Hey Tom,
I'm sorry for being uninformed about "affirmative action." I've been self-employed for 35 years. If I don't affirm my butt out of bed every morning, I don't make money. Pure and simple.
But I've heard of others in larger cities really critize this government program, as you and Frenchy have. Again, I don't have the knowledge to discuss it. But I have enjoyed sparring with you.
Hey Frenchy, Sure hope I didn't offend you by calling you the endearment of "Cajun Boy". We've (southerners) have been known as rednecks, bubbas, etc., for so long - just seemed kinda of natural. When we met with some neat friends in New Orleans, their loved their Cajun background. We went to different Cajun local restaurants each night. Watched the dancers, and ate a lot of strange, spicy food.
Your background is quite similar to my mother's. Only she was the Irish Catholic immigrant in NY City. Beaten in school for no socks in the winter, always dirty hair, etc. Police regularily called in to stop her father from beating the kids - once again. She was beaten with a rod by one of the teachers at school horribly. The father saw the whip lashes on the backs of her legs and arms. He thundered to school - and he and the school agreed not to report each other to the police for beating my mother - that way no one got in trouble. And everybody kept beating my mother.
She had so much anger for her father that after she married and moved away, she never contacted him. Several years later, he was dying of cancer, he had her phoned and wanted to apologize to her. She refused the phone call - and wouldn't see or speak to him. He died.
Funny thing, until she was 60, she had no memory of her hatred for him. Only when her brother jogged her memory after hours of heated discussion, she remembered the emotions - and cried for days.
My aunt, as the rest of the children, was forced to quit school and get a job at 15/16 to support family. Both parents worked. No drinking. Just violence and anger. My aunt went to night school, being beaten, then moved out, full scholarships for college, nursing, then going on to achieve two Masters Degrees simultaneously. Her family always begruged her "uppity woman" attitude (which she had) and she shoved it in their faces. Every child, but one, was riddled with anger, divorce, drinking, etc.
Studies have been made on first generation immigrant families. Many beatings, many drunks, many wives died. Second generation survived better. I would assume the same ratios would apply to the Cajun people.
I was not arguing Affirmative Action. I don't know much about it. I, like Red, was used as a man's "brush against" in work for way too many years when younger. It didn't pay to say anything, literally.
Things have changed - women started talking, men started getting sued. Now men say, "well, why do we still have to talk about it! Look how good you have it - and now you want equal money too?
Hey Grunt,
I would like to point out something to one of the ladies, black men could vote before white women, it seemed in one post it indicated otherwise. Just thought you might want to have another shot to fire.
Thanks for the history, Grunt. Did not know this. I am at a loss for words, which is unusal for me. I'm glad it's better, really I am. But the world is a big place, and women and minorities are still the underdogs in many countries.
waiting
