It's hard to move on, forgive, etc if you are never apologized to. Some Americans minimize the affects of slavery on the black race in America and they completely forget all of the hate, barriers, etc blacks experienced for more than 100 years after the Emancipation. Entire "black" towns destroyed, men, women and children burned alive, pregnant ladies gutted in front of their husbands, black men serving in war returned home only to be lynched-- all happening in the 1900's-- years after we were "freed".
To not expect residual "anger" is just simply not realistic. It has to be dealt with, by every American. This is Obama's point.
This is why he should be our next President: he has enough courage and wisdom to realize that not everything is black and white, cut and dry. I am glad he did not disown Wright and I find what Wright said from the pulpit inexcusable, more than wrong.
My friend, white people were slaves centuries before and for a longer time than black people ever were. But I hold no resentment for that. I wasn't there.
For most of those born after 1960, they really don't have a clue. They weren't there or were too young to remember. I know there are areas where 'white power' still reigns supreme, even today, but *most* just don't have a clue, yet want to hold on to times past that they can only read about or listen to granny speak about.
My grandparents went through the depression, but I don't remain poor because they were. There are ancestors of mine who were brutally murdered and raped and maimed in the 1800's by white men taking their land, but I hold no ill will toward the white people today.
Oh, there are Indians who live that way. They live near me. I see them often. But you know what? Those people are so busy living with the hatred in their hearts for what they really know nothing about that they have nothing themselves. They think white man and America owe them everything, so they refuse to work. It's not good enough that they get free services and don't have to pay taxes just for being Indian, but they want it to go further and get back what belonged NOT to them, but to their ancestors who have long been gone.
It's time for all of us, regardless of race, to move on as one race...the human race.
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I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
"By the 1700's court rulings established the racial basis of the American incarnation of slavery to apply chiefly to Africans and people of African descent, and occasionally to Native Americans."
Emancipation Proclamation: 1865
“The evidence is overwhelming that the vast majority of black slaveholders were free men who purchased members of their families or who acted out of benevolence.”
In 1830, the total number of black slave owners was approx. 3,800-- the most it ever was in the USA.
The skin color of the black slaves limited where a freed slave could go (most were never freed and raised their families in slavery, and so on)-- and even when one was freed, they had to look over their shoulder to keep themselves from being kidnapped and thus, enslaved again.
Let's not minimize slavery in America.
In 1830...
3800 Slaveholders
In 1830...
12,866,020 population.
That means that 0.029% of the population owned slaves.
So not only does the whole of the white American population in the 1800's get labeled for slavery but 178 years later the whole of the white American population are STILL have to bear the sin of less than 1/2 of 1% of the American population of that day.
I'm proud of people who can rise out of the ghetto, and that's whether they are black, white, hispanic, or aliens.
I am too-- I wish more would, but there is a lot of factors involved, many things that a person outside of that environment may never understand.
you said:
Sadly, many of them maintain the welfare mentality they are raised with. It's generational, but not attributed to the white man any longer.[/QUOTE]
I think that the laws, policies, "glass ceilings" of yesteryear still affect many today. However, the people who nurture the welfare mentality do so at their own demise, and the demise of their children-- and the cycle goes on.
__________________
"The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character."
Personally I guess I stand somewhere in the middle. the wrongs are real, but we need to look at the reality. 600,000 Americans died to right the wrong of slavery.
And let's also realize that most of those people were white men. Some of them were black, some Indian, some hispanic.
Let's also understand that of all the slave owners, over 3000 of them were black.
I'm not sure when it turned into a racial thing. Perhaps it was that way from the beginning, or maybe it turned that way later on. I don't know.
You are right, Feerd. The wrongs were real, but reality needs to be realized.
__________________
I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
It's hard to move on, forgive, etc if you are never apologized to. Some Americans minimize the affects of slavery on the black race in America and they completely forget all of the hate, barriers, etc blacks experienced for more than 100 years after the Emancipation. Entire "black" towns destroyed, men, women and children burned alive, pregnant ladies gutted in front of their husbands, black men serving in war returned home only to be lynched-- all happening in the 1900's-- years after we were "freed".
To not expect residual "anger" is just simply not realistic. It has to be dealt with, by every American. This is Obama's point.
This is why he should be our next President: he has enough courage and wisdom to realize that not everything is black and white, cut and dry. I am glad he did not disown Wright and I find what Wright said from the pulpit inexcusable, more than wrong.
First, Thanks 1399 for showing us the "other side" to this argument.
I do understand that blacks have been looked at as second class citizens for a couple of generations since slavery was abolished. I little bit of that still lingers to this day. I do think it has evolved into a class warfare type thing. It's the haves vs. the have nots.
Since many blacks are still in the "have nots" catagory, they tend to blurr class warfare into racial bogotry.
Fortunately, more and more blacks are being educated, getting good jobs and are entering into the middle, upper-middle, and upper classes of American society.
Others will continue to blame the white man for their place in life. They have somewhat of an advantage over the poor white families that can't play the race card to blame their woes on. All need to realize that breaking generational situations requires an education and mind altering positive thinking.
I think I understand generational "anger". We can't let this anger consume us lest we become negatively effected. The sucessful blacks, IMO, have learned to move on. They haven't forgotten, but are making the best of a tough situation.
Do you believe that an apology from the the US government will make racial tension cease? Maybe it would help!
What if every state and city issued a formal apology, would that help? What if every white person in the US was required to send every black person a personal letter of apology, would that help?
My great great grandfather, Chess Lewis, fought for the South in the civial war as an 18 year old kid. He had just moved from South Carolina to Mississippi when the war broke out. His family was too poor to own slaves.
If it will help, I'll apologize on behalf of my great-great grandfather and his family for how they may have treated black people back in his day.
That means that 0.029% of the population owned slaves.
So not only does the whole of the white American population in the 1800's get labeled for slavery but 178 years later the whole of the white American population are STILL have to bear the sin of less than 1/2 of 1% of the American population of that day.
Not the white population-- I don't believe that poor blacks hold their poor white neighbors, relatives, friends "responsible" for slavery (generally speaking). Furthermore, if the atrocities, hate and barriers stopped in 1865, I believe our country (as a whole) would be much further along in race relations, equal opportunities, etc.
__________________
"The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character."
Last edited by Jermyn Davidson; 03-19-2008 at 12:14 PM.
Reason: left three words out
And let's also realize that most of those people were white men. Some of them were black, some Indian, some hispanic.
Let's also understand that of all the slave owners, over 3000 of them were black.
I'm not sure when it turned into a racial thing. Perhaps it was that way from the beginning, or maybe it turned that way later on. I don't know.
You are right, Feerd. The wrongs were real, but reality needs to be realized.
And slavery had been an accepted part of society for thousands of years.
The late 1800's was when mankind as a whole came to an enlightened enough state that they saw the wrong of owning other humans and the process slowly came to an end.
Everybody sees that Americans owned slaves in the 1800's.
What people need to see is that slavery had been an accepted way of life for thousands of years and what Americans did in the 1800's was put an end to it.
If we are going to remember that time we need to remember it for what it was... then end of a mindset.
The end of a mindset nearly as old as mankind that slavery was an acceptable practice.
Isn't it ironic that those who brought an end to this practice are THE ones who are made to wear it's ugly badge without any hope of parole.
Not the white population-- I don't believe that poor blacks hold their poor white neighbors, relatives, friends "responsible" for slavery (generally speaking). Furthermore, if the atrocities, hate and barriers stopped in 1865, I believe our country (as a whole) would be much further along in race relations, equal opportunities, etc.
History is like a dog.
It never goes away if one keeps calling it back and feeding it.
I'm proud of people who can rise out of the ghetto, and that's whether they are black, white, hispanic, or aliens.
I am too-- I wish more would, but there is a lot of factors involved, many things that a person outside of that environment may never understand.
you said:
Sadly, many of them maintain the welfare mentality they are raised with. It's generational, but not attributed to the white man any longer.
I think that the laws, policies, "glass ceilings" of yesteryear still affect many today. However, the people who nurture the welfare mentality do so at their own demise, and the demise of their children-- and the cycle goes on.
My friend, I lived in a housing project a few years ago. Most of the occupants were white, as the area I lived in was predominantly white (the KKK is big in that area).
I lived in a duplex, and my neighbor was a sweet, elderly black woman, who's two grandsons lived with her.
I had more problems with the white folks than any of the black folks. The welfare mentality was alive and well and seen in those people who had nothing better to do than drink and smoke and party at 3am while people like myself, going to school and working two part-time jobs, were trying to sleep cause they had to get up early.
I told my kids everyday for the 2 1/2 years we lived there that it wasn't our home, just a place we were staying at temporarily. I didn't want them to develop a place of comfort in living there.
Now, I'm not saying that all people who live there have a welfare mentality. Some have no choice, like the elderly woman beside me. I'm glad there are places for people like her to live that are safe.
Where I lived, there were very few elderly and disabled, however. I found that to be a sad scenario.
__________________
I've gone and done it now! I'm on Facebook!!!
Isn't it ironic that those who brought an end to this practice are THE ones who are made to wear it's ugly badge without any hope of parole.
It sickens me.
There is hope-- that's the message behind Obama's speech. But the hope is in "turning the light on" many ugly realities associated with race issues in America. There's no hope in turning away, no hope in minimizing anyone's pain, no hope in wishing that "they would all get over it."
That hope is EVERY AMERICAN'S responsibility IMO to bring to realization.
__________________
"The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character."
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