Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
Yes, because white people were enslaved in America for hundreds of years and legally oppressed for about a hundred years after being freed. The situation is exactly the same.
I used to think this way too. It is an easy trap to fall into.
However, the black people of today are not the slaves from many years ago and the white people of today are not the slavemasters from many years ago. Slavery doesn't exist anymore. Bigotry and prejudice still exist, but it is a far different situation from people thinking you're missing property when you freely walk around the city.
We are not our ancestors. Their beliefs would probably conflict with ours if we could have a debate with them. Our lifestyles would clash more than they would converge.
What pains me is that many don't realize that future generations will be negatively affected by the victim complex of today's generation (we're victims, give give give us) in the same way that today's generation is positively affected by yesterday's civil rights moment (we're not victims, respect respect respect us).
In the future, minorities who don't see themselves as ANY different from anyone else will have to deal with today's malicious multiculturalism (as opposed to natural) and forced diversity bull.
Akridrot
quote:
Originally posted by Lunar Phase 7
Also, this
MrJiveBoJingles
quote:
Originally posted by Akridrot
I used to think this way too. It is an easy trap to fall into.
What "trap" have I fallen into? I pointed out that the African American population has lived under quite different legal and social conditions from the majority of the white population for most of U.S. history, and that for this reason celebrations of African American culture and white culture would have very different connotations. Can you point out what is incorrect about that?
Lira
quote:
Originally posted by ChemEnhanced
stop living in the past....that argument is no longer valid.
Arguments come with expiration dates?
MrJiveBoJingles
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Originally posted by Domesticated
What, so because some people were enslaved three generations ago they deserve a condescending, trite website offering them 'opportunities' and only reminding them once again that the white population sees them as 'different' from themselves?
I didn't say anything about the website. I haven't even looked at it, in fact. I was responding to the guy's notion that the situations of blacks and whites are equivalent.
Akridrot
quote:
Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
What "trap" have I fallen into? I pointed out that the African American population has lived under quite different legal and social conditions from the majority of the white population for most of U.S. history, and that for this reason celebrations of African American culture and white culture would have very different connotations. Can you point out what is incorrect about that?
Plainly put, I don't see the reason for celebrating African American (or any other) culture the way we celebrate it in America. Even Morgan Freeman agrees with me:
I don't care what conditions a group of people lived in during the past, this level of "celebration" is bordering on "glorification" and that's the problem.
Slylee
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Originally posted by The17sss
:whip:
we would suck obama's dick so hard. he's the MAN
MrJiveBoJingles
quote:
Originally posted by Akridrot
Plainly put, I don't see the reason for celebrating African American (or any other) culture the way we celebrate it in America. Even Morgan Freeman agrees with me:
While I don't really agree with his reasoning (does having MLK day or Presidents' Day mean we don't remember Martin Luther King or U.S. presidents the rest of the year?), even if we got rid of the designated "month," would it be inappropriate for blacks to celebrate the fact that their ancestors labored under awful conditions for centuries in this country and still managed to get to where they are today? I don't think so, do you? Or should everyone simply forget about all the negative things that happened in the past?
[Edit: And I am not saying that people should use history as an excuse for disappointments or laziness in their own lives, just that the celebration of triumph over hardships, and in this case fairly unique ones in the U.S., is perfectly appropriate.]
Akridrot
quote:
Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
[Edit: And I am not saying that people should use history as an excuse for disappointments or laziness in their own lives, just that the celebration of triumph over hardships, and in this case fairly unique ones in the U.S., is perfectly appropriate.]
Alright, it's a good thing you say that because now I know we agree on this part.
My only point is:
You can have a celebration at any time of year. Do it as much as you like. Just don't expect or force me to celebrate your history with you.
My opinion is that celebration can be excessive (365black? really? lol) and it can lead to glorification in the end. It can lead to feelings of superio-- well, you see where I'm going with this.
SYSTEM-J
quote:
Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
What "trap" have I fallen into? I pointed out that the African American population has lived under quite different legal and social conditions from the majority of the white population for most of U.S. history, and that for this reason celebrations of African American culture and white culture would have very different connotations. Can you point out what is incorrect about that?
Social or cultural discrimination based on skin colour or ethnic background is racism, whether that discrimination is positive or negative. Celebrating "[skin colour] culture" is discriminatory, whatever the colour, whatever the connotations.
MrJiveBoJingles
quote:
Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
Social or cultural discrimination based on skin colour or ethnic background is racism, whether that discrimination is positive or negative. Celebrating "[skin colour] culture" is discriminatory, whatever the colour, whatever the connotations.
I was talking about celebrating a history -- the history of those who had ancestors enslaved in America -- not celebrating "blackness" itself.
SYSTEM-J
quote:
Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles
I was talking about celebrating a history -- the history of those who had ancestors enslaved in America -- not celebrating "blackness" itself.
