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It can be hard to see racism if you’re white
Deluth News Tribune ^ | 1/27/2012 | Naomi Yaeger-Bischoff

Posted on 01/30/2012 2:29:07 PM PST by YankeeReb

I work very hard. My parents worked hard. Everything I have is because we all worked for it, right?

I was raised to believe that. And I do believe it. But about six years ago I saw a video that opened my eyes to the possibility there may be other ingredients to success.

It was after worship services at First United Methodist Church one Sunday. A bunch of us — all white, educated, and, I daresay, comfortable — watched a video. In it, people of all races stood in a line in the middle of a room. The leader of the group asked several questions, telling people to respond by moving forward or stepping back. She said step back if you had ever been followed around a store. Step forward if you expect to inherit at least a little money when your parents die. Step back if you’ve ever been denied housing because of your race. Step back if you worried that your hairstyle was too “ethnic” for an employer or if you’ve ever been stopped for driving your car in the wrong neighborhood.

Wow!

As I watched the video, I realized that even though I have worked hard most of my life, I’ve never had to put up with problems like that. I’ve felt accepted no matter where I went, and if I didn’t, it wasn’t because of my race.

I realized that even though my father had literally put blood, sweat and tears into farming land in southwestern Minnesota, that had he been Native American or African American his parents probably wouldn’t have even owned land in the first place. And my life would have been much different.

(Excerpt) Read more at duluthnewstribune.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: racism
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To: SoldierDad

I’m not talking in the mind of the liberal. I’m talking in the reality that is Planet Earth. Racism *does* cut both ways. It’s just that liberals see it going one way and people on this thread see it going the other way. But in reality, it goes both ways. That’s my point. It’s easy to skate circles around what I’m saying and do rhetorical dances but the fact remains is that *some* people of all colors and ideological stripes do *sometimes* judge people by other than the content of their character. Believe it, don’t believe it, but that’s the way it is.


121 posted on 02/01/2012 12:07:30 PM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
I’m not talking in the mind of the liberal. I’m talking in the reality that is Planet Earth. Racism *does* cut both ways.

The mind of the liberal cannot be dismissed if we are having a discussion about reality. The REALITY is that liberals, who have a lot of power in this country, and effect the lives of all of us with that power, view racism as existing only on the part of whites. To discount this is folly. As for the "others" of whom you speak, I have had NO discussion with anyone, either on FR or in my daily life, who discounts the existence of racism towards minorities. I do not believe there are people on FR who have made any statement whereby they deny the existence of racism.

122 posted on 02/01/2012 12:31:08 PM PST by SoldierDad (Proud dad of an Army Soldier who has survived 24 months of Combat deployment.)
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To: SoldierDad

As for the “others” of whom you speak, I have had NO discussion with anyone, either on FR or in my daily life, who discounts the existence of racism towards minorities. I do not believe there are people on FR who have made any statement whereby they deny the existence of racism.


This whole thread is basically full of comments that try to make it a 1 way street. At least that’s how I read it.

OF COURSE liberals do what liberals do. NO argument whatsoever. And no argument that you’ve made no such statements. But the gist of this thread, at least it seems to me, is to try to make things all one way. Just because affirmative action is discrimination by another name, and just because people call racism when it’s not there does not then imply that white on black racism doesn’t exist. That’s my only point. You seem to have no problem with that statement. I’m not sure that that’s true of everyone on FR. But then again, maybe I’m wrong.

The irony at least for me is that all the naysayers have essentially proven the original premise of the article correct - the same article which they tried so hard to refute!


123 posted on 02/01/2012 1:08:48 PM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten

Respectfully, from my perspective, you’ve read way too much into comments others have made on this thread. Simply because others here have spoken only to one side of the issue does not mean they do not believe racism exists towards Blacks, Hispanics, etc. I guess, in order for one to be sure of this, one would need to ask each responder on this thread if they believe racism towards Blacks, etc is real or not. A lack of acknowledgement regarding White on Black racism on this thread, IMO, does not mean a person believes it doesn’t exist.


124 posted on 02/01/2012 1:17:08 PM PST by SoldierDad (Proud dad of an Army Soldier who has survived 24 months of Combat deployment.)
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To: SoldierDad

Fair enough. Nice debating with you - I hope our paths cross again. And thanks to you and your son/daughter for your service.


125 posted on 02/01/2012 1:54:21 PM PST by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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