The Truth about the Racial Divide in America

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

Those of you that I have irritated over the years know I goof, and that I can butcher a sentence like none other. I also never go long but here is the exception.

I also don’t like to point out skin color, but in this case its relevant

I was sitting in the waiting room of my veterinarian today. He happens to be a black man, although he is from Guiana and there are those of us here who say that makes him not black. I disagree. Waiting with me was a 50ish something year old black lady and a young black Airforce 2lt. The lady gets up and hugs him and thinks him for his service. She then proceeds to tell him how proud she is of him and then tells both of us how live in the freest greatest country in the world. As she goes on she explains how 5 members of her family served and one was severely wounded in Nam. She had two brothers in the combat zone at the same time and the red cross had to get one out. She tells me that nothing makes here madder than anyone who would disrespect our service people and our country they have sacrificed for. She was talking to me, and maybe she thought I was being aloof, but the real problem was I could not say much, because to be honest I was a little chocked up. She explained we are not perfect but no other nation is more free and strives to a greater good.

As I struck up a conversation with the young LT, I asked him what was his commission source. He, replied” United States Air Force Academy”. I congratulated him and told him what an accomplishment it was to be appointed and graduate the USAF Academy. A very remarkable young man..

It struck me how I was sitting in the office of a black doctor as a white patient, surrounded by a black women who was proud of her country, her flag and our service members and a young black man who had accomplished so much and had so much to be proud of.

Then it struck me. We do live in the greatest country in the world. The false narrative the press and our politicians push upon us to keep us divided and sell commercials is destroying our country. Black people are buying the ridiculous rhetoric the black men are being hunted down like rabbits and that no black man can get ahead based on Merit alone. What a poisonous elixir of self-loathing and self-deftest hogwash this is. These kind of black people will never be on TV or be given a platform or be pointed to as role models for a younger black generation. Instead they will be force feed the myth that their destiny is prison or failure under the hob nailed boot of white oppression. What a disservice the leaders of the black community are doing, including some here that push this ridiculous vile self loathing pile of manure, while claiming to love their own people. A prima donna athlete who sits for the national anthem is given hours of media time, while a brave young 2^nd lt, who has accomplished so much is ignored.

The flip side of that. White people who cannot admit that 100’s of years of oppression have created many of the problems. We are force feed violent images of young black people looting, burning and every time some poverty pimp who makes his living on the back of these people speak, he is given loads of TV time, until white America believes this is the Norm in that community.

Both sides of the equation buy into the great lies created by the very people who would have no platform if we all started seeing each other as just people.

Here is the bottom line. People are people. We all want the same thing. To be loved, to have the self-esteem that comes with accomplishment, for our children to have a better life than we had and to feel secure in our homes and jobs.

We all go to our jobs and interact with persons of other races, with respect and dignity and treat each other well. Then we come home and are force feed garbage and stereotypes, until we buy into the myth that the other side is to blame for most of our problems.

Most white people are good decent people who want to see others prosper and do well. Most cops are good people who do a really hard job and are put in very difficult situations. There are a lot of (most) smart hard working black people in this country. We need more moments like today and less stereotypes from both sides.

P.S. my dog is Black but she is from Labrador so not sure that counts

[Janelle2002 3,865]

First I want to thank you for this post. NB I applaud your effort. I am sure you thought about this for a long time. I am going to agree with you on certain things and I am going to disagree with you on certain things. I do believe we all just want to be loved, live, have friends and die happy. Every race of people do want this. I also believe there is some good in every race, there is some good in the police department, there is some good in politicians.

I know our conversations can get heated here sometimes. Our conversations are to never say ALL of any race of any particular group is bad. The point is to acknowledge the elements that hold back mending relationships in this country.

Let's talk a little bit about cause and effect because this country has had a lot of racial issues and it has been a plight for black people. None the less, the media continuously shows negative aspects and lies about the black community, yes? In return you have regular white people who are scared of black people, yes? In return this makes them uncomfortable with black people, yes? In return this makes them not want to hire black people because they are scared of black people, yes? In return cross the street when you see a black person walking down the street, yes? Makes you watch a black person in the store when they are shopping, yes? My point is just to explain cause and effect. Because this is the effect of biased media, politicians and a lot of right winged websites. Donald Trump posted some highly incorrect stats about black people in this country. The effect? More people will continue to hate us and think that we are contributing to these extreme levels of crime and this is far from the truth.

"These kind of black people will never be on TV or be given a platform or be pointed to as role models for a younger black generation." Yes they will. How about we start with the First Family. However, how has our first family been treated?

Being called a liar. Ann Coulter making references to someone making President Obama look like a monkey. We all know that comparing black people to monkeys has been a racial attack since forever.

Do you think that the First Family don't understand that America is a great place? Of course they do. That doesn't take away from their experiences. Look at these credentials. Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as acivil rights attorney and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School between 1992 and 2004. While serving three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, he ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for theUnited States House of Representatives in 2000 against incumbent Bobby Rush. First Lady. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Obama is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, and spent her early legal career working at the law firm Sidley Austin, where she met her husband. She subsequently worked as the Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago and the Vice President for Community and External Affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Barack and Michelle married in 1992 and have two daughters.

Has their credentials stopped them from being called the N word, monkeys, the FLOTUS looks like a man or the President is the anti-Christ? No it hasn't. He is called a Muslim even though he has professed he is a Christian. He is called a Kenyan even though he is an American. How can you feel you are American and part of a great nation when people are calling you a Kenyan everyday? His children, my children, the future black generation has to see this on tv day in and day out. We as in the black community, we have one of the most powerful black role models on tv, put there are those, that dark, small group with power, who still lurk in the dark seeking to tear down the progress of humanizing black people.

"Instead they will be force feed the myth that their destiny is prison or failure under the hob nailed boot of white oppression." Being poor and a minority puts a lot of weight around your ankles as you attempt to climb the ladder. There are those in the country that don't care for the poor and definitely not for POC. They would just rather get rid of these groups. Many studies have proven over and over again black students are suspended at higher rates than their classmates, expelled and have the police called on them more. https://www.aclu.org/issues/juvenile-justice/school-prison-pipeline

"The ACLU is committed to challenging the “school-to-prison pipeline,” a disturbing national trend wherein children are funneled out of public schools and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Many of these children have learning disabilities or histories of poverty, abuse, or neglect, and would benefit from additional educational and counseling services. Instead, they are isolated, punished, and pushed out.

“Zero-tolerance” policies criminalize minor infractions of school rules, while cops in schools lead to students being criminalized for behavior that should be handled inside the school. Students of color are especially vulnerable to push-out trends and the discriminatory application of discipline."

Judges Plead Guilty in Scheme to Jail Youths for Profit

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/us/13judge.html?_r=0

And these are just a tip of the people who are caught. What about the ones who still haven't been caught yet? Getting paid to send juveniles to facilities. These kids lives were ruined at an early age and we don't know how many kids were done like this.

Is there looting? Yes. Are black people upset? Yes and they, we have a right to be. Is looting right? No. Are there some criminal elements within the black community? yes. THUH! Every race has criminal elements, but only want to focus on black criminal elements. At any moment I understand that Marv could be on the ground shot because people are taught we are such dangerous creatures. The sad part is Marv can't even fight he's harmless, but he will be seen as this YUUUUGE dangerous black guy.

These crime stats are twisted and do not show the whole picture.

Leaked Documents Show Alabama Police Planted Drugs, Guns on Innocent Black Men in Decades-long Scheme http://www.innocenceproject.org/leaked-documents-show-alabama-police-planted-drugs-guns-on-innocent-black-men-in-decades-long-scheme/ until things like this stop happening, how can we separate the innocent from the bad unless the people are caught in the act? Cops planting evidence, lying, planting drugs, etc. We have legitimate concerns. Until you do the research and look for a deeper understanding, you will continue to think black people are crying wolf. We need good cops to start protecting and serving, turn in their corrupt brothers and restore hope, peace and cooperation to the communities. And police corruption doesn't just extend to the black community, it extends to the white community too! Why does the white community not want to address this matter? Is it because they will have to acknowledge what black people have been through and attempt to look at and treat black people differently? https://www.rt.com/usa/249741-philly-cops-drugs-corruption/ Ex-Philly cop admits he planted drugs in scheme targeting white ‘khaki-pants type’ males.

Police Caught Planting Drugs In Small Business

This cop had his informant to plant crack at this man's business

CORRUPTION – VA. Cops Planting Drugs/False Evidence

http://www.copblock.org/77428/corruption-va-cops-planting-drugsfalse-evidence/