Senate "Race" Relations (was "U.S. Society and Black Men")

No, because most of us aren't obsessed with identity politics.

 

Let's work to abolish this word from the lexicon. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/bla...wer-called-niger-easy-decision-183831043.html

 

I'm happy with Slager's sentence, although I felt it could have been more like 30 years. 20 for the crime, but something like 10 for the attempt at a cover up.

 

To be fair, diversity is a negative thing when it comes to his reelection chances.

 

Then maybe his reelection chances should go to zero after that idiotic statement.

 

Steve King has said things even worse in the past

"This whole 'old white people' business does get a little tired, Charlie. I'd ask you to go back through history and figure out where are these contributions that have been made by these other categories of people that you are talking about? Where did any other subgroup of people contribute more to civilization?"​

​

"when you describe Western civilization that can mean much of Western civilization happens to be Caucasians. But we should not apologize for our culture or our civilization. The contributions that were made by Western civilization itself, and by Americans, by Americans of all races stand far above the rest of the world. The Western civilization and the American civilization are a superior culture."​

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"Some claim that the Arizona law will bring about racial discrimination profiling. First let me say, Mr. Speaker, that profiling has always been an important component of legitimate law enforcement. If you can’t profile someone, you can’t use those common sense indicators that are before your very eyes. Now, I think it’s wrong to use racial profiling for the reasons of discriminating against people, but it’s not wrong to use race or other indicators for the sake of identifying people that are violating the law."​

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"When you think about the optics of a Barack Obama potentially getting elected President of the United States – I mean, what does this look like to the rest of the world? What does it look like to the world of Islam? I will tell you that, if he is elected president, then the radical Islamists, the al-Qaida, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11."​

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King said of undocumented immigrants, "For every one who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there who weigh 130 pounds—and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert."​

He has also supported far-right European politicians like Marine Le Pen and Geert Wilders.

 

Roy Moore has supported white nationalists and supremacists, including a group cited by Dylann Roof. Subjugation of women and girls is part of his movement's plan. So disgusting. No wonder Bannon is supporting him.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/06/roy_moore_once_addressed_white.html

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entr...stian-nationalism_us_5a12ca6ee4b0dd63b1ab87a8

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...rkley-roy-moore-white-separatist-steve-bannon

 

FBI's unredacted 'suicide' letter to Martin Luther King Jr. revealed.

 

Maybe of interest :https://www.npr.org/sections/thesal...re-sowing-the-seeds-of-health-and-empowerment

 

Wow. That is even more disgusting than I thought it was. King had his flaws, but he's a spectacturally underrated American. So is his late wife, Corretta. There is no denying that King could be sexist at times. That's unfortunate that he was shortsighted. But his personal life did not impede his work in civil rights. I appreciate how King spoke out against not only the injustice suffered by African Americans and the poor, but also against the unjust war in Vietnam. Arguably, his opposition to the war was what resulted in his death. And he was right about America's addiction to power and interventionism. America cannot be a messianic force, and it's a pity that more have not learned that lesson in this day and age.

 

But there is that one car commercial with all white bank robbers. So.

 

“Justice is indivisible, and a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
- MLK

"When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triples of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered."
- MLK

 

I thought people knew MLK was a social democrat?

 

I think what's interesting and great about his quotes and positions in that article is that, while they were radical in his own time (thinking the Vietnam War was madness, pointing out how white people haven't done enough self-reflection, noting how economic hardship disproportionately affects black people) are now not at all radical. They're pretty much mainstream left-leaning thought. But amongst people from my generation, they're not even that... Hell even my libertarian brother is passionate about social justice and criminal justice reform.

So reading those quotes from MLK, the fact that they no longer seem radical is a testament to how he and all the hard working people who followed in his footsteps in the following decades pushed the boundaries.

I still believe his early dream is the ultimate goal. It is just still a long way away. But in his time, the idea that the majority of young white people would support criminal justice reform for black people probably also seemed a long way off. A black President certainly seemed a long way off. But as MLK also said, let's not stop and think that those things are enough. The hike is long and the mountain is high. But his radical vision and work was a fantastic catalyst, and remains so for me.

Happy MLK Day.

 

Exactly, exactly, exactly. Loved those quotes. We absolutely as white people can't just pat ourselves on the back and move on with our lives. It's on us to try to change our own attitudes and those of our community.

While I certainly try to do that, especially in conversations with my parents because it's more comfortable with them, I admit there are also times I've failed, and I'm ashamed of those.

Earlier this year my uncle used the n word in relation to an athlete, in a way he thought was positive. I was so shocked (because I honestly have never heard a friend or family member besides him use that word), that I didn't even say anything. It was deeply uncomfortable. But I realized soon after that I should have said something. Likewise, I sometimes play Destiny with an Indian guy who uses the "friendly" version of the n word occasionally in matches (or at least, he started doing it a couple times once we got to know each other better). Now this guy immigrated from India, so he probably genuinely doesn't understand that just because he hears it in rap doesn't mean it's ok to say. But I didn't explain that to him, because it was too awkward to me.

You know, to honor MLK, I think I'm gonna talk to both my uncle and my friend about the reasons both those words are hurtful and inappropriate. Thanks for posting those quotes from the article, Merk. They definitely inspire and chastize. None of us is perfect, and we all have a long way to go, no matter how shocked or uncomfortable we can be.

 

Follow-up: I've sent messages to my uncle and Destiny buddy. It was really awkward to send them, but better that I feel a little awkward than for them to keep saying it, especially if they say it around a black person who it might really hurt.

Hopefully it goes ok. Makes me nervous... Now I am feeling like I can only imagine what black people feel when some non black person says it around them and they have to decide whether to say something (in addition to the fact that they will feel hurt and maybe even threatened by the word, depending on how it's said).

Hey, does anyone know any really good documentaries about MLK, btw? I am feeling like I should actually honor the day, not just be happy there are sales.

 

He had a powerful way with words. He summed up Muhammad Ali's character and the example anyone should follow if an unjust war is being waged.


I second everything you said, Solojones. Here's an old History Channel documentary about MLK's later goals.


I must say that it's wonderful to listen to him talk. He's far more eloquent than nasty Trump.

 

I'll have to watch that video.

I'm now playing Fortnite with my Destiny friend pleasantly after confronting him. He didn't actually reply, but I saw that he read it, and he is not using the n word in our match anymore.

My uncle texted back saying he was sorry he used that word, that he had black friends from work and knows they wouldn't like it either. He said he'll try to do better at not using it from now on.

So, hopefully, maybe another small victory for MLK. Baby steps.

 

Cross posted to the US Politics thread also:

White Supremacy responsible for most extremist killings in 2017.