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The lunatics have taken over

Joe Bagadonuts said:
I disagree with your assessment that we live in an environment of prevalent racism. All around me I see people who chose to focus on success rather than victim-hood, and they are thriving. There is absolutely no upside to perceiving yourself as (or acting the part of) a victim.

Here is an important truth that is hard for many people to accept: Life is not fair. I have certain advantages, and I also have certain disadvantages. So does everybody. Each one of us must make the best of our situation given what that situation is. It's great if we have the energy and resources left over to help others, but that's not an obligation.
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As an Arab American, I feel that racism has not played a meaningful part in my life at all. I never had a problem making friends of all races, didn't have any trouble in school, didn't find it particularly difficult finding a job, and I've never felt out of place in any of the numerous organizations I've been involved in (volunteer work, atheist activist groups in my youth, chess and sports club, etc). I have experienced a lot of trivial racism. For example, an old woman once bitched me out shortly after 9/11 for being an Arab because "we all have the seeds of terrorism in our hearts". I just laughed it off. I have honestly experienced more racism being from a Palestinian ethnicity living in neighboring Jordan (where more than half of the population is Palestinian).

My cousin, on the other hand, sees racism everywhere. It is the reason for every negative thing that happens to him. A bad grade on an essay? Racism. Didn't hear back after applying for a job? Racism. Neighbors told him to turn down the music at 2 am? Racism.
 
Siro said:
As an Arab American, I feel that racism has not played a meaningful part in my life at all. I never had a problem making friends of all races, didn't have any trouble in school, didn't find it particularly difficult finding a job, and I've never felt out of place in any of the numerous organizations I've been involved in (volunteer work, atheist activist groups in my youth, chess and sports club, etc). I have experienced a lot of trivial racism. For example, an old woman once bitched me out shortly after 9/11 for being an Arab because "we all have the seeds of terrorism in our hearts". I just laughed it off. I have honestly experienced more racism being from a Palestinian ethnicity living in neighboring Jordan (where more than half of the population is Palestinian).

My cousin, on the other hand, sees racism everywhere. It is the reason for every negative thing that happens to him. A bad grade on an essay? Racism. Didn't hear back after applying for a job? Racism. Neighbors told him to turn down the music at 2 am? Racism.
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Solid post. I had no idea you were a rag head. Oh, come on. Just kidding!

Seriously, are you hear in the states? Location says SLC but is that accurate? Are you Mormon?
 
Joe Bagadonuts said:
I disagree with your assessment that we live in an environment of prevalent racism. All around me I see people who chose to focus on success rather than victim-hood, and they are thriving. There is absolutely no upside to perceiving yourself as (or acting the part of) a victim.

Here is an important truth that is hard for many people to accept: Life is not fair. I have certain advantages, and I also have certain disadvantages. So does everybody. Each one of us must make the best of our situation given what that situation is. It's great if we have the energy and resources left over to help others, but that's not an obligation.
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across all economic strata, African Americans have lower qualities of life (especially as shown in healthcare) in comparison to their white counterparts. Yes, even the millionaires. Blaming it on victimhood, and appraising this as a poor people problem really is missing the larger issue man. There is so, so much wrong with individualizing a systemic, societal problem that has very much to do with man-created structure. Denying existing racism is enabling existing racism. This perpetuates the legacy of slavery.
 
VINYLONE said:
Solid post. I had no idea you were a rag head. Oh, come on. Just kidding!

Seriously, are you hear in the states? Location says SLC but is that accurate? Are you Mormon?
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Ya, I live in Utah. I'm an atheist from a Muslim background.
 
Siro said:
As an Arab American, I feel that racism has not played a meaningful part in my life at all. I never had a problem making friends of all races, didn't have any trouble in school, didn't find it particularly difficult finding a job, and I've never felt out of place in any of the numerous organizations I've been involved in (volunteer work, atheist activist groups in my youth, chess and sports club, etc). I have experienced a lot of trivial racism. For example, an old woman once bitched me out shortly after 9/11 for being an Arab because "we all have the seeds of terrorism in our hearts". I just laughed it off. I have honestly experienced more racism being from a Palestinian ethnicity living in neighboring Jordan (where more than half of the population is Palestinian).

My cousin, on the other hand, sees racism everywhere. It is the reason for every negative thing that happens to him. A bad grade on an essay? Racism. Didn't hear back after applying for a job? Racism. Neighbors told him to turn down the music at 2 am? Racism.
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While this is an interesting anecdote, there is simply so, so, so much evidence of differential treatment of races, and racism existing in America. It's unscientific and irrational to think otherwise.
 
I for one am Muslim, and thank my stars that my first and last name are not blatantly Muslim-associated. Getting jobs with the name Hussein Mohammed would be twice as hard, and you're a fool(speaking generally) to think otherwise.
 
y'all have leading presidential candidates calling Mexicans rapists and you think racism is over? I love America.
 
dalamon said:
y'all have leading presidential candidates calling Mexicans rapists and you think racism is over? I love America.
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There is a lot of racism in America and elsewhere. But why are whites successful in countries where they are even a tiny minority? Why are Jews successful everywhere, despite the incredible amount of racism they've historically faced, and they continue to face? Why do Asian Americans, while being a small minority, earn more on average than whites, while blacks earn so much less?

I am WAY too lazy to actually engage in a debate over this. But I feel you've become incredible dogmatic and narrow minded on this issue. It is far, far more complicated than white people being The Man, and everyone else being oppressed and ruined from colonization.
 
Siro said:
There is a lot of racism in America and elsewhere. But why are whites successful in countries where they are even a tiny minority? Why are Jews successful everywhere, despite the incredible amount of racism they've historically faced, and they continue to face? Why do Asian Americans, while being a small minority, earn more on average than whites, while blacks earn so much less?

I am WAY too lazy to actually engage in a debate over this. But I feel you've become incredible dogmatic and narrow minded on this issue. It is far, far more complicated than white people being The Man, and everyone else being oppressed and ruined from colonization.
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I don't think dal is saying it's that simple either. It's also not at simple as work hard and pull yourself up by your bootstraps and you'll totes succeed. There are a lot of factors that are in play and racism absolutely has a part to play.
 
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