by Bendrr 113 Replies latest jw friends
ROFL! So now they are not only "groupies," but discourteous and juvenile as well. Good, good...keep it up, you're doing great!
Seriously, you criticized me for not posting the way you think I should post, and then you criticize Julie and Tina for not posting the way you think they should post, and then I criticize you for not posting the way I think you should post. We sure got enough referees around here...
LOL laughing with you. It's true we could round and round on this.
But where you are going off course Seeker, is the tell tale statement about getting me to ..."keeping it up, you're doing great!"
As if Iam concerned about anyone in particular not considering me doing great??????? Why would I be, I have nothing to appologize or feel uncomfortable about.
DB
Socialist Liberal Seeker, ;-)
The last time I looked, Ford, GM and many others were in fierce competition with foreign manufacturers who are supplemented by their own governments and guess what? Ford, GM, etc employ people who are productive in society, unlike your average baby factory and crack ho.
Rex
Dang, I go out for a few hours and this thread gets away from me. Le'me stir it up a little. Shouldn't that be "massa DannyB" to you, TJ?
And Danny, what, white folks can't decide on who's an Uncle Tom kneegrow? Sheesh, who better to label someone than a blood relative?
In the words of a man raised by wolves, er, witnesses, "can't we all just get along?"
Ashitaka, thanks for the clarification, the original post makes a lot more sense in that context. Somehow I bet Goerge Carlin is not amused.
Mommy, I've got the same folicular challenge as Tom, and nobody has ever seemed to see me as racist (well, maybe till today, lol ), at least not to the point that I could notice. Maybe it's my oversize "Africa homeland" t-shirt I wear over my pink tights. I'm just sayin'... if Tom wants to get serious about doing his part to end racism, he might want to bend a little. What size tutu looks good on him?
Socialist Liberal Seeker, ;-)
The last time I looked, Ford, GM and many others were in fierce competition with foreign manufacturers who are supplemented by their own governments and guess what? Ford, GM, etc employ people who are productive in society
ROFL! Brilliant, Rex! You call me Socialist for criticizing a government program you approve of and defend, yet that government program is socialism in action! In a capitalist society, each company would live or die on their own merits. But you argue that we need to care for all those corporate employees with government hand-outs.
You do realize that's socialism you are defending, right?
Hey Six
What the hell are you talking about? I would try and respond to your question, but can't make heads or tails of it.
MassaBear
R2d2
The last time I looked, Ford, GM and many others were in fierce competition with foreign manufacturers who are supplemented by their own governments and guess what? Ford, GM, etc employ people who are productive in society, unlike your average baby factory and crack ho.Ford Motor Co. owns a piece of just about every other car manufacturer that could possibly compete with them in their particular market.
The, how did someone put it earlier, mythical crack ho and baby manufacturer that consumes so much of the government's resource's every yr with her vouchers for cheap cereal, formula and (heaven forbid!!!!!) milk!!!!!, is just that Rex a myth. Most ppl who have ever been on welfare are only on it for 2yrs at most(70%). That is a fact.
ONE....
bigboi
p.s. Saw Seeker's response after I posted. Yeah Seeker, you're right about that one. His example of Ford is Socialism in action. That's a point that a lot of ppl don't realize is that the US is a very socialist nation. Most of us have no idea how many industries the government props up to keep the economy diverse and productive.
Murder is a tough thing to digest. It's a slow process and the WTBTS's got nuthin but time.
Dan,
There's something else you said that stuck out when I first read it but decided to let it go at the time. I've changed my mind. It's a man's prerogative, you know, and this is a matter very, very close to my heart – who I am.
America has come along way in the area of tolerance and acceptance. This observation coming from yours truly, who sat on the buses in the deep south with signs directing 'coloreds to the back of the bus' and signs at rest rooms 'whites only', drinking fountains, theaters, dry cleaning shops, you name it I witnessed it, first hand.
I just have to say that it's always amazed me when I learned of the Viola Liuzzos of the world... those white Americans who willingly (and willfully) suffered indignities -- even martyrdom -- for the sake of something great, without really having to. I wonder what they were thinking, how they must have been raised, how truly American the blood was that coursed through their veins. In my mind, they are nothing short of heros.
That being said, I must also make a significant confession, one that I have rarely made anywhere. Whenever I encounter an older/elderly white American for the first time, I cannot help but wonder what secrets s/he holds as to what s/he did (or did not do) back in the 40s, 50s and 60s when my father or mother or uncle or grandparent was in the grocery store that time and being harassed; or waiting at the bus stop; or walking home from work, minding their own business; or trying to get into school.
I've seen my share of photos (and heard my share of stories) from that era, when red-blooded Americans bared their teeth and raised their fists (just for starters) as nigras like me simply wanted to get on the bus and go home or get a bite to eat at a lunch counter. I can't help but wonder what became of those young white Americans ... people now my age, or a little older.
Did they ever 'repent'? Grow? Change? Make amends? It's a thought that flashes through my mind, beyond my control really (not that I WOULD control the thought) almost every time I meet an older white man or woman. I can't help but wonder. I always have... probably always will.
I think many who did not actually witness or live through that time period, may have a hard time accepting what I say. But overall the climate in this country today, is so much opposite from what it was just 30yrs ago
You are probably right.
I have a PBS series ("Eyes on the Prize") on six video tapes that documents the Civil Rights Movement. The way that certain members of our society (read "black") were habitually treated is breathtakingly difficult for today's youngsters to fathom. Since then, I've learned that it's not just people of African descent that suffered such inhumanities, but other minorities as well. I've actually heard kids say that they straight-up didn't believe it -- not in America. Then the tape began to roll. At that point, silence fell, eyes got big as half-dollars, mouths dropped. After a while, a tear or two appeared on the faces of the silent kids. Facts can be cruel sometimes. I teared up, too, with the memory of it.
My daughter, far removed from that time and place, will know -- trust me. She will see this series so often that she will be able to narrate it by heart. Despite her initial disbelief, it will play out right in front of her on TV, beyond any effort of hers to diminish the reality of it. I hate to have to let her know exactly who she is, but someone's got to do it, and I can't think of a better person than me. What she does with the information remains to be seen, but I will always have her back.
I will add my own personal anecdotes. Thirty years ago, I was a teen, living in a small Southern town. Forty years ago, I was a bit younger, and some of THOSE memories are equally vivid. Believe me, as most minorities can, I can tell a story or two of my own... not as an outside observer who rode the bus and then went home to their own peaceful slice of Americana, but one who had no escape but was forced to live it 24/7.
No need for Affirmative Action? Like I said, the jury's still out for me.
Peace, my Friend,
tj
Tj,
My only response to your revealing comments and query about how it felt to live through those day's, are my own.
Having lived in California all my life at the ripe old age of 18yrs, being confronted with outright discrimination was spooky, if not a total bewilderment to me. In fact if it had not been for some older ex-bethelite brother's who made up our group, 'pioneering where the need was great' I might not have survived the experience.
I say that because of one specific event, we all 5 of us white boys, were traveling through the southern states, to our final destination Eastman Georgia. We had stopped in Mexico and did the tourist thing, as well as sightseeing and goofing off along the way. When we entered what could be considered the deep south, the atmosphere really started to change. In Alabama we stayed over nite in a little motel off the hiway, in the morning all of us Calif boys, decended on a local dinner.
On the counter was an empty pickled egg jar, with a hand written sign which unashamedly stated "ALL TIPS AND CONTRIBUTIONS ARE FOR THE KKK"
Being 6'4" and weighing in at over 250lbs, I had always been pretty unafraid, or stupid, as in this case. I broke out in a hearty laugh and required that everyone of my companions, read this sign about the KKK! Laughing as I did so. One of the guys raised a finger to his mouth, endeavoring to get me to shut up. I finally did.
The entire restraunt became completely silent, I realized then for the first time, if looks could kill, I was dead. The waitress never came to our table, we got up and left. Of course I got the riot act from a couple of the guys, which probably was the best thing for me. We kept looking behind us, to see if anyone was following us as we left the restraunt. When we got to Georgia, the murder's of those three civil rights worker's were in the news. We had learned a valuable lesson.
We bucked the tide of the day, by going into forbidden black neighborhoods in the preaching work, where many of the local brother's would not. But the mantra of the good jw of the time, was to not cause any undo attention. So yes, we went along with all the back of the bus stuff, seperate everything, we were upholding god's name by doing so, you know. But the whole experience involving racisim was a real eye opener to me.
Even the KH's were segregated at the time, so the white brother's were deeply infected with racisim. They had been raised that way. We had to tiptoe around the brother's and sister's as well as those outside the congregation, it was weird to say the least.
So I have alway's carried that experience with me, and see many of these issues from a different view, from those who may never have seen it.
You can be happy that your daughter will probably never again have to face such overt prejudice.
Danny
That is the very reason why I think affirmative action is an important program. Over 400 yrs blacks were denied the opportunity to establish themselves. What's wrong with a government policy that just ensures that at lesst in some instances SOME of them are allowed a shot. Really that's all they get is just a shot. If a affirmtive action recepient flunks out of school, then they flunk out. If they don't do a good job they get fired. I don't see any real advantage in that.
AFFERMATIVE ACTION:
Affirmative action is just another form of racism, pure and simple. Not allowing someone a job when they are more qualified than anyone else simply due to the color of their skin is inexcusable; whether they are white or black. The only exception to this should be the police force; they are a special situation that needs some racial balance immediately. There are still discrepancies in the white black community that need to be addressed I feel that this would best be addressed by creating cheap and quality education training (not just tech school but grade school through university also) for everybody (white and black) this would ultimately help the economy also. So basically what I am saying is that I agree there is a problem but in order to solve it we need to deal with here and now and more creative solutions than just repeating past wrongs on a new race. Honestly if you tell a white man the job he is more qualified for has to go to a black man because of 400 years of oppression there is a chance you just made a new racist. Punish the companies that have discriminatory hiring practices make the fines so stiff that companies will be afraid to break the law, that coupled with more readily available quality education is (in my opinion) a much better solution to the race problem.
Destruction just leads to destruction.
UNCLE TOMS:
Condoleezza (sp?) Rice, Colon Powel, Clarence Thomas, and J.C. Watts are all very educated hard working people why would black people consider them uncle toms? Just because they don’t agree with their politics? This is an honest question I would like to know. As a side point at my university there are some black economic professors that emigrated from African countries; these guys are way to the right I mean way, are they uncle toms?
WELFARE: CORPORATE AND PRIVATE:
Neither works. Any time you directly hand money to people whether they are a corporation (called pork) or a citizen (called welfare) they will get into a situation where they come to depend on it PERMENATLY. I think the current welfare laws are a step in the right direction (temporary and coupled with work training programs) and we have already seen the results from them. More is needed however I would like to see more welfare to work programs and state training (higher quality programs also). Sometimes republicans forget that you have to spend money to get people off welfare. As far as corporate pork I also think that is just like welfare. I would rather see tax incentives offered to companies that do things that benefit the nation. Example if you invest in alternative energy (solar panels) for you company that should be tax subsidized; employee training and education should also get the company a tax break. If you make things economically advantages for companies they will do them.
The government should help when people are faced with a temporary need; they should help with assistance and training to move these them from dependence to independence whether they are an individual or a corporation.
Jelly
P.S. I dont think I every slamed 'welfare mothers' or 'crack babies' in any of my postings.
