Alright Will, you just made the list!!! Just kidding. Racism does exist here, but not to the extend that a lot of people believe and definitely not to the extent that some say it does (Jackson, Sharpton, Etc.). My thoughts on the issue parallel Beth's in several ways. Racism in the past has definitely taken its toll on our country and still lingers in subtle and some not so subtle ways. I agree with her on why poverty has struck blacks at a higher rate than non-blacks. I put responsibility for individual lives squarely on the shoulders of that individual so societal blames don't sit with me. Opportunities abound in this country but it's not easy. It's not supposed to be. If an individual does not take responsibility for his or her own life, then there's nothing society can do about it either positive or negative.
There are still remnants of institutional racism, but again, not on a large scale and there is definitely a sense in this country that that sort of racism won't be tolerated. We've come a long way and have a ways to go, but I think a solid groundwork has been laid out and if we continue on this path then it will continually get better. Never will it be eradicated, but at least it won't be allowed to prevail. Michael Corrigan Programmer Endora Digital Solutions www.endoradigital.com 630/942-5211 x-134 ----- Original Message ----- From: Will Swain To: CF-Community Sent: Monday, December 17, 2001 11:39 AM Subject: RE: I'll never understand... Not that I know of. And that was my point really. I was referring to Michael's assertion that he does not live in a racist society. will -----Original Message----- From: Fleischer, Beth [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 17 December 2001 17:35 To: CF-Community Subject: RE: I'll never understand... I am not aware of any countries in which racism doesn't exist. Are there any? > -----Original Message----- > From: Will Swain [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Monday, December 17, 2001 7:43 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: I'll never understand... > > Personally, I have no problem with people commenting on countries and > cultures of which they have no direct experience, as long as they do it > with > this fact in mind. You say something about British culture that I consider > to be innacurate and I will point it out to you, but I wouldn't suggest > that > you should never have said it. > > I think that we both live in societies where racism is still an > institutionalised problem. Certainly in this country (UK) there is a > problem. Its very difficult for me to see, because I am white and middle > class. However, my brother is married to a black woman, and she speaks of > racism as normal - just one of those things you have to deal with. I also > have a black foster brother, and again, his experience is that racism is > endemic in our culture. I have little personal experience of the situation > in the States, however I would suspect that there would be a number of > people who would disagree with your analysis. > > Lastly, whether or not you can analyse statistics to help understand a > problem? I don't think this kind of analysis indicates total ignorance, > and > actually can prove quite useful, as long as one remembers that statistics > can lie. > > Will > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 17 December 2001 16:31 > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: I'll never understand... > > > One reason why I don't comment on Afghanistan, Israel, etc. I will > comment on our governments activities, but I don't comment on the way > other countries live their lives. > > I have no problem with people criticizing the actions of the government. > I may disagree with ones assertions, but I don't have a problem with > people commenting on it. When someone makes ignorant (as in uneducated) > comments on something that they know literally nothing about, then I > don't care for it. His interpretation does not come from direct > experience but through the filtered and veiled eyes of others. His > disdain for our country seethes deeper than just a loathing for the > government but extends to the people themselves. The comments that he > made are evidence of that. > > I do not believe that we live in a racist society. You can't look at a > bunch of numbers and from that derive the problem. That demonstrates to > me total ignorance. > > Michael Corrigan > Programmer > Endora Digital Solutions > www.endoradigital.com > 630/942-5211 x-134 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Will Swain > To: CF-Community > Sent: Monday, December 17, 2001 10:00 AM > Subject: RE: I'll never understand... > > > A reasonable point, apart from the fact that to the best of my > knowledge, no > one on this list lives in Afghanistan, yet we all seem to have > opinions on > the quality of life there. > > If you are only qualified to comment on a country, its domestic > politics and > its culture if you live there, we wouldn't be discussing much on here. > > will > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 17 December 2001 15:49 > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: I'll never understand... > > > Where is this perception that you have come from? You don't even live > here? > > Michael Corrigan > Programmer > Endora Digital Solutions > www.endoradigital.com > 630/942-5211 x-134 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Benjamin Falloon > To: CF-Community > Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 11:49 AM > Subject: Re: I'll never understand... > > > > A group of people that will cut off a thief's hands, condone the > murder of > family members for adultery, etc... > > Also, I'd have to say that if you could respond with some facts > about > america that are equally disturbing. America, a country glued to the > television set, obsessed with buying things they don't need and > bombing/invading foreign countries a least twice every decade (while > engaged > in numerous conflicts around the globe). The american idea of > justice > is > executing people in the electric chair or dispatching them via a > 'gas > chamber', or the so called 'humane' method of killing - the lethal > injection. A country built on slavery which still mantains a > powerful > racist > undercurrent in its cultural make up. Major racial disparity in the > US > results in the incarceration of African American men at a rate 4 > times > those > incarcerated by the former aparteid nation of South Africa. > > Do you want me to go on? > > Benjamin > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Howie Hamlin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, December 17, 2001 3:16 AM > Subject: I'll never understand... > > > > I really don't get it... > > > > A group of people that will cut off a thief's hands, condone the > murder of > family members for adultery, etc... Yet, here's an > > article that really makes me wonder: > > > > > http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-warpray1216.story?c= > > ny%2 > Dtop%2Dheadlines > > > > I may be naive but I don't think I'll ever understand this way of > thinking... > > > > Howie > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Your ad could be here. Monies from ads go to support these lists and provide more resources for the community. http://www.fusionauthority.com/ads.cfm Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-community@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
