Whats wrong with an ALL WHITE spelling bee?.. EVERYTHING!

[Danno 1,228]

http://www.beeaboutit.com/bait/?page_id=39

http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1305241692-Students-Practice-for-First-Black-Spelling-Bee.html

Complete with Scholarships and prizes!

The events seem to be at public schools too.

Now I know some of you "I have a dreamers" don't like the return to segregations.... even if it is self imposed but what else is the Black community to do when:

Only 12 percent of black fourth-grade boys are proficient in reading, compared with 38 percent of white boys, and only 12 percent of black eighth-grade boys are proficient in math, compared with 44 percent of white boys.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/education/09gap.html

The only thing that seems a little odd would be if these events were taking place in public schools as I doubt an "All white" event would take place in a publicly owned facility.

Anyway I suspect this is the direction things are going so, get used to it.

Edited May 17, 2011 by Danno

[Zero Sum 305]

Danno either understands what self-empowerment is, and hates it (given the mocking tone)... or he doesn't get it, confusing it with the segregation practices of old. Either way, the obsession with posting about African Americans is interesting to note.

[SMR 368]

Danno either understands what self-empowerment is, and hates it (given the mocking tone)... or he doesn't get it, confusing it with the segregation practices of old. Either way, the obsession with posting about African Americans is interesting to note.

Please explain to the unenlightened what "self-empowerment" is. It seems a lot like racism to me.

It's interesting to wonder what definition of African American they use when determining eligibility. I have yet to see a consistent and legally defensibly definition. Naturally you can say that an African American is someone who was born in, used to have residency in, or used to be a citizen of an African nation. You could even extend it to include people who can document that their parents (or ancestors in general) were such. However, a considerable portion of so called African Americans would be excluded by this definition.

[Zero Sum 305]

Please explain to the unenlightened what "self-empowerment" is. It seems a lot like racism to me.

It's interesting to wonder what definition of African American they use when determining eligibility. I have yet to see a consistent and legally defensibly definition. Naturally you can say that an African American is someone who was born in, used to have residency in, or used to be a citizen of an African nation. You could even extend it to include people who can document that their parents (or ancestors in general) were such. However, a considerable portion of so called African Americans would be excluded by this definition.

It means, to me at least- encouraging one's un-empowered children to excel academically.

The problem with allowing ourselves to be duped by the race-obsessed like Danno is that empowering methods often are brutally taken to mean discriminatory, anti-white, anti-integration practices that couldn't be further from the truth. Self-empowerment is usually a means to teach African Americans, and other 'minority' populations within the US, that they too are capable of achieving success in the grand scheme of life and that they don't have to assume the learned hopelessness inherent in self-perpetuating cycle of poverty and socialized segregation.

That in effect is hardly racist- perhaps its the assumption of racism that needs to be worked on if one believes these empowering ideals are a threat to the established racial dynamic... which would IMO lead to pushback by those most threatened: racists.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

It means, to me at least- encouraging one's un-empowered children to excel academically.

The problem with allowing ourselves to be duped by the race-obsessed like Danno is that empowering methods often are brutally taken to mean discriminatory, anti-white, anti-integration practices that couldn't be further from the truth. Self-empowerment is usually a means to teach African Americans, and other 'minority' populations within the US, that they too are capable of achieving success in the grand scheme of life and that they don't have to assume the learned hopelessness inherent in self-perpetuating cycle of poverty and socialized segregation.

That in effect is hardly racist- perhaps its the assumption of racism that needs to be worked on if one believes these empowering ideals are a threat to the established racial dynamic... which would IMO lead to pushback by those most threatened: racists.

The question that has to be raised is the continued damage to the social confines of society.

While you might be empowering a few to be the best amongst their 'group,' you are setting them up for failure in the real world unless they want to continue to seclude themselves.

What good is so-called self-empowerment unless it's reflective of the reality in which they are going to live out in the real world? It's almost an insult to those who hav overcome adversity and worked hard and become self-empowered without an ethnocentric group right behind them.

So long as we treat groups in America differently in one way or another, be it even in the best idea, we are going to continue to have a division amongst the races that can never be healed and a feeling that one guy has it better than the next along a line that doesn't have to be that way.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Are these types of things actually perpetuating racial segregation, or do they merely reflect the way society is?

If you did away with events like this spelling bee, for example, you wouldn't magically transform the US into a post-racial society. Some people want the appearance of things to reflect the way they'd like society to be, not the way it actually is.

[Zero Sum 305]

The question that has to be raised is the continued damage to the social confines of society.

While you might be empowering a few to be the best amongst their 'group,' you are setting them up for failure in the real world unless they want to continue to seclude themselves.

What good is so-called self-empowerment unless it's reflective of the reality in which they are going to live out in the real world? It's almost an insult to those who hav overcome adversity and worked hard and become self-empowered without an ethnocentric group right behind them.

So long as we treat groups in America differently in one way or another, be it even in the best idea, we are going to continue to have a division amongst the races that can never be healed and a feeling that one guy has it better than the next along a line that doesn't have to be that way.

Self-empowerment is not forced on anyone, nor is the recipient of said efforts embark on a journey of self-empowerment without the desire to achieve success. And this occurs at the individual level within the targeted group setting.

No guarantees, granted. Life is never guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that many will try to pigeon-hole the discussion into an obscure agenda that seeks to position 'groups' into antagonistic classes. Such is the reactionary way of looking at things.

Best is to embark on a policy of equally funding all 'groups' according to the principles of equal access with a clear meaning of what empowerment is. Assuming that backgrounds are different as a root cause of social inequalities is fine; wanting healing and equal attitudes in society is ridiculous without an attempt at ensuring that the tools are provided for the disadvantaged to be able to lift themselves up by their bootstraps.

Of course there will be people opposed to said efforts on grounds of social and cultural fitness: and their message is crystal clear. And they will continue to highlight the desired effect- segregation of groups that stand to threaten their limited and archaic perspective on humanity.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Double standards aside, I'm a little concerned. This sends out the message that blacks cant compete with whites.

[Danno 1,228]

Danno either understands what self-empowerment is, and hates it (given the mocking tone)... or he doesn't get it, confusing it with the segregation practices of old. Either way, the obsession with posting about African Americans is interesting to note.

I made the first post when I posted this topic, within 10 minutes you posted and so far you are leading the posting volume..... apparently you have a bit of an obsession as well, if not, I dare you to stay out of the topic: Can you do it?

A: Nope.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Double standards aside, I'm a little concerned. This sends out the message that blacks cant compete with whites.

Trust you to come up with that. God...

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Self-empowerment is not forced on anyone, nor is the recipient of said efforts embark on a journey of self-empowerment without the desire to achieve success. And this occurs at the individual level within the targeted group setting.

No guarantees, granted. Life is never guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that many will try to pigeon-hole the discussion into an obscure agenda that seeks to position 'groups' into antagonistic classes. Such is the reactionary way of looking at things.

Best is to embark on a policy of equally funding all 'groups' according to the principles of equal access with a clear meaning of what empowerment is. Assuming that backgrounds are different as a root cause of social inequalities is fine; wanting healing and equal attitudes in society is ridiculous without an attempt at ensuring that the tools are provided for the disadvantaged to be able to lift themselves up by their bootstraps.

Of course there will be people opposed to said efforts on grounds of social and cultural fitness: and their message is crystal clear. And they will continue to highlight the desired effect- segregation of groups that stand to threaten their limited and archaic perspective on humanity.

You know, it's funny really, because I get what you are saying, however society is never 'equal' in the way we want it to be. We have this grand idea of it being so and we can do a lot to make it that way, but at the end of the day true human nature takes over in one way or another and someone is going to be put down below in one way or another.

I've told people before that 'seperate but equal' as an idea in itself was not bad. In fact when you look at people wanting to be comforted in life, it was a grand idea. The small problem to that being though, is it was never equal and never would be. You could have "group a only" and "group b only" all you wanted, but the reality is, someone isn't going to get the same as the other group and the turmoil will continue.

Society likes to be divisive though no matter how you look at it, unless it's controlled and even then there are small groups within the controlled majority that are searching for a way out. Even ethnocentric regions have to deal with different religious beliefs and groups and the turmoil that goes on there. Some societies not so much and they live fine amongst themselves.

There's no denying that we are all different. The problem with the United States is, we have the grand idea that everyone deserves an equal opportunity. While we can provide that opportunity to an extent, we can not keep away other divisive items out of our society and still remain a free society at the same time. It's like trying to face the same polarities of a magnet together. You can hold them in place, but they are always trying to push away from each other.

[_Simpson_ 250]

Trust you to come up with that. God...

Do you have anything constructive to say about my point?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Do you have anything constructive to say about my point?

No. There's nothing constructive about it that can be said.

[Zero Sum 305]

I made the first post when I posted this topic, within 10 minutes you posted and so far you are leading the posting volume..... apparently you have a bit of an obsession as well, if not, I dare you to stay out of the topic: Can you do it?

A: Nope.

Are you just afraid I'll continue to call you out for being the racist you are?

That must really bug you to get into silly 'dares'...

[_Simpson_ 250]

No. There's nothing constructive about it that can be said.

OK then. Now its time to let the big boys talk.