Court: Chicago must hire 111 black firefighters

[Zero Sum 305]

I don't get it. Boromir? And an allegory for whom exactly?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well Boromir is a character in Lord of the Rings. Sean Bean isn't. Not unless someone has done some editing!

[Zero Sum 305]

Well Boromir is a character in Lord of the Rings. Sean Bean isn't. Not unless someone has done some editing!

Boromir is portrayed by Sean Bean I think. Anyway its a character thing. This nameless character here... why Boromir? That's the question I will be pondering in my next installment on this site when I return from reality.

[Vi-Jay 218]

Hey wait!

Have any of you ever read the series?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Of course. Why are you angry?

[Vi-Jay 218]

Don't be using the movie as a reference..please.

It's sacreligious!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Don't be using the movie as a reference..please.

It's sacreligious!

No it isn't. IMO the films are better than the book in a number of ways.

I liked the book when I was a kid, not so much now. Tolkien has the reputation of being a much better writer than he was.

Edited May 16, 2011 by fishdude

[Vi-Jay 218]

No it isn't. IMO the films are better than the book in a number of ways.

I liked the book when I was a kid, not so much now. Tolkien has the reputation of being a much better writer than he was.

Read 'em again.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I'm sure I've read it more times than a lot of people have. It was fine for a kid's book, but it's not terribly imaginative. Poul Anderson's book, written in the same year was/is better. And he didn't write 1000+ pages to do it.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Yes Paul, I've had this discussion before. Many many many many times.... Oddly enough with someone rather similar to yourself and who was so universally derided on here that they were banned from the site for propagating racism.

Yes, there are indeed more white people on welfare than black people. The big BUT there that you are ignoring is that as a percentage of the white population, the rate of poverty is much lower than that of the black population. This means - if you are black you are statistically more likely to experience poverty than if you are white.

Quite why that is, is open to some interpretation - you talk about potential - but is it something innate, does it have to do with the effort you put in, or perhaps does it have to do with how many socio-economic barriers are in your way?

Some people like to leave that discussion at the door - implying that racial minorities are born to be inferior. I don't believe that to be the case. I do believe that inequalities exist in society out of past injustices.

A long debate can be had on socio-economic 'barriers' and the 'inferior' idea. Personally, I don't necessarily believe in either. Human ambition has a natural ability to overcome any obstacle thrown in its path. Well strong individuals anyway. Those strong ones are the ones who don't listen to their grandparents (even some parents still) and don't get brought down into the "culture" that is associated with being as cnn would say "Black in America."

There are very capable people and there's a big difference in southern African-Americans versus northern African-Americans this day and age. It's almost like a role-reversal. The south went from the slavery-racial south to the 'accepting/you have a shot' place and the north went to the racial-bitter-screw you area it would seem. The attitude difference is very noticeable and racism is still very prevelent up north today. That's not to say it doesnt' exist in the south still here and there, but the south also fought a huge civil rights war that the north never did see, so people over the past couple of generations now have learned acceptance of each other and their neighbors. The south is very mixed thanks to that.

I'm digressing off the main subject here though... Surrounding perhaps make a difference, but they aren't the be-all end-all of whether or not you will be successful as a certain class. Strong kids get out and make a better life for themselves all the time. Others get brought down on the idea from their family/peers that it's a 'white man's world' so why even try OR the family is completely destroyed because the 'who needs a daddy' welfare system makes it so damn easy to stay down. I think the lack of a stable family unit contributes a lot more to the problem in the African American communities throughout the US than anything else. It's why you see a lot of gang bangers as well, looking for that 'stable' part of ones life. Despite the actions of many gangs, many act like a family unit. A messed up family, but one that helps the self-esteem no less.... While it's the lacking of family in the African American community, it's 'too much' family in a lot of the Hispanic community.. too many kids, not enough attention, etc.. Sometimes balance is everything and at the end of the day, that balance can make a difference in success in life or not for those who are borderline and on the edge of the ability to overcome their situation.

[Zero Sum 305]

A long debate can be had on socio-economic 'barriers' and the 'inferior' idea. Personally, I don't necessarily believe in either. Human ambition has a natural ability to overcome any obstacle thrown in its path. Well strong individuals anyway. Those strong ones are the ones who don't listen to their grandparents (even some parents still) and don't get brought down into the "culture" that is associated with being as cnn would say "Black in America."

There are very capable people and there's a big difference in southern African-Americans versus northern African-Americans this day and age. It's almost like a role-reversal. The south went from the slavery-racial south to the 'accepting/you have a shot' place and the north went to the racial-bitter-screw you area it would seem. The attitude difference is very noticeable and racism is still very prevelent up north today. That's not to say it doesnt' exist in the south still here and there, but the south also fought a huge civil rights war that the north never did see, so people over the past couple of generations now have learned acceptance of each other and their neighbors. The south is very mixed thanks to that.

I'm digressing off the main subject here though... Surrounding perhaps make a difference, but they aren't the be-all end-all of whether or not you will be successful as a certain class. Strong kids get out and make a better life for themselves all the time. Others get brought down on the idea from their family/peers that it's a 'white man's world' so why even try OR the family is completely destroyed because the 'who needs a daddy' welfare system makes it so damn easy to stay down. I think the lack of a stable family unit contributes a lot more to the problem in the African American communities throughout the US than anything else. It's why you see a lot of gang bangers as well, looking for that 'stable' part of ones life. Despite the actions of many gangs, many act like a family unit. A messed up family, but one that helps the self-esteem no less.... While it's the lacking of family in the African American community, it's 'too much' family in a lot of the Hispanic community.. too many kids, not enough attention, etc.. Sometimes balance is everything and at the end of the day, that balance can make a difference in success in life or not for those who are borderline and on the edge of the ability to overcome their situation.

Maybe its the cold weather.

I agree with a breakdown of the family as a huge factor in not helping the African American community out that much. On top of the institutionalized racism, social racism (both from *some* African Americans learning their own self-defeating attitudes through the incredibly steep incline to reach a level of education not usually faced by better off non-African American communities; and from the society as a whole- all races- acting out their fears against certain elements of the African American community onto the whole), and other factors that are cumulative. That's the key word: cumulative.

It makes 'middle of the road' individual efforts much more difficult than it is for non-African American counterparts.

[Zero Sum 305]

Too bad modern education efforts to strengthen (self-empowerment) kids in the African American community (as well as with other ethnicities) are seen as non-integrative strategies to 'keep the white man down.'

Do remember the proponents of those perspectives too. Not exactly people that shine on racial equality matters. Which is why at times your artificial 'survival of the fittest' observations can be misconstrued to be of the Social Darwinism supported by racists.