O.K. I'll attempt to answer pg. 2 responses again. I accidentally hit a key and erased my responses earlier before cooking breakfast . I'm so lame.
BURN the SHIPS- Yeah, my mom is half Irish ! And with the Cherokee Indian- she had really dark features. Beautiful person inside & out.
DACHEECH- Very true that with mixed neighborhoods racially - it creates more acceptance. There tends to be too much of a superiority thing going on in neighborhoods that are all one race.
JEFF T- Tai chicken pizza ? MMMMM ! Sounds good. I love authentic Mexican food. Some great restaurants in Oakland , California I know of. And I eat at an authentic Mexican food place every other Tuesday on my floor buffing route. Love it !
OTWO- Actually I feel no guilt whatsoever towards myself for what 1800's White European settlers of this country did in being racists - those people back THEN carry the shame and guilt for THEIR attitudes. If I had lived then I would have fought with all my being to prevent it. I feel ashamed that ANY of our people African American or Native Americans were ever treated so inhumanely and barbarically by White settlers. To think this countries history was in part written on slavery and chasing people off their homelands is nauseating to me.
DARKSIDE- I don't think the " majority " of people in America expect White Americans to accept their responsibilities for their forefathers racial atrocities of the 1800's. Some may, but it was the fault of the racist White Americans of the 1800's who started the ball rolling in an inhumane way. Even in the 1700's and before ! What people find troubling I believe in OUR day presently- is that we thought we had made progress in race relations with Martin Luther King's message about unity in the 20th century - yet even now in the 21st century we see horribly racist viewpoints still permeating our society. It's been like one step forward at times, but two steps backwards to the past prejudiced views. Each of us individually need to help bring about changes in attitudes by how we treat others. It won't change EVERYONE overnight- but step by step we individually can make a positive difference in race relations by treating everyone fairly and the same - without regards to whatever race one is. Electing Obama was a positive step in race relations for this country. Except for Whites who are bigoted.
With your statement : " Granted, I'm white and privileged. Would you rather rise to my situation or I sink to yours ? " Bingo. And therein lies part of the problem with attitudes like you just displayed. People thinking they are superior to others due to race. In your statement it makes me cringe with the air of superiority . What makes you think that because you are white- it has anything to do with you being privileged ? What makes you think you're privileged ? It's all a subjective opinion on your part. In saying that someone should RISE to your situation you elevate yourself above the person you claim you don't want to sink to their level. It's a pompous attitude.
LISABOBEESA- When you think about it - racism is very similar to Jehovah's Witnesses thinking they are superior over " worldly " people or non-witnesses. It's a small minded way of thinking in which people are led by small minded people to favor one race over another. I think you hit the nail on the head- which I agree with - that individually we EACH can make a difference in our own little communities in changing people's attiudes. One brick at a time. When we see an attitude that's negative towards different races- call the person on it. Make people accountable who come into our presence. Then go ourselves and try to be a force for positive racial relations. Just my 2 cents