tourism and business but not liked.
As for someone above talking about societal issues in the black community being because of race, how does racism play any part of a man sticking around and being a father to his kids?
Has anyone noticed that the title of the thread is racial Injustice, however every single comment is about said injustice against African Americans? I understand with current events and all, but you don't think things like this happen to all nationalities? A black cop just killed an innocent white woman for no real reason up in Minneapolis just not that long ago.
So again, as my wife said, this is not about race, it's about good people vs bad people. Also as I have said this is about the haves and have nots.
You know why most people don't want a flat tax on all income with no exceptions? Because people making millions or even a half million do not want to pay 20%. People who get back 10,000 for being low income with several kids at home don't want to pay 20%. So really only the middle class are the ones paying a larger percentage of their income comparatively.
Regardless of race.
Now how is that fair? Is that not economic discrimination? Because it's certainly not equality. Then people wonder why things are like they are, when the policies decimate the middle class and it does so equally and regardless of race.
Last edited:
mopkins
King Kong
Here's my analogy for White Privilege:
Both George Flloyd and Lori Loughlin committed felony level fraud.
George Flloyd is dead after having the life choked out of him by a knee to the neck by a police officer while being placed under arrest.
Lori Loughlin was allowed to turn herself in and plead not guilty and then allowed to post bail and return home. She was later allowed to re-receive a plea deal after originally declining and then later CHANGE her plea to guilty after initially trying to say "F you" to the court system. She is now supposed to spend 2 months in prison, likely at a time of her choosing, but the "where, when and if" are all still being worked out. Regardless she will likely be able to turn herself in on her terms and negotiate her jail time.
Both George Flloyd and Lori Loughlin committed felony level fraud.
George Flloyd is dead after having the life choked out of him by a knee to the neck by a police officer while being placed under arrest.
Lori Loughlin was allowed to turn herself in and plead not guilty and then allowed to post bail and return home. She was later allowed to re-receive a plea deal after originally declining and then later CHANGE her plea to guilty after initially trying to say "F you" to the court system. She is now supposed to spend 2 months in prison, likely at a time of her choosing, but the "where, when and if" are all still being worked out. Regardless she will likely be able to turn herself in on her terms and negotiate her jail time.
- Status
