They weren't my kids, I was just watching them for a friend...

I just looked my county up on the census report...and we're 96.42% white, 2.11% black....And to clarify, the kids seemed to be in awe when they saw them...Like most grownups would do if you saw a Lamborghini or some other exotic car go by...They come from a very good family and were taught that everyone is equal...They'd just never seen black people (or at least 5-6 at the same time) before...

Tim

 

We are all products of our environment so-to-speak.
We have learnt to evaluate on religions/races/whatever, because experiences have taught us that.
And in all honesty, there is nothing wrong with that. Its how we learn and evolve, by basing things on our experience.

The problem is when we approach these "learned views" in a negative manner, and stereotype.
I think thats the way we have to approach it.

If we cut our skin... we all still bleed. And we are the same colour underneath
Who says that the culture that a siamese twin experiences would be the same?

Sure, people are wired differently, whether they deal with problems in an analytical or emotional mindset amongst other things, but the way people ARE (not the way they process things) I would suggest is based purely on our experiences.

 

Sorry about that Mr. Tim, It was early and I didn't read it close enough. I understand where you are coming from though. I went from K-9th grade @ the same school that had maybe 300 students total an I can only remember 3 or 4 black students. To say the least, I was shocked when I had to go to an inner-city school for My high school years....



By the way, What county in TN do you live in? I
live in Gibson Co. and I work in Madison Co. or Jackson City proper...

 

I accept you for who you are, as you have no choice. I may not accept what you are, for you do have a choice.

I think it is all three, genetic, cultural, and learned. Shrinks have long said that those who are not as smart, do not have as much, always talk ill of those who do. A natural trait, according to them.

Children are being taught, as we speak, to blow themselves up in the name of some religious figure, and it is an honorable thing to do. For those who survive, they will carry these teachings for the rest of their lives.

Many times, we condemn a group of people for what a couple of them have done to us. Mistrust, not racism. A natural reaction.

If I talk bad about a homosexual, I am branded a bigot, nevermind it is the lifestyle that is abhorent to me, not the person.

If I talk bad about the illegals, I am branded a racist, nevermind it is the breaking of the law that is my concern.

If I talk bad about the black who is spewing filth in his/her songs, griping because the government doesn't take care of them, and the world owes them because their ancestors were possibly slaves somewhere, I am branded a racist, even tho it's their actions I am talking about, not the color of their skin.. So be it. You cannot please everyone. jd

 

No one wants to be branded as an unacceptable individual, so the speaker is always labeled as a "bigot" or a "racist" or "intolerant".

That's how dialogue is squashed and opposing points of view are silenced. If you have a perspective that disagrees with these groups, you can only be some sort of bad person. Your personal beliefs and
convictions have no value and must be denounced.

The "racist" and "bigot" labels have been trotted out so much, they are beginning to lose their effect. It now becomes some type of predictable backgound noise and does nothing to further any type of understanding of the issue at hand.

 

Obviously your friend never reads you on this site...

Isn't that so true. And don't forget "homophobe".

The trouble with these labels is once they are thrown out there at you, try to defend yourself and attempt to prove you aren't a racist, bigot, homophobe, wife beater, etc. You can't and the harder you try the more you look like you are guilty as charged.


Some years ago when my ship was in Haifa, Israel for a while, I volunteered to do some community service. We ended up at an orphanage for Arab/mixed kids run by nuns. Here we were, a bunch of white guys, helping an orphanage that is helping Arab orphans to have a better life in a country that hates them because they were either all or partially Arab. The nuns told us that these kids had a tough life ahead of them. They would all be in their early to mid twenties now - I wonder what they are doing now. But like Dan said, they were cute as hell back then - laughing, playing, happy to see us. Society has a way of sucking that right out of people.....

 

For my thoughts just read what FTE Fred posted again.

I feel the same way.

Product of environment
Education or lack thereof.
Amount of interaction with others

 

So true. Isn't a phobia a fear? Who's scared of a homosexual? Personally, I think it's a, um....icky way to live but I'm not scared of 'em. It's just as bad as the race thing. Who cares what color your skin is? It's a non-issue that is thrust to the front of everything that goes wrong in this country. I heard a statistic on the radio the other day stating (complaining?) about how many of which race made up the prison population in this country. The implication was that the majority of prisoners being black or hispanic was some kind of prejudice or racially motivated condition. You break the law (and get caught) you go to jail. It doesn't matter what color your skin is. But, if our politicians and other troublemakers (Jesse Jackson and the like) quit stirring the race pot, how are they going to keep their power and income flowing?
I teach my kids not to look at race when it comes to who they associate with. Skin color doesn't matter to me and I don't want it to matter to them. However, stupid is stupid. You don't have to like someone just because of their skin color so you can avoid being labeled a racist. I'm an equal opportunity "disliker"....I give everybody a chance to act like they have sense or to act like a fool before I decide what I think about them.

Gene

 

I went K-12 and was only around one black student for about 2 weeks, then he went somewhere else...



I live on the other side of the state...Greene County...About 70 miles north east from Knoxville.

Tim

 

It appears I forgot add this tomy earlier post.


Here's one of My favourite slogans that use all the time.

"We're all pink on the Inside"

 

Well obviously...If they did, they wouldn't be my friend no more...Or at least they wouldn't leave kids alone with me...

Tim

 

Tim i consider you a buddy, but there is NO WAY my kids would be left in your custody. i passed out a ton of rep in this thread, if you didnt get any it is because i have loved you to much already and you will have to wait for the self proclaimed rep ho to catch up.

someone posted that i made an error posting this in the general forum, you are right and i offer my humblest apologies. subconsciously i put it here with out thinking of the ramifications, yet i also wanted to hit the largest audience. for this post was all about my own guilt, and everyone of you , i mean everyone, offered a perspective that has in turn allowed me to address and confront my own guilty feelings. Thanks to all of you that added something, i truly appreciate it from the depths of my soul. i still am not happy that of all the valiant, loyal, fabulous( for lack of a better word) middle eastern people i met, my own psyche has been scarred by the slime. imagine if you will coming out of the water after a 1/4 mile swim in kuwait city during the build up. a rendezvous set up up with the kuwaiti resistance, we meet a man we have to trust our very existence to, trust that he doesnt lead us to get blown away. well i cant explain the warmth of the greetings we were met with after patrolling in to there safe house. these were men that if i could meet today it would be with the highest hospitality there culture has to offer, it would make us as americans look rather. well i dont know but there arent to many american homes that would treat you that way. men that would have died to protect me and my merry band of brothers, who would yet today die for me if they had to. yet i thought of the wealthy princes hiding in Bahrain, drinking alcohol in the hotel bars, mistreating the european stews, and picking a fight with a man they only know as an american infidel, not worthy of a pile of there camels dung, yet good enough to risk getting blown away to liberate there miserable pathetic, lives, save there sovereignty and wealth. if we would have been caught after pounding those little princes in the alleys, we would have faced extreme arabian justice, but i still have all my parts. hehehe. anyways you can see i harbor some extreme feelings at both ends of the spectrum for those people. you all have given me help in dealing with my feelings, validating my feelings, justifying my feelings etc. thank you. in close i reaffirm my vow to look at all peoples similarities first, and allow them the opportunity to show me where the belong in the spectrum of my feelings, but they will all start where God and our beloved Constitution placed them.... equals. thanks, feel free to keep this going, i found it very engaging and therapeutic. Dan

 

When I was in the Military I went to this civialian training in southern KY (near Somerset) I went there with a black female. The looks we got from the locals were absolutley rediculous when we would eat out somewhere. I guess people thought that we were married to each other. It was very uncomfortable at times.

 

maybe the way you were dressed also? stand out in town? my wife and i get looks from people here all the time (my wife for different reasons ) but we look obviously not from around here.

but then again (using you as an example) looks, reactions etc....people most likely always perceive it has racist, biggoted or something along those lines instead out of just innocent curosity or whatever. not saying in your case (again, you were just an example) and not saying in all cases.

 

It had nothing to do with looks or the way we were dressed. The look was a look of disgused. The locals at the training even commented on it.