RE: More Race Hysteria from SJW's
October 11, 2017 at 11:45 am
(This post was last modified: October 11, 2017 at 11:59 am by Neo-Scholastic.)
(October 10, 2017 at 6:35 pm)bennyboy Wrote: I think I'll let Neo field this one. Does he in fact believe that black people have no legitimate complaints?
Statistically, African-Americans score lower on many important social metrics. As a group they are disproportionately victims of violent crime. They are disproportionately represented in the lower incomes. I believe that left-leaning people tend to over-emphasize to influence of socio-economic circumstances over individual behavior. I believe that right-leaning people, including myself, tend to over-emphasize the role of poor personal choices and the adoption of destructive cultural norms. That's a starting place for a discussion, not an opportunity to label other people racists.
Do I believe there is prejudice? Yes, It is a proven fact that resumes with African-American names, like Lakesha, are judged less favorably than identical on resumes submitted with traditional Anglo- names like Ashley. That is wrong and I believe that most people, especially white people today, actively try to overcome the innate, and often subconscious, human tendency to discriminate. I also believe that at a traffic stop a blonde professional woman driving a Prius will get the benefit of doubt denied to a teenage African-American driving a tricked-out Buick. At the same time I think more people drive Priuses in high-income, low-crime areas with less of a police presence. Sometimes many of statistical racial disparities disappear when controlled for race-neutral factors like income, geographic location, and family structure. Left-wing interpretations of statistics should be every bit as open to questioning as challenging right-wing ones. But no. Rather than engage in a process of identifying other possible root causes for such disparities, the left immediately labels any alternative interpretation as racist/mysoginistic, etc. Just ask a Google employee.
There are no laws on the books that explicitly prevent African-Americans, or any other American citizens, from participating in all aspects of civil life. Are their laws on the books that affect incarceration rates, exaggerating the sentences for minor offenses that are more prevalent in urban low-income communities? Yes. And it is right and proper to point out those problems and correct them. At the same time, the crack epidemic of the 80's received way more attention than the crystal meth epidemic in rural areas.
I also recognize that African-Americans, as a demographic category, lag behind other demographic groups in terms of income level and housing as a legacy of Jim Crow era institutionalized racism. But I do not for one minute believe that institutional racism exists anymore. There is no widespread belief in or promotion of white supremacy. People who hold those views are fringe losers that in no way represent the attitudes the vast majority of people. America is not a racist nation just because it is not entirely free from prejudice or because statistically some groups outperform others. Asian-Americans do not outperform Anglo-Americans because of racism. A right-leaning person attributes the success of Asian-Americans to a culture of excellence, hard work, and strong family involvement. Left-leaning interpretations simply cannot account for such disparities.
When was the last time you heard "press 1 for Polish?"
Not long ago, I heard a a woman telling a stranger about her five children sired by two fathers both of whom left her. Those five children are not being victimized by white supremacy. They are victimized by the personal choices of their irresponsible mother and absent fathers. Likewise not long ago, a group of adult men on the beach were playing extremely loud (audible from a half-mile away) music glorifying prostitution and greed that was laced with all kinds of obscenities. Nearby, children were playing in the sand and swimming. Those children are not being oppressed by white America. Instead of mature adults committed to teaching their children the Suzuki method, juvenile-acting adults are filling their children's heads with music that glorifies crime and justifies anti-social behavior. Do you really think it is acceptable for my wife and I to have to listen to songs in a public space with lyrics explicitly about killing white people? But you, know what? I think such folks are rude and stupid. But it's still a free country and as far as I'm concerned they can reap what they are sowing, excuses for their own lack of success. It's no different from poor losers that blame big banks and Freemasons for their unemployment because they're too lazy to leave their small rural town of 300 and go to someplace like North Dakota where they can't find enough people to hire. Or go the public library, open a free Ebay account, and start selling stuff. Sure it takes some luck but if you want to get ahead you at least have to show up! Don't tell me there is any lack of opportunities in 21st century America.
Meanwhile, SJW's are encouraging students in elite colleges to interpret shoelaces as threats and giving audience to politicians who think power washers are symbols of oppression. Stop it. You are making fools of yourself when you call someone a racist for identifying examples of such nonsense. This thread is a perfect example.