straightUp Loc: California

Too late pumpkin... I already told you how I got more money anyway by working my ass off and getting promoted. As for my arrogance, don't think for a minute that I'm insulted. It's the effect of talking to whiny racists that can't justify their hatred. I make no apologies.

RandyBrian Loc: Texas

Hi, Straightup. Thanks for the informative post, and I see your point. Not arguing with these figures, but I do have a question:
According to online census figures, whites (excluding Hispanic) are 60% of the US population. Blacks are little over 13%. So there is over 4 white people for each black person in the US. The numbers you quoted above sound like the raw numbers. So if I am applying it correctly, blacks are three or four times more likely to commit a crime, as a percentage of their population, than the whites. Or am I missing something?
In any case, these appalling figures are not a direct reflection of race, but of the horrid way black people have been abused and manipulated by the government in general and the democrats in particular.

JFlorio Loc: Seminole Florida

You're not missing anything. I see you figured him out already. Anyone can manipulate numbers to get the conclusion they want. The Black culture is a mess. The white culture is not far behind. The removal of God from most aspects of our life; everything that happens to someone is someone else's fault and above all replacing the placing the father figure with the latest govt. program has ruined American society.

Iliamna1

There's an old quote "Figures can't lie, but liars can figure." Your perception of those crime stats are accurate.

Radiance3

straightUp Loc: California

OK, so?

Rose42

But you do.

straightUp Loc: California

Hey Randy. You're not missing anything. (JFlorio is. ;))

As you know, my post was a response to someone else who had stated that blacks are the most "violent and lawbreakers" I don't know what that means exactly but I figured I'd offer another perspective. All these stats tell us is that most rapes in the U.S. are committed by white people, etc... I didn't mince words, so you can take that at face value.

I understand what you're saying. If you're trying to measure the criminality of a race, then per capita counts would be better, but that wasn't what I was doing. Besides, even with per capita counts you still need a level ground and I already explained why we don't have that... which is the point you didn't miss.

That it's not a black thing. It's an oppression thing. People can be forced into worlds of desperation and it happens all the time... probably the most horrendous current example are the Palestinians. They seem to have an affinity for acts of terrorism. 'Seems the Irish did too (only they get drunk and sing songs about it).

straightUp Loc: California

Why do you doubt it? Is there some specific reason why it's so unlikely?

I sometimes wonder if people understand what these terms mean. There's been a lot of references on this thread to specific instances of where a white person didn't get his way as if that somehow debunks the idea of white privilege. White privilege doesn't have to mean a white person ALWAYS gets his way. It doesn't mean there's some social agreement either.

I believe earlier you said that when the hiring manager looks like you, you have a natural advantage. Well, for a white person that's about 80% of the time, for a black person it's about 10% of the time. That differential is sometimes referred to as white privilege. It's not a conspiracy or a guarantee, it's just the aggregate result of unbalanced demographics, but it's real nevertheless.

There is also the sad fact that upward mobility in America is very difficult because it's based on economic means in a system where the rich get richer and poor get poorer. In other words, it's largely perpetual. For instance for someone born into wealth, getting a degree is easy. Daddy pays tuition and Chad just goes to school where he can dedicate all his time to study and still have time left over to party. But for someone born into poverty daddy don't have the money. So you have to borrow and you won't have as much time to study either because you're probably working your way through. Once again, all these things add up in the aggregate. This doesn't stop the exceptional kid from making a beeline from the ghetto to a Ph.D, but it does have an impact on the average student and many of them have to drop out because they can't continue their education AND pay the bills at the same time.

The economy doesn't stop there... When people without degrees take what jobs are available to them, they often find themselves barely able to pay the bills and they can't save. If they suddenly need money, they have to borrow, the more you borrow the more you have to pay back plus interest and that door to the next level gets farther and farther away.

Of course none of this is racial... White people struggle with this system as much as black people and it's getting worse by the year. Just look at the wealth distribution over the past 20 years which basically illustrates my point.

Now, to tie all this up... looking at the trend charts for wealth distribution we can see that there was a time when it was far more equal. This is when upward mobility was more possible and people were saying that anyone can make it in America if they just work hard... Many white families ascended the steps of status this way, moved to the suburbs and sent their children to college. But for black people there was the added Jim Crow barrier. As a result far fewer black people were able to "move up to the Eastside".

Jim Crow laws did eventually subside but at the same time conservative governments began to make more room for the concentration of wealth which hardened the class structures making upward mobility more difficult and as a result the majority of black people got trapped in the lower-working class along with the white folks we sometimes refer to as trailer trash.

As a result, the white folks that made it to the upper-middle class looked down on them. If they see a black kid in their pristine neighborhood they assume they don't belong there. They assume they are there to steal stuff. A white kid would not be questioned.

That is also called white privilege. Again, not a conspiracy, not a policy... Just some human nature responding to the effects of misfortune.

I really don't understand the offense taken by white people every time white privilege is mentioned. There's no reason to be so defensive. It's like those people who succeed in life and refuse to accept the idea that luck had anything to do with it.

As a white person, I have no problem accepting the fact that being white DOES have it's advantages. I didn't ask for them but no one is blaming me for them either, so why all the seething?


On one hand, I agree with the spirit of your statement. As a universal law, individuals need to deal with unfairness and a positive attitude makes that easier. But at the same time, you are also prescribing a form of apathy that I strongly disagree with. Society CAN be blamed for a LOT of that unfairness so there is no reason why dealing with unfairness can't include efforts to change society. That's what our democracy is for.


(standing ovation) Very inspiring... but also naive. If you really look at our history will may notice that very little "positive change" has ever occurred without demands and threats. Women had to demand and threaten to earn their right to vote. Workers had to demand and threaten to get 8 hour days and living wages. Even the founders of this nation had to make demands and threats to break free of British oppression and if you remember, the Boston Tea Party was a clear example of destroying private property.

So, please stop telling Americans to accept their fate. I agree with your point about individuals dealing with unfairness I really do, just like I would try to tell a slave in chains to whistle if it makes his work easier but I would never tell him to accept his chains.

lindajoy Loc: right here with you....

✨👏🏻✨👏🏻

Rose42

Best post on this thread.

RandyBrian Loc: Texas

Straightup, thank you! Very well explained, and I enjoyed reading it. You said much of what I intended, but did it better than I did. And yes, some times demands, threats, even destruction is required to achieve freedom or equal rights. But that is not what is happening today. The "systematic racism" that is supposedly at the heart of the riots was done by individuals who are being brought to justice. What we are seeing today is NOT pursuit of justice. It is an attack on American society by people who do not like our system of government, or do not like the current administration.

bahmer

Amen and Amen

straightUp Loc: California

I love the message of equality here. I wish more people thought like this. Sarge is really missing the point about the protesters though. They aren't protesting what happened to their ancestors, they are protesting what is happening right now to black victims of police brutality like George Floyd. They are also protesting the the system (largely the unions) that have been protecting the officers involved.

The results are very positive. Lots of local governments are planning reformations now. Overall, it's a shining moment for America. It's unfortunate that some people can't get past their prejudice and feel they have to turn this into a race war. Even more unfortunate that our president is being such a dick about it. But I guess that's always been the case whenever positive changes occur there are those who fume about it for whatever reason sometimes it's because they just don't like black people.

Rose42

You presume too much.