I guess I'm out of touch.

[maxiep]

But I really don't see the big deal about electing a black person for President, especially someone not brought here by slavery. Then again, I wouldn't see the big deal if Hillary Clinton would have been elected President. The same if Barney Frank, Bobby Jindal, Joe Lieberman or Keith Ellison had been elected.

What am I missing? Why is identity such an important issue? Aren't we all created equal? Why does race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or any other marker matter in the United States of America?

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

Because it does matter. We have institutionalized racism, in the form of Affirmative Action, so we are not all created equal.

 

[44Thrilla]

If you don't think it's significant, then you are out of touch.

 

[maxiep]

If you don't think it's significant, then you are out of touch.

Clearly I'm out of touch on this issue, but you didn't answer my question. So, explain to me why it matters.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

In an ideal world, we would be without colour lines. However, one's race is a definite personality trait, its something you really can never escape. I don't think racism is really a problem in this country anymore, I really don't. Maybe in some bumfuck state, but overall, not really.

 

[BlazersBlood]

Because you are white and have never had to live with being a minority your entire life. Minorities are not treated equally, but things are getting better. As the older line of thinking continues to get weeded out with time, things like this won't be a big deal anymore. When things like this are not a big deal is when our country will truly be together.

Disclaimer: If you are not white I apologize and have lived in good communities where they do not treat minorities differently.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

But I really don't see the big deal about electing a black person for President, especially someone not brought here by slavery. Then again, I wouldn't see the big deal if Hillary Clinton would have been elected President. The same if Barney Frank, Bobby Jindal, Joe Lieberman or Keith Ellison had been elected.

What am I missing? Why is identity such an important issue? Aren't we all created equal? Why does race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or any other marker matter in the United States of America?

Well the first thing I can think about is the fact it is a historical moment . . . kind of like a jackie robinson moment. In all fields, there was some black person who broke barriers. The first black judge, the first black CEO, the first black perosn to work for Coors . . . never mind but that will happen (there is a colorado joke for you)

The big deal as I see it is that black kids can now hear that they can be anything they want to be and it has more teeth to it. At the very least, Obama is a role model to Black children and children who come from low economic sitautions. Truely in America, it doesn't matter your skin color or how much money your family has, if you work hard and aply yourself, anything is poosible. I don't think Black people believed that 20 years ago . . . or maybe some still don't believe that even up to present day . . . that is until today.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Because it does matter. We have institutionalized racism, in the form of Affirmative Action, so we are not all created equal.

Bitter white people suck

 

[KingSpeed]

You're out of touch. A barrier has been broken. A little boy who is watching this now knows that anything is possible for anybody. The whole world has changed. In America, anyone can do anything. Only 40 years ago, there were "Whites Only" drinking fountains. Blacks had to sit at the back of the bus. And now not only can a black people ride at the front of the bus but they can run for President and win. Like they said on TV, this is like man walking on the moon. New frontier. True change. And the world will view us in a much better light, that in America they can elect a black man with the middle name Hussein. Obama wasn't handed anything. He was raised by a single mother and with his own hard work, he became the first black President of the Harvard Law Review and now the President of the United States. His family wasn't in politics or anything. He just did it all by himself. This is HUGE.

 

[MARIS61]

Because it does matter. We have institutionalized racism, in the form of Affirmative Action, so we are not all created equal.

Agreed.

Under current Affirmative Action guidleines used in Federal hiring for Civil Servants, Obama would be 100% guaranteed election simply by running against McCain.

There would be no reason to vote at all.

Maybe his election under the normal election process will expose the needless harm and hate that Affirmative Action has wrought, and lead to it's abolishment, allowing wounds to heal and Americans to move past the ugly past.

 

[KingSpeed]

In an ideal world, we would be without colour lines. However, one's race is a definite personality trait, its something you really can never escape. I don't think racism is really a problem in this country anymore, I really don't. Maybe in some bumfuck state, but overall, not really.

MANY bumfuck states. Did you see and hear all the horribly racist people at the Palin rallies? There is still a TON of racism in this country.

 

[maxiep]

Because you are white and have never had to live with being a minority your entire life. Minorities are not treated equally, but things are getting better. As the older line of thinking continues to get weeded out with time, things like this won't be a big deal anymore. When things like this are not a big deal is when our country will truly be together.

Disclaimer: If you are not white I apologize and have lived in good communities where they do not treat minorities differently.

What is the racism or sexism you've experienced? How were you not treated equally? Please be specific and show how it was endemic and not happenstance.

Personally, I think the real divides in this country are cultural and economic, not racial. Say what you will, but living in SE DC, the South Side of Chicago and the Lower East Side in NY is not living life as a member of the majority. I see a lot of excuse making as to why people feel they can't make it, why they're being held down, but I've always believed it's a cop-out.

If for some reason this election is important to black people, can we drop the act that we're a racist country? If we were, he wouldn't have been elected.

 

[maxiep]

You're out of touch. A barrier has been broken. A little boy who is watching this now knows that anything is possible for anybody. The whole world has changed. In America, anyone can do anything. Only 40 years ago, there were "Whites Only" drinking fountains. Blacks had to sit at the back of the bus. And now not only can a black people ride at the front of the bus but they can run for President and win. Like they said on TV, this is like man walking on the moon. New frontier. True change. And the world will view us in a much better light, that in America they can elect a black man with the middle name Hussein. Obama wasn't handed anything. He was raised by a single mother and with his own hard work, he became the first black President of the Harvard Law Review and now the President of the United States. His family wasn't in politics or anything. He just did it all by himself. This is HUGE.

Bill Clinton was raised in far worse circumstances. For that matter, so was Richard Nixon. As for Jim Crow, when are we going to drop it? It was over 40 years ago. How long will we hold these injuries close? I don't believe there was a barrier at all, or the barrier was only perceived, not real.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

If for some reason this election is important to black people, can we drop the act that we're a racist country? If we were, he wouldn't have been elected.

No . . . it took a George Bush in office for 8 years to make the country vote for a balck man for president.

A "W" only comes around once a century . . . or two.

 

[maxiep]

MANY bumfuck states. Did you see and hear all the horribly racist people at the Palin rallies? There is still a TON of racism in this country.

I frankly saw more hate from supposedly open-minded liberals than I ever did at McCain or Palin rallies. I also saw Sen. McCain as the only one to call out his own supporters for mistaken beliefs.

 

[KingSpeed]

There is still a ton of racism, maxie. Especially down south. And especially against arabs now. So many people were scared that Obama was muslim, which he isn't, but what if he was?? Why should that matter?

 

[KingSpeed]

Bill Clinton was raised in far worse circumstances. For that matter, so was Richard Nixon. As for Jim Crow, when are we going to drop it? It was over 40 years ago. How long will we hold these injuries close? I don't believe there was a barrier at all, or the barrier was only perceived, not real.

There is still a ton of racism, but this election is a start towards becoming a better nation.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Bill Clinton was raised in far worse circumstances. For that matter, so was Richard Nixon. As for Jim Crow, when are we going to drop it? It was over 40 years ago. How long will we hold these injuries close? I don't believe there was a barrier at all, or the barrier was only perceived, not real.

A percieved barrier huh? Without looking, I'll ask how many Black Americans are in Forbes top 100 richest Americans?

There are still real barriers to be broken.

 

[KingSpeed]

Go to YouTube and search "Palin Racism" or "Palin Racist" and you will see videos of racism very much alive in our country.

 

[maxiep]

No . . . it took a George Bush in office for 8 years to make the country vote for a balck man for president.

A "W" only comes around once a century . . . or two.

Gotcha, so the stain of slavery is never erased? That's sad. My family was comprised of slaves for a thousand years on the Russian steppes. An entire side of my family is gone, burned in the ovens of Birkenau or lying in a mass grave outside of Minsk with a bullet in their skulls. We managed to get over the injustices of the past. I would offer to anyone who still feels discriminated against that perhaps it is time to stop with the excuses.

 

[KingSpeed]

I frankly saw more hate from supposedly open-minded liberals than I ever did at McCain or Palin rallies. I also saw Sen. McCain as the only one to call out his own supporters for mistaken beliefs.

For racist remarks, exactly. ANd if you think you saw more hate from liberals than you did at Palin rallies, then you didn't watch the people at the Palin rallies.

 

[KingSpeed]

maxie- the title of this thread says it all: you are terribly terribly out of touch. Isolated in your own world, unaware of everything that is out there. Which is fine.

 

[maxiep]

A percieved barrier huh? Without looking, I'll ask how many Black Americans are in Forbes top 100 richest Americans?

There are still barriers to be broken.

So, who is keeping them down? Who crushed the dreams of Barry Gordy? Robert Johnson? Ken Chennault? Stan O'Neill?

I maintain the biggest excuse to not succeed is facing black people in the mirror.

 

[KingSpeed]

So, who is keeping them down? Who crushed the dreams of Barry Gordy? Robert Johnson? Ken Chennault? Stan O'Neill?

I maintain the biggest excuse to not succeed is facing black people in the mirror.

Horribly out of touch. Horribly out of touch.

 

[RISE WITH IT]

What is the racism or sexism you've experienced? How were you not treated equally? Please be specific and show how it was endemic and not happenstance.

Personally, I think the real divides in this country are cultural and economic, not racial. Say what you will, but living in SE DC, the South Side of Chicago and the Lower East Side in NY is not living life as a member of the majority. I see a lot of excuse making as to why people feel they can't make it, why they're being held down, but I've always believed it's a cop-out.

If for some reason this election is important to black people, can we drop the act that we're a racist country? If we were, he wouldn't have been elected.

So you're saying that race has nothing to do with culture or economics? It's all tied together. Black kids have to go to worse schools and live in areas with more drugs and violence. It's not an excuse or a cop out. It's reality. Open your freaking eyes.

 

[maxiep]

maxie- the title of this thread says it all: you are terribly terribly out of touch. Isolated in your own world, unaware of everything that is out there. Which is fine.

I asked a question that has yet to be answered. If you're so sure that discrimination is unfathomably deep and wide, certainly you should be able to explain it.

 

[rocketeer]

There is still a ton of racism, but this election is a start towards becoming a better nation.

not at all. in reality, this election signifies nothing unless you thought that more than half of voting americans would refuse to vote for someone simply because they are black.

but hey, obama is the first black president and people always like to make much bigger deals out of firsts than they really are so that isn't going to be any different here.

 

[KingSpeed]

In fact your remark was racist. You were implying that all black people are failures. You maybe didn't mean to, but...Read your comment again.

 

[KingSpeed]

I asked a question that has yet to be answered. If you're so sure that discrimination is unfathomably deep and wide, certainly you should be able to explain it.

I've seen and heard racists with my eyes and ears. If you haven't, then you are sheltered or not paying attention.

 

[maxiep]

There is still a ton of racism, maxie. Especially down south. And especially against arabs now. So many people were scared that Obama was muslim, which he isn't, but what if he was?? Why should that matter?

I hear people say it, but other than specific incidents by nutjobs on the fringes, I have yet to see it practiced every day. If it's endemic, it should be easy to spot it.