Racial Discrimination? More blatant examples? More subtle?

[Scurvy]

That is literally saying there are different rules for people based on color, and that is wrong. Equality means we are always equal, not sometimes equal or equal when convenient.

Yes! Either we are all equal or we are not. You can't say "We are all equal except. . ." And while I can understand that there may be a history there for some people that doesn't exist for others, it still doesn't make it okay to have such a blatant double standard. If you don't think someone should be compared to an animal, then you should be trying to stop everyone from being subjected to those comparisons rather than only protecting some people on the basis of their skin color. I thought we were supposed to consider it wrong to treat people differently based on skin color?! Either it's okay to treat someone differently based on their race or it isn't. You can't have it both ways.

 

[smkiya]

I guess I just don't see how looking mixed matters. We are what we are even if we don't look like it. In the winter I don't look Sicilian, but I still am.

I don't know about earlier generations because I wasn't born and yes, there are still people who lived through Jim Crow and the civil rights movement. People from that generation will still be effected by it and I understand that. I was born after it so no one of my generation was born into a world where the color of you skin kept you from voting or from civil liberties. You must not be born yet then... The color of someone's skin no longer can keep someone from the top job in the country (and some would say world), the presidency. I can't control or be blamed for things that happened before my conception, I can only look at it through the eyes and in the mindset of people from my generation. I'm in my early 30's, my sis early 20's, and bro 18, we all have experienced blatant racism...

I think the most oppressed people in this country are homosexuals. They are told whom they can and can't marry. It is just fine with many Americans yet if anyone was told they couldn't marry based on race it would never be accepted. Until a Supreme Court ruling in 1967, interracial marriage was illegal in many states, and couples were arrested... Look at the out cry over that Louisiana couple and they weren't even told they couldn't marry, just that one person wouldn't do it.

Response in blue...

 

[ogreenlee]

to pretend that there aren't differences wouldn't be right.

i am someone who will eat cornbread with kimchee. i ain't even kidding. i love my southern heritage and i'm proud of many southern things. it doesn't mean that i am not embarrassed by some of it, either. in regards to looking different.. obama looks like a black man and was subjected to a different demeanor because of it. to say that isn't true would be naive. i know my mom, who was full-blooded korean, was treated differently than me who doesn't look full-Asian. the amount of people who would speak loudly at my mother as if she were deaf was amazing. it does have something to do with your looks. i'm sorry, but sicilian and polish are both european. they don't look that different.

and it doesn't matter if you're equal or not. to be human is to judge with preconceived notion. to pretend that there are no differences is not what people of color want. people of color don't want to be treated as beneath white people. that's what it all boils down to. i think most of us appreciate our culture. i even embrace my european scottish culture... so much that we had a scottish wedding and went to scotland for our honeymoon. my wedding photos have my korean grandmother in her hanbok traditional dress with a bagpiper in the photo, too! lol

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I think the most oppressed people in this country are homosexuals. They are told whom they can and can't marry. It is just fine with many Americans yet if anyone was told they couldn't marry based on race it would never be accepted. Look at the out cry over that Louisiana couple and they weren't even told they couldn't marry, just that one person wouldn't do it.

I'm sure that ahead of the Supreme Court finding that banning interracial marriage was unconstitutional--that interracial couples had the same oppression. So at one time it was accepted in the mainstream to tell someone they couldn't marry based on race alone.

The out cry over the Louisiana couple was that what the judge did was presently unconstitutional and against the law.

There is much outcry that homosexuals are not presently allowed that same right.

But to suggest that it would never have been accepted for anyone else to be denied that right--isn't true and it took a Supreme Court case to make it illegal to deny that right.

It will take the Supreme Court to allow homosexuals that right as well b/c at present, states have kept the decision to the public vote and it keeps getting denied all over the country.

The govt can intervene in state matters when those matters are deeemd unconstitutional and that is what Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia did even on matters which are operated at the state level.

 

[FireDancer]

I'm sure that ahead of the Supreme Court finding that banning interracial marriage was unconstitutional--that interracial couples had the same oppression. So at one time it was accepted in the mainstream to tell someone they couldn't marry based on race alone.

The out cry over the Louisiana couple was that what the judge did was presently unconstitutional and against the law.

There is much outcry that homosexuals are not presently allowed that same right.

But to suggest that it would never have been accepted for anyone else to be denied that right--isn't true and it took a Supreme Court case to make it illegal to deny that right.

It will take the Supreme Court to allow homosexuals that right as well b/c at present, states have kept the decision to the public vote and it keeps getting denied all over the country.

The govt can intervene in state matters when those matters are deeemd unconstitutional and that is what Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia did even on matters which are operated at the state level.

All of that is true. That ruling came in 1967 as a PP pointed out. In 2009 it would be illegal for our government to withhold civil liberties from anyone based on skin color. The current interpretation of our constitution is that we are all even-steven.

What people do people will do. There are small minded people who are still hung up on race. There always will be just as there will always be xenophobes and anti-semites. What is important is that we are all equal under the law and when we apply the law unequally there are legal ramifications. Being racist isn't acceptable in our society and those who are get ostracized. Sure it happens and what people do in their homes is hard to know, but being openly racist is just not accepted in the vast majority of our society.

As a contrast, look at what happens at soccer games in Italy. African players get bananas thrown at them. While not really condoned it is common and not surprising in most of the country. Do you think anyone would be able to throw a banana at a MLB game without getting at least arrested and probably beaten up?

I guess I look at the whole instead of isolated incidents. Yes, I am not naive enough to think no one anywhere in the country is racist. I can only judge us as a nation by what is accepted and what it not. This comes from how laws are applied. How we personally interact with the people around us. Maybe it is more acceptable in other parts of the country but where I live you are ostracized if you are openly racist and if you are a closet racist you have to hide it when not with your bigot friends.

 

[mbfqueen]

Hubbs and I have been married 23 yrs this last Sunday (so I have great experience with this) and my only two cents are .. if you haven't lived it .. it might be hard for you to understand .. but that surely doesn't mean it doesn't happen ...

My kids are bi-racial and very much scrutinized tons.. we also live in a small timber town in Oregon .. most of it is how people were raised ..

When I had my first son, he was very dark and I nearly died from the birth, and I was very pale, but I didn't care, I had my baby! .. but in sharing with my mom about some lil old ladies comments (meant harmless I'm sure) .. she told me, Oh you go looking for that stuff .. I thought, what? lol .. uh, no I don't .. and never shared with her again ..

Some just don't understand if they haven't lived it .. then when others do share .. then there's ones who scoff at it .. so that makes it less likely for others to share .. just my opinion ..

 

[shrubber]

Dawn, if your son wants to ace his paper and get tons of examples of people practicing discrimination, all he needs to do is look up your posting history here on the DIS.

Here's just one example out of many:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1300647

I thought the DIS powers-that-be banned these sort of threads a few monhs back. Why is this thread allowed to continue?

Being a fat woman is not a race


( no pun intended )

 

[mickeyfan1]

But it is discrimination. What about the "French Canadian Drywall hangers", they have it in their blood, you know.

Discrimination takes many shapes and forms. Race, religion, sexual orientation, education (Degreed vs HS Diploma) etc. It happens everywhere, everyday.

Good luck to your son.

 

[Genesia]

I have been around the U.S.A. while working for a mobile nursing agency. I have lived in quite a few countries because my grandparents were diplomats. My grandparents raised me after my mother died so I moved around with them.

I was preteen at the time, but I was there when the U.S. Embassy was bombed in Kenya. The marine escorting us to the airport after westerners were advised to leave said that the scene we encountered there was like the fall of Saigon. The natives there were banging on the car and trying to get in because it was never white people that they were afraid of even though they did not want to talk about any problem that they could not find a way to blame white people for.

I have seen the conditions in Africa. I have seen what happens to black people under black rule. It makes the U.S. look like heaven to them. I have been begged by the parents of children I played with in Ethiopia to help them get into the U.S. or Europe because my father is American and my mother was European. I was a child so I had no power, but adults I considered authority figures because they were adults would plead and cry to get me to get them into a white nation and away from those ruled by their own race.

The same thing goes on in the United States. Moving around this country to nurse has shown me plenty of examples of people who want to blame white people for all of their problems but still want to live among white people. Shouldn't they love segregation so that white people aren't around to do all of the evil things that they say that we do? They don't because they know that these things are not true.

 

[ogreenlee]

I have been around the U.S.A. while working for a mobile nursing agency. I have lived in quite a few countries because my grandparents were diplomats. My grandparents raised me after my mother died so I moved around with them.

I was preteen at the time, but I was there when the U.S. Embassy was bombed in Kenya. The marine escorting us to the airport after westerners were advised to leave said that the scene we encountered there was like the fall of Saigon. The natives there were banging on the car and trying to get in because it was never white people that they were afraid of even though they did not want to talk about any problem that they could not find a way to blame white people for.

I have seen the conditions in Africa. I have seen what happens to black people under black rule. It makes the U.S. look like heaven to them. I have been begged by the parents of children I played with in Ethiopia to help them get into the U.S. or Europe because my father is American and my mother was European. I was a child so I had no power, but adults I considered authority figures because they were adults would plead and cry to get me to get them into a white nation and away from those ruled by their own race.

The same thing goes on in the United States. Moving around this country to nurse has shown me plenty of examples of people who want to blame white people for all of their problems but still want to live among white people. Shouldn't they love segregation so that white people aren't around to do all of the evil things that they say that we do? They don't because they know that these things are not true.

Yeah, no doubt. It's totally cool that black folks are treated badly because it's so much better than if they were in Africa. They should be glad to be discriminated against!

 

[quentina]

I hate to admit that in this day and age it still exists. I adopted 2 bi-racial children. My family is white.

WHen I first got my kids, I noticed people staring at me on a regular basis. Too be honest, my daughter looks like a young Halle Berry and I thought it was her looks that were drawing the stares (we cannot go anywhere without someone commenting on her appearance). It took a few weeks for me to understand what was happening.

My first knowledge was a complete slap in the face. We were in McD's and the kids were in the play area. THis older womes (65ish) kept staring at me and giving me dirty looks. Now, I run 145 convience stores and have done my fair share of terminations. So, I sit there thinking....does she look familiar...maybe I fired her.......nope...........We are leaving and as we are walking by........grandma says...........you'll sleep with anything won't ya???

I was horrified and I told her......being old doesn't give you a free pass for being ignorant. I then said because I choose to have you stick your foot in your mouth, let me tell you about my kids and where they came from (foster care, serious neglect ....my daughter experienced helicopter rides if that gives you an idea of how bad). I then told her that I hope she goes home and prays a rosary at a minimum, she's gonna need it.

After the anger came the tears............I can't believe that my kids will have to experience this crap (no one should have to).

I have had little things however, this was the one I will never forget.

I also have met and experienced many amazing people who have helped me. A pizza hut waitress pulled me to the side to discuss what I was doing to my daughters hair and skin........ it turns out, I shouldn't be washing hair every day and extra moisturizer is needed. I now have her number and can call for any guidance (my daughters hair does look much better since I got her advice).

I am proud to be part of a different heritage and be able to experience it. We look forward to black history month and try to do something special to let them gain experience about their ancestors.

 

[quentina]

As a PP stated, in a perfect world, everyone would be equal and there would be nothing but sunshine and roses and love and happiness (cue Al Green music)...

However...

Unfortunately, that is not the case. Blacks were called chimps (and in some parts of the country, we still are, even though it may be less blatant) and routinely told we were "less than" due to nothing more than our skin color. So while it is certainly not nice to call ANYONE names or animals, it is particularly cutting when a chimp reference is used in relation to a Black person. Black people were called savages and many other things (as were Native Americans - another part of my genetic makeup), and oppressed and enslaved for HUNDREDS of years. That is not something that can just "go away" or that one can "get over" overnight. In the same way that it takes time to heal from a bad accident or some other bodily trauma, it takes time to heal from the effects of slavery and jim crow.

And like other posters have said, racism is still alive, though certainly not to the extent that it was in the past. I am still followed when I enter a store, many (particularly older and southern) people find it very hard to believe that I went to college to study music and am now an opera singer, sometimes people feel the need to "explain" and "define" "big" words or concepts to me, as if I'm somehow not capable of possessing basic comprehension skills and would have no idea what they were talking about unless they "broke it down". And I've had lots of people assume that I was going to vote a certain way in the election due to the color of my skin. I've had people clutch their purses tighter to themselves when I approach. And many, many more instances that I could name...

I also agree that some people look for racism where racism doesn't exist. I think there are lots of things that may get blamed on race that are really not related to race at all. But again, it will take time to heal that sort of mentality. A good analogy might be to think of children who come from an abusive home. Once they are placed in a loving environment, it takes them some time to trust that the person/people in their new environment. They don't just "get over" everything that they've been through and begin to love their new family unconditionally.

I want to comment on the "Savages" part. When my oldest was about 3, we were at the park. A couple dark skinned kids were walking near the swings and my 3 year old says.....look mom savages. I am horrified (nobody heard), call my husband...where did he hear/learn that. Well that night, he wanted to watch a movie and guess what.........Pochohantas (?).....taught him that word. The movie went right in the trash.

 

[smkiya]

I have been around the U.S.A. while working for a mobile nursing agency. I have lived in quite a few countries because my grandparents were diplomats. My grandparents raised me after my mother died so I moved around with them.

I was preteen at the time, but I was there when the U.S. Embassy was bombed in Kenya. The marine escorting us to the airport after westerners were advised to leave said that the scene we encountered there was like the fall of Saigon. The natives there were banging on the car and trying to get in because it was never white people that they were afraid of even though they did not want to talk about any problem that they could not find a way to blame white people for.

I have seen the conditions in Africa. I have seen what happens to black people under black rule. It makes the U.S. look like heaven to them. I have been begged by the parents of children I played with in Ethiopia to help them get into the U.S. or Europe because my father is American and my mother was European. I was a child so I had no power, but adults I considered authority figures because they were adults would plead and cry to get me to get them into a white nation and away from those ruled by their own race.

The same thing goes on in the United States. Moving around this country to nurse has shown me plenty of examples of people who want to blame white people for all of their problems but still want to live among white people. Shouldn't they love segregation so that white people aren't around to do all of the evil things that they say that we do? They don't because they know that these things are not true.

 

[bimshire]

Again, I am confident there are white people that didn't vote for him based solely on skin color and there are black people that voted for him based solely on skin color. Neither in my opinion are the norm.

I agree. Since I would not vote for a Republican, if their candidate was black and the Dem was white, I will vote for the Dem. No race decision, just party affiliation.

Let us not forget that our president is half black and half white, so he is equally both races. To single either out is wrong and shows that those people are not thinking logically. If you vote based on color which one was it?

Let's be real, blacks and whites see Obama as a black man. Plus, without his current status, walking any place in the USA on any given day, he would be seen as a black man.

Look at another example. When Bush was president there were caricatures made of him that made him look like a monkey. He is president and when you are president these kinds of things happen. No big deal was made.

But is there any history to a white man being called or portrayed as a monkey?

 

[PaddingtonBear]

I was not questioning why people only marry within their own race, rather why it is seen as acceptable. If 97% of marriages are same race, and society says 'ok' Where does preference to associate with the same race turn to racism?

Because in terms of marriage the only alternative to "acceptable" is to compel people to marry outside thier race. I'm not sure how you can make an argument that govenment should, or even could in this day and age, legislate the acceptable race of one's spouse?

Conversely the government can certainly legislate hiring practices. The govenerment can and should protect its citizenry from certian types of discrimination. It can't, and ought not, insert itself in personal relationships except as pertains to family law.

In other words: the government can legilslate behavor but it cannot legislate feelings. Moreover there is nothing to incent the state to coerce its citizens toward inter-racial marriage. There is no pay off there for the state and no benefit for the state. If people didn't get to love whomever they want- and choose to discrimiate if they want in who they sleep with- we'd all move to Canada.

 

[Genesia]

Yeah, no doubt. It's totally cool that black folks are treated badly because it's so much better than if they were in Africa. They should be glad to be discriminated against!

You are not treated badly. You are pandered to. God help anybody who steps on the tender tootsies of anybody black in this country. As has already been said here black people demand a very unequal equality and overwhelmingly get it.

For the record I don't want to rule over black people who I think ought to step up and take responsibility for yourselves instead of insisting upon the right to be victims without having to tolerate any actual oppression. I don't want to live anywhere near you.

 

[ogreenlee]

You are not treated badly. You are pandered to. God help anybody who steps on the tender tootsies of anybody black in this country. As has already been said here black people demand a very unequal equality and overwhelmingly get it.

For the record I don't want to rule over black people who I think ought to step up and take responsibility for yourselves instead of insisting upon the right to be victims without having to tolerate any actual oppression. I don't want to live anywhere near you.

Wow.

 

[Metsfan520]

You are not treated badly. You are pandered to. God help anybody who steps on the tender tootsies of anybody black in this country. As has already been said here black people demand a very unequal equality and overwhelmingly get it.

For the record I don't want to rule over black people who I think ought to step up and take responsibility for yourselves instead of insisting upon the right to be victims without having to tolerate any actual oppression. I don't want to live anywhere near you.

Not worth the points.

 

[crashbb]

Not worth the points.

Not really.

Though, I'm guessing that diplomacy is not an inherited trait.

 

[NY Disney fan]

I've always wondered about the effect of a person's name on job applications. Does a Shaniqua or Sh'NaeNae have the same shot at a job interview at Nieman Marcus as a Brittany or an Olivia?

What about a Condoleeza? Someone with a name like that couldn't get an important job.