I guess I didn't know that.........

[1nutworld]

I am a racist, segragationalist.

If I heard the news anchor correctly today, CNN's Paula Zaun is doing a feature story about people who's friends are similar looking to them, and according to the "teaser" in the feature, that makes someone a racist, or at least a segragationalist.

I'm not sure that I am going to watch the feature when it airs, but I didn't realize that being a 41 year old white guy, made me a racist, or segrationalist, because my friends are late-thirties, mid-forties white males.

I guess I just didn't know that because I am friends with people who know the same bands and music that I listened to for the past 30 + years, and have hobbies and interests that I share, and have similar views on life, happiness, desires, and such.

My new job is one where the majority of the employees are black, I am one of 10 or 12 whites who work there out of the 35-40 employees. Yet I am racist?

I'm not trying to be an alarmist over this, because (in my own opinion) that has already taken place, but ...................?????

Seriously, does having friends that "look like me"(those of you that I consider friends, please accept my apology for having to "look like me") make me a racist or segrationalist?

If someone watches this, let me know if I am over-reacting, but I think this is just the kind of story that divides our country even more, for NO reason what-so-ever.

(It is also possible I mis-understood the point of the feature story, but from looking at the Paula Zahn page on CNN.com, I doubt it)

[wyndhy]

i got three things to say. one ... c'mon, it's paula zahn! how many people actually agree with that nut? two ...



i guess i just have the one.

[1nutworld]

c'mon, it's paula zahn! how many people actually agree with that nut?




Ya know, I can't even attempt to argue that point!

Ok Pixies, feel free to ignore this thread in it's entirety!

Thanks wyndhy!

[Eastern]

i agree with that about paula zah.. she did a whole show on chinese adoption and adoption community attacked her and she had readdress it. She is an idiot.

my daughter is adopted from china.

[Oldfart]

Poeple who seek out members of other ethnic, racial, political, economic or religious groups are highlighting the differences. Herd animals follow the biblical injunction (mostly) of like unto like, and like it or not, we do good cattle impressions.

[osuche]

LOL. I also think that when you live in the midwest there are a lot of middle aged white guys and gals...just the way it is.

It's different in a city like San Francisco.....white guys are a minority here.

[Jude30]

I married a hispanic woman and we have a little half brown baby.

What's that mean?

[Oldfart]

Jude30

It means you married a lady of hispanic lineage and have a baby.

Unless you set out to marry a hispanic lady for some reason other than love and companionship, it means all and nothing.

[wyndhy]

anybody watch it?

[scotzoidman]

I'm with OF on this one, too...a hundred years of legislation is not going to undo a million years of tribal instincts overnight.
I think of myself as being open to the diversity of life, but my comfort zone is always going to be with people who think & believe as I do, & coincidence or not, that tends to be folks that look sorta like me...it doesn't exclude anyone who looks different if they share my interests, & it certainly doesn't include anybody I don't find intesting to be with just because they look "right"...

[WildIrish]

I hang out with people that I like and that I have something in common with. I've never really sat and counted how many fell into each ethnic category. Too busy drinking, I guess. :p


The best man at my wedding could be my long-lost twin brother though. Maybe that's why I got along with him...he's so damn good looking. :D

[osuche]

The best man at my wedding could be my long-lost twin brother though. Maybe that's why I got along with him...he's so damn good looking. :D


The best man at *my* wedding was Indian. :yikes:

:rofl:

[Irezumi Kiss]

Guess I'm out of the loop...most of my peers are either White or Asian. I keep my Black friends few, but they are the closest, the people I can depend on.

The best man at *my* wedding was Indian. :yikes:

:rofl:
American Indian or Asian Indian?

[dm383]

At work a few months ago, the racial "issue" kinda cropped up (as it will, from time to time) and one of my Social Worker colleagues described an obligatory anti-racism seminar he had attended.

This course was run, and facilitated, by a lady of Carribean origin and, as it happens, my colleague is married to a Jamaican woman and they have three gorgeous kids together. (btw, he's Jewish, too....honest, you couldn't make it up!!)

Aaaany-waaaaaayy........ in the middle of one of the "discussions", he happened to comment that it is not only white people that can be racist in their views and/or outlook, but non-whites of any origin can, also. Now to me, that statement is merely one of obvious and easily provable fact, and I think most folks would agree. Not this woman, though! She ripped into him for over ten minutes, ascribing any and every racistly stereotypical idea you've ever heard to him, and threatened to report him to his bosses! After taking it all, he stood up and, with far more dignity than I feel I could have done, said;

"Madam, if the future of racial harmony in this country rests with you, and others like you, then may God help us all."

And walked out.

He was reported and disciplined subsequently, but not for what you may think....... it was for "failing to attend a mandatory seminar".

What a load of crap, innit?!?! I guess the point of my post is, is that this kind of ill-conceived nonsense is damaging us in the UK too, and is sponsored - nay, promoted - by the so called powers-that-be, on "our behalf".

Bunch of tossers.

DM

[ReaperWoman]

I wrote a whole rant yesterday, but I must've shut the window off before I posted it or something... Damn.

Basically I said that I live in an area where there's not enough people of different ethnic backgrounds to "share around"... My friends, and aquaintances, are all similar to me in that they're late teens-twenties and white. And yes I have something in common with them all, it's hard to get along with someone when you have no common ground whasoever. But other than that, they are the very unique and different people. Different philisophical views, different music tastes, different backgrounds, different families, different hopes and dreams...

I get really angry when people are racist or bigoted in any way. But when the media says downright stupid thing like that, it's not helping in any way.

I had a similar conversation to DM about the racism issue reversed at college one day. We were discussing racist jokes, and the stick white people get for telling them. But other ethnicities can give just as good as they get. Some people can take offence, but isn't that the same as most jokes?

Anyway, I feel my first post expressed this better, but that's always the way of it...

[Eastern]

Many of my friends are caucasian. but since we adopted our daughter from china. We are doing more in the chinese community. we have many stupid people come to ask the following.

1. is she yours? well no she came with box of cereral.:)
2. how much did she cost..
Tis is my favorite.. i ask them how much their children were worth to them. that usually shuts them down..

[professor3699]

2. how much did she cost..
Tis is my favorite.. i ask them how much their children were worth to them. that usually shuts them down..

What a great response - BRAVO for you!

[dm383]

......... Anyway, I feel my first post expressed this better, but that's always the way of it...

It almost always does! If only you knew how many posts I've lost like that.. either shutting down the window too soon, dial-up probs.. ho hum!! :)

DM

[scotzoidman]

dm, ironic how a so-called "discussion" on tolerance was being run by someone so intolerant as to allow no discussion at all...


I shake my head at all the people that just don't get it...