Miller: How Sports Can Teach

[MelroseHawkins]

I've voted GOP since 2000 but I have to admit that this kind of thinking in itself poisons our culture. Blaming the other side for 100% of the racial divide in our country just makes things much worse. Both sides are guilty of it and for willfully foregoing the use of one's critical thinking skills whenever it comes to anything racial.

They are so divided now that can't even work together to get anything constructive done. Now both just become obstructionists.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Sorry but I'd rather take my chances being a white man and not have to deal with the discrimination that any of those you listed above deal with despite their monetary benefit of being such...

I don't think anybody is really saying it's not easier going thru this world being white. It is easier living as a majority. I'm not dumb enough to deny that or try to sell it differently, even though it's embarrassing to admit.

 

[Grady]

Excellent article, Jon. It takes a big man to admit shortcomings and mistakes in public, without reason to think you'll gain anything from doing so. Today you stand tall among Iowa journalists of any type. Thanks for having both the humbleness and courage to share your very important, very personal, realizations with the public. Your experience is not unique: racial pain -- and progress -- often occurs on a personal level. Thanks for being open to listening, to remembering, and to understanding.

 

[Ree4]

I don't think anybody is really saying it's not easier going thru this world being white. It is easier living as a majority. I'm not dumb enough to deny that or try to sell it differently, even though it's embarrassing to admit.

He's saying that there is a monetary benefit to being a minority and I would strongly disagree.

 

[thedukeofearl]

Let me tell Y'all something

A black person knows in a nanosecond, before conscious thought, whether or not you are perceiving him/her as a black person or not

I know this for a fact because I was raised to view all people as equals, where someone's skin color was of no consequence

In the third and fourth grades in Philadelphia, I had to live with my grandmother and aunt who was a secular nun. We were the only white people in the neighborhood, not just on the street. the entire neighborhood., There was never a problem whatsoever.

After I graduated from Dowling HS I moved back to Philadelphia because I wanted to get in on the ground floor in advertising. I turned down the job offered me at Gimbels Advertising Production Department because I was told that my salary was minimum wage. I said that I couldn't work for minimum wage. Two weeks later I went back and the position was still available. I told the manager/interviewer that I had decided to swallow my pride and would take the position,

A few months later I bought a ticket to a Ray Charles concert at the Palestra, downtown Philadelphia. I took the train, transferred to a subway and went to the concert. Near the end of the concert when Ray was playing What I Say, I looked around and suddenly noticed that I was the only white person at the concert. The police officers were black. I hadn't even noticed and nobody even gave me a glance

By the way, I pass the nanosecond test every time whether or not someone else is white, black, brown, red or yellow, wearing a headscarf or not

Preston Daniels is a personal friend of mine. We met just after he graduated from high school. He started working at Younkers in my department and I showed him the ropes. We became friends immediately. One time after work he came home with me to have dinner. My father, brother, and sisters all welcomed him. Hi, Preston. My stepmother glared at him with a deer in the headlights look. She grew up in a small town in Iowa and her brother in law had a bust of Adolph Hitler on his mantle. He was about 100 pounds heavier and 3/4 inches taller than me. At times when my Father was working late, my stepmother would invite him over for Dinner. He would sit at my Father's place at the head of the table and glare at me because I had long hair. He said something to me one time and I told him: I don't give a F... what you think, Dennis and you are in my house and can leave right now because Dorothy is the only one who wants you here. The pig glared at me and shut up

Bottom Line

King Kong is a movie, all three versions

Highly entertaining, and for any athlete to be compared to King Kong is a damned compliment. I am beyond certain that Bruno considers it such

 

[JonDMiller]

The four temperaments theory presumes that all behavioral traits are a result of a person's fluids. It has about as much basis in science as astrology. I didn't realize some people were still relying on it post-DNA discovery. The theory has been used for hundreds of years to propose that Europeans (whites) are superior to people of color/from other regions of the world.

My fascination with the temperament theory is less about what you express, and more about how understanding the differences in our base temperaments have proven invaluable in my experiences with people, but more importantly, myself. The Book 'Why You Act the Way you Do' touched on the theory, but took it a different direction, one that really resonated with me....it, along with the Meyers-Briggs testing, etc....all have a root in this...and for me, these exercises helped me to understand my weaknesses and where I will struggle more so than what my strengths were....why I should not be a CEO of a company, but am more suited for biz dev...and why I need someone with a strong detail based temperament to be in business with me and them handle such things, etc. you can keep your fluids tho

 

[PCHawk]

I think reasonable people can disagree. Even if you think Dolph said something that shouldn't be said here, (and my opinion on this has changed based on what dolph and others have said) then hey, lets not say King Kong about black people. That's honestly not a big deal, and making that small change in life is just not a big deal.

EVEN IF YOU THINK THAT, there is just absolutely no reason to create this circus out of this when it was exactly one email sent to Learfield. If John Walters from ISU makes the same comment, and Learfield gets 1 email about it and there is zero social media uproar about it, I almost guarantee Pollard pulls him aside and just says, hey, don't say that anymore. We don't want to hurt people. I'm sure John would say, okay, and that would be it.

Good call. Barta even said in his press conference that his first thought after reading the email is "we have a problem here". He was probably scared because normally if there is one email, 100 more are sure to follow. But this comment was so un-offensive, that no more emails came. They panicked and over reacted. I can hardly blame them in this day and age.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

He's saying that there is a monetary benefit to being a minority and I would strongly disagree.

I do feel that living in this country gives everyone the same opportunities to succeed, more than some minorities say or think. I think everyone has an equal chance. I know universities will accept a certain % of minorities, who get priority.

Now, the individual making the most of that opportunity or having the upbringing to take advantage of an opportunity are two separate deals.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

What should I do with this now

Toss it

Get rid of it. The stuff sucks, and always has. That, or use the whole damn thing when you open it. Because there is no closing it and re-using it, which is why it sucks.

 

[Ree4]

I do feel that living in this country gives everyone the same opportunities to succeed, more than some minorities say or think. I think everyone has an equal chance. I know universities will accept a certain % of minorities, who get priority.

Now, the individual making the most of that opportunity or having the upbringing to take advantage of an opportunity are two separate deals.

I don't feel that way at all. Wealth is a huge advantage along with many other things. Access to private schools, personal tutors and the best colleges give incredible advantages and there's many other factors.

Study after study shows that the US ranks in the bottom third in this category among all developed countries.

Index

Ranking

 

[PCHawk]

Being black isn't something you can control, being fat or stinky is. I get what you're saying and what PC is saying but unless you're that kid being made fun of, how can you say that it's no better or worse than another? I'd rather be made fun of for being new (a dumb reason) than something that society at that time perceived as a detriment.

I think when you're a kid getting made fun of, it doesn't make a bit of difference what you're being made fun of about. As far as thinking it's not as bad to get made fun of for something you can control, one could argue the opposite. It could cut even deeper if it was something you knew you could control.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I don't feel that way at all. Wealth is a huge advantage along with many other things. Access to private schools, personal tutors and the best colleges give incredible advantages and there's many other factors.

Study after study shows that the US ranks in the bottom third in this category among all developed countries.

Index

Ranking

I agree with you. Yes, wealth does provide more opportunities. That is why I included upbringing in my statement. Unfortunately, many individuals have difficulty getting ahead. But, I think everyone has an opportunity to succeed and nobody is flat out denied the chance in the United States. Some have to overcome more obstacles than others but that is in every society.

It all has to do with how some plow thru the obstacles or let those obstacles become barriers. Some have to work harder or take a different path than others. My point is that there are paths and I believe all have a chance. There are many programs to get degrees, everybody has an opportunity to start a small business, learn a trade.

We kind of have separate points we are trying to make. Your point is people don't have the resources. My point is nobody is being held back or denied based on their skin color or ethnicity. I understand there are some people who have a rougher path than others. That doesn't mean you give up or not try at all. There are a ton of jobs out there and there are a lot of opportunities to be self employed, a ton of opportunities to learn a trade, a ton of opportunities for different skillsets. There are paths, people just have to suck it up and take a path.

Make yourself wealthy. Don't expect that someone else has to make you wealthy or guide you to the water trough. Carve your own path. People need to learn that if they don't like their life or where they are, then do something about it.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I don't feel that way at all. Wealth is a huge advantage along with many other things. Access to private schools, personal tutors and the best colleges give incredible advantages and there's many other factors.

Study after study shows that the US ranks in the bottom third in this category among all developed countries.

Index

Ranking

I will give you a true story of what I am taking about. This is actually quite a recent event that just happened. My sister and family lives in the Quad Cities and they are quite active in their church. During the really bitter cold snap that happened a couple weeks ago, their church collaborated with another organization and opened a warming center/shelter.

There was a particular homeless man staying in the center. Now this is probably one of the lowest points in this man's life, he's out of a home in -35 degree weather with not a pot to piss in. While in the shelter he asks the staff if there is ANYTHING he can do while he is there. I suppose he was bored or just wanted to pay it back. I don't know his intent. They found him tasks to do like vacumn floors, wipe down tables, clean windows, etc.. He'd get done and ask if he could do anything else. Anyway, a local business owner (who went to the church) who owned a neighborhood hardware store witnessed this individual and his work ethic. He offered the man a job at the store and said if he was interested to come down a certain day when they opened and gave him the time. That homeless man did end up going to that store and now works at that hardware store. Absolute true story and you may even be able to Google the story if it was in the paper. The Harvest Bible Chapel is the church that had the shelter.

Now if this individual has that work ethic and knows a little about hardware, he has a chance to move up in the store and maybe become a manager someday. If not, maybe he could move on to another store and move up. Maybe now he can get some things straightened out in his life and with time, down the road, maybe even have his own hardware business. Who knows. But, my point is that even in that man's low point in his life, he took advantage of a small opportunity in a shelter to ask to do jobs and maybe set a path for himself.

 

[Ree4]

I agree with you. Yes, wealth does provide more opportunities. That is why I included upbringing in my statement. Unfortunately, many individuals have difficulty getting ahead. But, I think everyone has an opportunity to succeed and nobody is flat out denied the chance in the United States. Some have to overcome more obstacles than others but that is in every society.

It all has to do with how some plow thru the obstacles or let those obstacles become barriers. Some have to work harder or take a different path than others. My point is that there are paths and I believe all have a chance. There are many programs to get degrees, everybody has an opportunity to start a small business, learn a trade.

We kind of have separate points we are trying to make. Your point is people don't have the resources. My point is nobody is being held back or denied based on their skin color or ethnicity. I understand there are some people who have a rougher path than others. That doesn't mean you give up or not try at all. There are a ton of jobs out there and there are a lot of opportunities to be self employed, a ton of opportunities to learn a trade, a ton of opportunities for different skillsets. There are paths, people just have to suck it up and take a path.

Make yourself wealthy. Don't expect that someone else has to make you wealthy or guide you to the water trough. Carve your own path. People need to learn that if they don't like their life or where they are, then do something about it.

I posted links and you posted opinion - while what you posted is the idealistic it isn't realistic. Barriers and obstacles are absolutely separating people from opportunity, that's the whole point. Are you using your own experience as justification for your opinion, other sources or are you just guessing?

 

[Ree4]

I will give you a true story of what I am taking about. This is actually quite a recent event that just happened. My sister and family lives in the Quad Cities and they are quite active in their church. During the really bitter cold snap that happened a couple weeks ago, their church collaborated with another organization and opened a warming center/shelter.

There was a particular homeless man staying in the center. Now this is probably one of the lowest points in this man's life, he's out of a home in -35 degree weather with not a pot to piss in. While in the shelter he asks the staff if there is ANYTHING he can do while he is there. I suppose he was bored or just wanted to pay it back. I don't know his intent. They found him tasks to do like vacumn floors, wipe down tables, clean windows, etc.. He'd get done and ask if he could do anything else. Anyway, a local business owner (who went to the church) who owned a neighborhood hardware store witnessed this individual and his work ethic. He offered the man a job at the store and said if he was interested to come down a certain day when they opened and gave him the time. That homeless man did end up going to that store and now works at that hardware store. Absolute true story and you may even be able to Google the story if it was in the paper. The Harvest Bible Chapel is the church that had the shelter.

Now if this individual has that work ethic and knows a little about hardware, he has a chance to move up in the store and maybe become a manager someday. If not, maybe he could move on to another store and move up. Maybe now he can get some things straightened out in his life and with time, down the road, maybe even have his own hardware business. Who knows. But, my point is that even in that man's low point in his life, he took advantage of a small opportunity in a shelter to ask to do jobs and maybe set a path for himself.

So one heartwarming story you witnessed about people helping a guy hoping to reach his potential and live his dream at a $30k a year job somehow translates to every person in this country has equal opportunity despite numerous studies and resources saying the exact opposite? I cant even...

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I posted links and you posted opinion - while what you posted is the idealistic it isn't realistic. Barriers and obstacles are absolutely separating people from opportunity, that's the whole point. Are you using your own experience as justification for your opinion, other sources or are you just guessing?

Your links show nothing about the drive in people or how much people expect others to take care of them. There very well is a gap between the two. But, much of it has to do with people not taking advantage of opportunities available or they f'ed up in their life to get behind. There is the behavior aspect of people as well. Should people that get behind the 8 ball deserve to demand that they have everything someone else does? It is the mind frame of our society today. Everybody wants to have everything. Everybody has a chance to make it to the top of the gap you posted with your links. It is their responsibility to find the path to get them there.

Please provide me proof of people being turned back or denied an opportunity to improve their life? Again, we are pointing out two very separate things.

In addition, much of what is in your links is probably a lot of opinion. People can skew numbers to fit their arguments. It happens all the time.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

So one heartwarming story you witnessed about people helping a guy hoping to reach his potential and live his dream at a $30k a year job somehow translates to every person in this country has equal opportunity despite numerous studies and resources saying the exact opposite? I cant even...

Better than $0 a year living on the street. That right there is the problem and point I am trying to make. It is the mindset of people these days and you prove my point perfectly. "$30k a year is not good enough for me, so I'm not even going to do it". Well, screw people like you. Don't take the path then. It is YOUR choice. That is my point. People have a choice and opportunity. That is the important thing. People just expect to be rich or have all the luxurious items, and if they don't, they are being deprived. Bullcrap!

 

[PCHawk]

So one heartwarming story you witnessed about people helping a guy hoping to reach his potential and live his dream at a $30k a year job somehow translates to every person in this country has equal opportunity despite numerous studies and resources saying the exact opposite? I cant even...

I think he's saying everyone has opportunity. Not equal opportunity. I would say race is a distant 3rd for holding people back behind ambition and intelligence. Those 2 are off the top of my head so there may be more ahead of race.

 

[Ree4]

Your links show nothing about the drive in people or how much people expect others to take care of them. There very well is a gap between the two. But, much of it has to do with people not taking advantage of opportunities available or they f'ed up in their life to get behind. There is the behavior aspect of people as well. Should people that get behind the 8 ball deserve to demand that they have everything someone else does? It is the mind frame of our society today. Everybody wants to have everything. Everybody has a chance to make it to the top of the gap you posted with your links. It is their responsibility to find the path to get them there.

Please provide me proof of people being turned back or denied an opportunity to improve their life? Again, we are pointing out two very separate things.

In addition, much of what is in your links is probably a lot of opinion. People can skew numbers to fit their arguments. It happens all the time.

What a waste of time talking to you about this, I wish I could agree to disagree but I can't even do that in this case

 

[Ree4]

I think he's saying everyone has opportunity. Not equal opportunity.

He is absolutely not saying that - "I do feel that living in this country gives everyone the same opportunities to succeed, more than some minorities say or think. I think everyone has an equal chance."