Milwalkee riots

[Athene]

Honestly I think I'm done with this forum. At least for a while. I've become so uncomfortable here.

I understand. It's very tiresome, isn't it? I hope you don't allow The Usual Suspects to turn you off of AF permanently, though.
Do try and remember the majority of members who are decent, open-minded, and supportive, or at least just regular assholes.  

Come back soon, babe.

[Jesster]

I'm not racist. I have a great relationship with the blacks. I've always had a great relationship with the blacks.

[RobertE]

There is clearly a difference between what you care about and what I care about. I care about the world as a WHOLE, and not ONE race. Every country has suffering and as such, it needs to be brought to the attention of the world. Think back to how the Jewish were treated in Europe for the last 2,000 years, and compare that to how the lowest caste are treated. In the democratic world, the USA or UK for example, we all have the right to an education, we can eat with whomever we wish to eat with, we can marry whoever we wish to. In the caste system, it is a disgrace, where the lower castes don't have the right to an education, they are most often sent to prison for trivial matters, whereas someone from a higher caste would get off scott free. You see, that is the difference between you and me. I see the whole world, you only see the United States. Whatever goes on in the United States has no effect on those in the United Kingdom because we are more liberal than the Americans and the rednecks of this world. We embrace many cultures, we love cuisine that is proper cuisine, not McDos or BurgerKing or KFC. We have Islamic channels, Punjabi channels, Chinese channels that show us what we in the West are clearly missing. We have cinemas that show punjabi films, we have curry miles, in fact, we have everything that the rednecks don't have.


Jackie Cheung and Andy Lau are brilliant in this one:

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Why not this guy

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Or why not this late great singer:

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Of course, according to you, I am culturally backward because I am white. Racist.

You actually have no clue as to what's important me or whether or not I think globally, douche. I take it you're probably just sore that I'm able to discuss this issue without being side-tracked by your constant red herrings. I'm addressing the specific issue as it pertains to the OP; that's a thoroughly common and and encouraged practice here. Get your head out of your ass.

And I don't think you're racist because you're white. I actually had no way of knowing that, until just now.
Because I can't actually see you...you do know that, right?

It's your comments over several threads that have lead me to that conclusion. Nothing else.

There was nothing in my post to suggest that I am or was sore. In fact, I am very happy indeed. I mean, I am an immigrant too, which puts me in a better position than you to talk about equality, fairplay and ethics. I am a foreigner in another country, I reside here and I work here, therefore I am an immigrant. I have had to face the criticisms of my country to my face, I have had people mock me for my accent or the way I hold my teacup. There is nothing better than make people eat their words, saying I won't get anywhere because of where I come from, or because I didn't master their language. However, I think 5 promotions in 6 years proved them wrong and to be honest, I am loving it. I am the foreigner, taking their job, and going places where they want to be. Why? Because I work hard and I don't criticise the system no matter how much I hate their system. I don't criticise the police either, because they have a difficult enough job as it is, the neighbourhood where I live is a Chinatown section, where the majority are either Vietnamian or Chinese (nothing better than having 60 Chinese restaurants at your fingertips, or even Lebanese, kebab, Greek. There are a large number of North Africans where I live and they are fantastic, and to be honest, I couldn't wish for a better neighbourhood, listening to Raï (not the Italian television network either.) So you see, you can think what you like of me, we live in a free society, it doesn't matter one jot. I don't think anything bad about you either because I am, as you say, just someone behind an azerty keyboard. Have a nice evening. 

[Faith No More]

That I agree with however, you cannot blame the white population for what is happening to the black population today. If there is economic inequality today, then get a job, but to get a job, you need an education, and to get an education, you want to have the desire to succeed. If you don't take that opportunity, then it is not the states fault, it is your families fault for not pushing you to do better instead of playing truant or whatever.

And this is why everyone is calling you racist.  You imply that income inequality is simply a matter of work ethic, but given that black people have a higher poverty rate compared to other races, you're essentially saying that black people are lazier than everyone else.

Also, telling poor people to simply get an education so they can get a job shows you're completely ignorant of how abysmal the education systems are in the inner-cities here in the U.S.  The graduation rate in many cities is extremely low, and for the ones that do graduate, the quality of the education is so bad that they lack the basic skills that most people take for granted.  Well, guess whose fault it is that the education quality is so poor that it perpetuates the cycle of poverty?  Oh, yeah, the state's.

And finally, for those who are being accused of racism but claim they are not, ask yourself one simple question.  Why do you feel the need to show up in every thread about racial inequality and minimize the problem while simultaneously laying the blame on the victims of said inequality?

[Faith No More]

I mean, I am an immigrant too, which puts me in a better position than you to talk about equality, fairplay and ethics.

Yeah, you're a white immigrant in a a predominately white country. You're so qualified to talk about racial injustice. [/sarcasm]

[RobertE]

That I agree with however, you cannot blame the white population for what is happening to the black population today. If there is economic inequality today, then get a job, but to get a job, you need an education, and to get an education, you want to have the desire to succeed. If you don't take that opportunity, then it is not the states fault, it is your families fault for not pushing you to do better instead of playing truant or whatever.

And this is why everyone is calling you racist.  You imply that income inequality is simply a matter of work ethic, but given that black people have a higher poverty rate compared to other races, you're essentially saying that black people are lazier than everyone else.

Also, telling poor people to simply get an education so they can get a job shows you're completely ignorant of how abysmal the education systems are in the inner-cities here in the U.S.  The graduation rate in many cities is extremely low, and for the ones that do graduate, the quality of the education is so bad that they lack the basic skills that most people take for granted.  Well, guess whose fault it is that the education quality is so poor that it perpetuates the cycle of poverty?  Oh, yeah, the state's.

And finally, for those who are being accused of racism but claim they are not, ask yourself one simple question.  Why do you feel the need to show up in every thread about racial inequality and minimize the problem while simultaneously laying the blame on the victims of said inequality?

I don't what people call me, I don't even think bella or paul are too bothered either. I don't live in the United States so, it is not my problem so, you are right, I shouldn't be here giving an opinion, because it is called sticking your nose into other peoples business. Do you know why they have a higher poverty rate compared to other races, find that out, and you might learn something about work ethic. Ask anyone who owns a Chinese restaurant, an Indian restaurant, a Korean restaurant, a martial art class or even police personnel. They do it because they went to America with nothing and they want to give back to society. They also have families to provide for, bills to pay, and god knows what else. They know about family unity and its very rare to see Indian women or Chinese women who are single parents. Learn a little about Chinese culture or Indian culture, and you might learn something. They are the last bastions of what we call traditional family values. If you don't have them, then what do you have left. Single mothers bringing up children on very little money from the state because the fathers have left them for someone else. I don't feel sorry for the fathers, I feel sorry for the single parents in the black community. I feel sorry for the children who don't know the word 'stability", and family unity. What you see in the fresh prince of bel air or the cosby show is not reality for a majority, and to be honets, the communities have to start something without the need to resort to violence. They should try and help each other in times of need. It clearly is a mess and no-one wants to take them in hand and say "if we can work together, we can make America proud of this community." That is my opinion anyway, with organisation they can help the single mothers get a foothold onto the ladder and climb out of the vicious circle.
That is my last message in this thread but I have my position clear.

[A Theist]

This is an Atheism forum, not a fucking ku klux klan roundup.
There's quite a few black members here, does anyone see them rounding up support against white people?

There aren't that many black members who are regular posters here. 

The only reason I'm here is because I happened to join during a period when this was atheist discussion forum. I got know some of the regular posters here, MOST of which are very decent people. If I'd been perusing the forums during one of the times when there have been multiple  nigger-bashing/ dog whistle threads going at once, I probably wouldn't have wasted my time.

Btw, none of you Usual Suspects need whine about about my black whining; That's not what I'm doing, assholes. I don't have any expectation that anything should or even could be done about it, or that anyone should care. I'm simply sharing my thoughts, as to how a member (particularly a new one) could be left with perception that this forum is fairly hostile.

The only reason I'm here is because I happened to join during a period when this was atheist discussion forum.

I've been here 6 years longer than you have. These kinds of discussions and disagreements have been going on since I joined the forum in 2009. When you first joined last year didn't you notice the different pages, like "Politics" and "News and Current Events"?  That should have been a dead give away that the forum discusses a wide variety of topics other than atheism.

Btw, none of you Usual Suspects need whine about about my black whining; That's not what I'm doing, assholes.

No. It's just plain whining. It's you and some of the others personally whining about the discussion. You can't handle disagreement. The large majority of you on the left have been indoctrinated to think that any disagreement with your racial views makes someone a racist. Nothing racist has been said. That's just the way you've been conditioned to think.

I'm simply sharing my thoughts, as to how a member (particularly a new one) could be left with perception that this forum is fairly hostile.

The perception's wrong. That person, obviously, can't handle disagreement. Disagreeing with BLM, or discussing personal responsibility and self improvement vs poverty, income inequality, doesn't mean someone's a racist.

[Athene]

There was nothing in my post to suggest that I am or was sore. In fact, I am very happy indeed. I mean, I am an immigrant too, which puts me in a better position than you to talk about equality, fairplay and ethics. I am a foreigner in another country, I reside here and I work here, therefore I am an immigrant. I have had to face the criticisms of my country to my face, I have had people mock me for my accent or the way I hold my teacup. There is nothing better than make people eat their words, saying I won't get anywhere because of where I come from, or because I didn't master their language. However, I think 5 promotions in 6 years proved them wrong and to be honest, I am loving it. I am the foreigner, taking their job, and going places where they want to be. Why? Because I work hard and I don't criticise the system no matter how much I hate their system. I don't criticise the police either, because they have a difficult enough job as it is, the neighbourhood where I live is a Chinatown section, where the majority are either Vietnamian or Chinese (nothing better than having 60 Chinese restaurants at your fingertips, or even Lebanese, kebab, Greek. There are a large number of North Africans where I live and they are fantastic, and to be honest, I couldn't wish for a better neighbourhood, listening to Raï (not the Italian television network either.) So you see, you can think what you like of me, we live in a free society, it doesn't matter one jot. I don't think anything bad about you either because I am, as you say, just someone behind an azerty keyboard. Have a nice evening. 

That's wonderful, dear. 

I suppose I should accept your position as the ultimate authority in these matters, then. After all, you've said you are; so, it must be true. Clearly you've been briefed on the entirety of my life and the lives of everyone on these forums, unbeknownst to any anyone's knowledge. 
Besides, I can't even imagine what it must be like to be mocked for they way I hold a teacup. That must have been so painful for you.
I'm actually too ashamed to even discuss profiling or police brutality, now.

Have a nice evening as well, RobertE Lee. 

[RobertE]

There aren't that many black members who are regular posters here. 

The only reason I'm here is because I happened to join during a period when this was atheist discussion forum. I got know some of the regular posters here, MOST of which are very decent people. If I'd been perusing the forums during one of the times when there have been multiple  nigger-bashing/ dog whistle threads going at once, I probably wouldn't have wasted my time.

Btw, none of you Usual Suspects need whine about about my black whining; That's not what I'm doing, assholes. I don't have any expectation that anything should or even could be done about it, or that anyone should care. I'm simply sharing my thoughts, as to how a member (particularly a new one) could be left with perception that this forum is fairly hostile.

The only reason I'm here is because I happened to join during a period when this was atheist discussion forum.

I've been here 6 years longer than you have. These kinds of discussions and disagreements have been going on since I joined the forum in 2009. When you first joined last year didn't you notice the different pages, like "Politics" and "News and Current Events"?  That should have been a dead give away that the forum discusses a wide variety of topics other than atheism.

Btw, none of you Usual Suspects need whine about about my black whining; That's not what I'm doing, assholes.

No. It's just plain whining. It's you and some of the others personally whining about the discussion. You can't handle disagreement. The large majority of you on the left have been indoctrinated to think that any disagreement with your racial views makes someone a racist. Nothing racist has been said. That's just the way you've been conditioned to think.

I'm simply sharing my thoughts, as to how a member (particularly a new one) could be left with perception that this forum is fairly hostile.

The perception's wrong. That person, obviously, can't handle disagreement. Disagreeing with BLM, or discussing personal responsibility and self improvement vs poverty, income inequality, doesn't mean someone's a racist.

I did say that it was going to be my last message but I felt that the bolded part was too important to ignore. Indeed, we have all been conditioned to think, some are conditioned to think racist, others are conditioned not to be racist, and there are those who don't care, who are not conditioned, but will give a point of view regardless as to whether it is right or wrong. However, on this forum, there are those who are conditioned to think "that person is racist", at the slightest hint, and they will go as far as taking a point out of context and turning it into a racial issue. We are conditioned by the groups we frequent, we are conditioned by our fiends, our politics professors (a majority are left-wing by nature and can be subjective rather than objective), the media and forums we frequent. So, to cut a long story short, if you disagree only once on this issue (perhaps because we have become too sensitive), then you will be labeled a racist and from that point on, you can say whatever you like, you will know that from whatever you say afterwards, it will simply fall on deaf ears. Suffice to say, I am not racist, I just don't conform to societies standards like sheep. Most atheists might as well join a religion for what it is worth, since they will believe all the hype about everything.

[RobertE]

There was nothing in my post to suggest that I am or was sore. In fact, I am very happy indeed. I mean, I am an immigrant too, which puts me in a better position than you to talk about equality, fairplay and ethics. I am a foreigner in another country, I reside here and I work here, therefore I am an immigrant. I have had to face the criticisms of my country to my face, I have had people mock me for my accent or the way I hold my teacup. There is nothing better than make people eat their words, saying I won't get anywhere because of where I come from, or because I didn't master their language. However, I think 5 promotions in 6 years proved them wrong and to be honest, I am loving it. I am the foreigner, taking their job, and going places where they want to be. Why? Because I work hard and I don't criticise the system no matter how much I hate their system. I don't criticise the police either, because they have a difficult enough job as it is, the neighbourhood where I live is a Chinatown section, where the majority are either Vietnamian or Chinese (nothing better than having 60 Chinese restaurants at your fingertips, or even Lebanese, kebab, Greek. There are a large number of North Africans where I live and they are fantastic, and to be honest, I couldn't wish for a better neighbourhood, listening to Raï (not the Italian television network either.) So you see, you can think what you like of me, we live in a free society, it doesn't matter one jot. I don't think anything bad about you either because I am, as you say, just someone behind an azerty keyboard. Have a nice evening. 

That's wonderful, dear. 

I suppose I should accept your position as the ultimate authority in these matters, then. After all, you've said you are; so, it must be true. Clearly you've been briefed on the entirety of my life and the lives of everyone on these forums, unbeknownst to any anyone's knowledge. 
Besides, I can't even imagine what it must be like to be mocked for they way I hold a teacup. That must have been so painful for you.
I'm actually too ashamed to even discuss profiling or police brutality, now.

Have a nice evening as well, RobertE Lee. 

 Clearly you've been briefed on the entirety of my life

You called me a racist without knowing me. Does it matter what colour skin I have, I am an immigrant. I wasn't born here. How about you Thena, you born in the US of A?