[quote name='Sarang01']I just think there's a good amount of racism or just intolerance towards race in the Republican party. You could also call it apathy because their skin color isn't Brown, or Tan, or whatever. I can also say this because maybe Republicans don't see a lot of minorities in their wealthy positions or even in their circles. Granted there are middle class and low class Republicans but they don't see Black people in their ranks period so how can they understand them? Well you have to reach out and make an effort and look. Republicans HAVEN'T done that and they don't seem to truly want to make an effort.
Regardless this has all been a problem racewise. People sitting out at their own table: Black with Black, White with White, etc.[/quote]
Let's stop right there. I really object when people start with this line of thinking. It is curious to me that any sane person in this country feels that blacks and whites and everybody else doesn't understand what the other groups want.
First off, we're all Americans. We all are from the same place and share a common culture and language (yes discounting recent immigrants here, but bear with me). To say that a poor black kid on the street and a rich white guy in the boardroom want different things is dumb. They both want to be successful, happy and have a fulfilling life.
Secondly, I find it just as curious you feel that the Republican Party is full of racists. I don't see what evidence you have to back up this statement, unless you're going back to the 1960s or earlier. As I said, one person making a comment doesn't define a group. I don't think people would really agree with a statement that Michael Moore's comments are representative of the Democratic Party (or maybe PAD would! :lol
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[quote name='Sarang01']What I find really dispicable is that Republicans use the name of Martin Luther King Jr. or rather his speech as reason why we should do away with Affirmative Action. I have no problem doing away with Affirmative Action but you have to get rid of racial job discrimination or racism. Whatever. Bottom line is this will NEVER be done away with so we have to keep AA.[/quote]
Happily, most racism has been eliminated. There is still some left, to be sure, but there are recourses in such situations and it's gotten to a pretty good point I think. Of course, we should always strive to overcome ignorance and hatred as a deeply held principle of all good people.
That being said, just think a little bit about your argument. Your argument is to combat racism with more racism: preferences for one race over another. What you're doing is picking at the scab left over from our less-than-stellar history in this area. What we need to do is elminate all preferences and just say hey, we're all equal, here's where you go to complain if you think something's not equal. I believe that most people in this country are good people and want to do the right thing. What MLK Jr. said was he wanted a nation where nobody was judged by the color of their skin. I believe he meant everybody by that and not just blacks, so I don't mind anyone invoking his name in support of ending all racial preferences in government.
In any case, instead of "affirmative action" (whatever that means; not "quotas" but not nothing...if it's something, then it's racism because it favors one race over another) we should be focusing on the educational inequality in this country. Rich suburban families can send their kids to nice public schools with the best teachers or private schools often with even better ones, while inner-city kids are stuck in schools in very difficult situations for both them and their instructors. This is why most of black America favors school vouchers, and I feel they ought to be given a try.
[quote name='Sarang01']Also to the person above me how do you feel about runoff voting?[/quote]
I guess I'm not sure. Do you mean voting for your first, second, third choice or having a separate runoff election if nobody gets 50 percent? I suppose both ideas have some merit, although to keep election costs down the first is probably more practical.
[quote name='Sarang01']In terms of reparations we have to pay back the Black community with the debt we've accumulated. This debt is not from slavery but from how they've been shafted when HUD and the Projects were set up, went on and corroded from the corruption. We have to make this better by funding better materials in project schools and increasing scholarships even more. Knowledge is power and it's what frees you, lifts you up.[/quote]
I disagree with having reparations. Firstly, nobody alive now in the United States is or ever was a slave in this country legally. Secondly, nobody alive in the US today is or ever was a slave owner or contributed in any way to such a practice. I would say that you're trying to punish people for the mistakes of their ancestors, or even worse for the mistakes of other people's ancestors (remember, less than 5% of southerners owned slaves, and it was illegal in the northern states).
See above; I agree that education needs to be looked at in a more equal way to give people an equal chance at achieving the American dream. And education, rather than any reparations, will be the ultimate key to lifting people out of poverty.
