So we are gonna ignore the riot thats happening in Baltimore

STEPHEN A SMITH, ESPN: "Our ancestors, considering our history and what they had to go through and the sacrifices that they had to make to get us to this point, our ancestors would be ashamed of how we’re conducting ourselves. And it needs to be addressed and it needs to be stopped because I see a whole bunch of young brothers and sisters out here right now. They’re here with us. They wouldn’t act that way."

Well said, Stephen A.

 

"Severed his own spine"

Yeah, let's go with that....

 

You basically responded with...nothing, as usual.

Nice.

 

You asked a short sighted ignorant question so what type of response do you expect.

But I ask again... Did you work your way through college by working at restaurants...?
Better yet, did you even go to college...?

 

What are you talking about? Your anecdotal evidence means nothing. America is one of the easiest developed nations for immigrants to access, both legally and illegally. Secondly, the majority of people the get in legally do so based on family preferences and not labor preferences that involve college degrees and "exceptional ability." These people are not "cream of the crop;" they are simply people lucky enough to be related to someone who found a way here. When you take into account illegal immigrants, your average immigrant to the US has no significant advantages over native born black people. Well...aside from not having the historic stigma that African Americans seem to be unable to overcome, though it seems that some here are too quick to dismiss any racism that isn't anti-black.

I understand the anger and resentment and that the legacy of slavery takes time to wipe out, but my question is, when does personal responsibility come into play? Is there a set number of years that has to pass? Is it a sliding scale based on how much time has passed? Perhaps once the average income of black households reaches a certain point we can hold them to the same societal standards as everyone else?

Like yesterday, I read an article on one of Freddie Gray's friends who had like 5 kids from 2 different women. He hadn't worked a day in his life and said they would all probably grow up to be drug dealers. "Don't have kids if you can't afford them" seems like a very easy concept to understand. It doesn't require higher education or any great financial expenditure to achieve. I have a difficult time seeing how racism caused this particular poor decision.

 

No, I didn't even go to school. I've stolen the neighbor's wireless internet four thousand times just to post on CF over the last ten years

You didn't experience any of these supposed hardships per your own admission but you demand everyone else to stay silent unless they have firsthand experience? lol

 

I'm not surprised by that at all buddy...

 

I know right, it's so obvious, why did it take you so long to confirm? You are even resorting to partially quoting posts just to avoid the question now

You sound like a pampered mid 90's baby, yet here you are telling everyone to shut up unless they struggled in the ghetto? Heh

 

Exactly.

 

Actually my parents did a lot of work in poor communities and would take me along. My dad had a boxing gym and martial arts studio in a poor community in NYC to try to keep kids off the streets and my mom would do tutoring there as well. So I didn't have the same exact experiences nor did I have to go through the hardships but I witnessed it. And quite frankly I don't know how I would have turned out if I had to live in a situation like that without caring parents to keep me on the straight and narrow and show me right from wrong.

But yet again you ignore the man made situations that people are put in that Bobby mentioned and ignores as well. Which shows your hatred you have for others. But you're German so I'm not surprised.

 

You start by saying anecdotal evidence means nothing, then finish with an anecdote.

Yes, an individual can work his way out of the ghetto, but we're talking about entire communities. Those born in the Fifth Ward do not have the same advantages as those born in River Oaks. Less people born into poverty succeed than those born into wealth. This is undeniable the world over.

Do you cry "personal responsibility" for someone born in the Sudan who didn't make it out of there and become something over someone born into wealth who got to go to great schools? Obviously the poor in America are better off than those in the Sudan, but there are significant disadvantages nonetheless.

"Perhaps once the average income of black households reaches a certain point we can hold them to the same societal standards as everyone else?"

Absolutely.

 

I would have expected that if anyone was to learn something from the Trayvon and Michael Brown incidents, it'd be that the incident that catalyzed the uproar itself is not particularly important, and that the fuel for the fire is a long and continuing history of discrimination that protesters and rioters themselves have experienced firsthand. That even as white people have found a way to rationalize away the incident in their own minds, it doesn't at all address the real problem that is making some people take to the streets. The facts are already in for the people in these communities -- they may not know what really happened to Freddie Gray, but they've seen a thousand instances of discrimination themselves already. But, you don't seem to have learned that lesson at all, no matter how many times it repeats itself.

 

Dude, your last statement is as racist as anything posted to this point. Stop preachin'!

 

Which is the only statement you would pay attention to... Lol.

 

Ah yes, the non-specific "long and continuing history of discrimination". When you don't have quality evidence, just lean on that excuse to have your pity party du jour, loot and be violent.

 

I don't know what happened before that video, and more importantly what happened after that video........ but there is NOTHING in that video that leads to the conclusion that he was "obviously already paralyzed", especially considering it looks like he put some weight on his lower body at a couple points in time.

Stop sensationalizing.....

 

Yep, there's no specific evidence of discrimination against blacks in America. Close it up!

 

So you are fully supportive of looting and violence anywhere, anytime because there has been discrimination of blacks?

I fully reject discrimination, but come on -- peaceful protests are great, looting and violence are not.

 

More hatred, prejudice and xenophobia from our resident racist.

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/05/the-case-for-reparations/361631/

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/us/07baltimore.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Now it's very specific.

At which point, you won't reply with substance, I suppose.