Another Innocent Dead 17 yr Old

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by tstew

To address your question, no doubt a politician will use anything to his advantage (particularly if it involves emotion or fervent belief). However, I don't think all can be blamed on politics. I think we have to recognize, whether we like it or not, that history is a factor as well. Like I said, it would be naive and Pollyanna-ish to think it wouldn't be.

I blame politics for the problem getting worse and not being better addressed....it does not really get addressed. We say it is but it's really just being used as a political vollyball.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by trialedbyfire

Very true. Even though I remember I was young probably around the late 90s when everyone was into the whole "conscious rap music" fad that there was talk of what was called a "mini-genocide" in certain parts of SoCal. Over here on the East Coast we were hearing rumors that black men were getting picked off one by one by hispanics on the West Coast. It was a big topic of discussion that kind of died down until massive immigration of hispanics became the norm a few years later in DC and the violence got heated. I'm not saying it's right but the lack of publicity on that might possibly be because of the local nature of the violence. African Americans on the Eastcoast have history had a "better" relationship with the hispanic population of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Cubans. Not that it's not tense especially around the gang scene but it's not "hispanics vs blacks" it's more like individual gangs made up of primarily Puerto Ricans against gangs primarily made up of blacks, and dominicans, etc. IDK maybe that's a reason to consider?

What happens is a rival gang is black. They shoot one of your guys, a rival gang that is Hispanic..the hate begins.

It also get's perpetuated in our prisons. Racism, the hows and whys, never makes sense.

BTW I have relatives on the East coast...years ago when I was a kid I always perceived them as being a little "racist" towards blacks. That was when they lived in DC

When I visited years later and they had moved to Annapolis, I detected less racism in them.

I also noticed, in Virginia too, that the stores and other areas seemed more racially integrated while in DC you either lived in a black area or white area (and those areas closer to DC)

If I lived near a poor white neighborhood, I might start disliking whites...sometimes it's about where we live

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by tstew

Let me put on my hat as the forum's resident expert on race and race relations

Obviously race relations is a sensitive and emotional issue all around. Given our history (even fairly recent history) it would be naive to expect anything less. Having said that, let me attepmt to address some of the different layers. I think I can speak for myself, JD, and every other member here when I say that black on black violence is a huge problem in our nation. There is no doubt that, on average, a black person is much more likely to be killed by another black person. Of course, I believe this is true of all the various racial groups...but interracial violence in the black community is of a particular concern. There are literally millions of voices within the community who work tirelessly to address this, so that issue is not ignored in an effort to cast blame.

Having said that, there are some issues that make cases perceived like this a separate concern. When black on black violence is dissected, it is apparent that the vast majority of it is because of the lifestyle that both black people are mutually are involved in. It is no secret that black males in particular are much more involved in gang, criminal, and drug-related activities. Most often than not, the activities contribute mostly to the death and violence and not merely the color.

As a black male who is not involved in these activities, does not go to the nightclubs, does not associate with those people, and does not hang out in that environment, my chances of being affected by that particular violence shrinks exponentially.

The problem with the specter of someone being approached primarily because of their race (as is alleged in many cases) is that it is largely unavoidable. I can largely prevent my 17 year-old son from running rampant in certain circles...I cannot prevent him from being black and walking or driving home. This is where the apples and oranges come in. I think these things need to be communicated succinctly and without a lot of emotion so people can understand what is being said and feared.

Thanks for sharing this. Great perspective.

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by tstew

Speaking of racism...I can't think of any two groups of people who all like each other. I don't think anything can be done to fix everybody, so I don't even sweat it.

The good news is that a lot of progress is being made, particularly in our churches. I just returned from meetings that included, among others, many black and hispanic leaders of the Org. Many great things being done and planned.

Brother, do you know of another Pentecostal group in North America more racially united than the Apostolics? It is truly "New Testament" IMO.

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by trialedbyfire

The bold statement in red caused me to thank God I'm a saved black man! It was HIS mercy! Anyway, before I get to Pentecostal in here... Good stuff.

Just to be saved!

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

So this guy shoots an unarmed black male because his music was too loud.

I guess it's justifiable by some (don't know how but whatever). I hope the state of Florida makes this guy to rot in jail for the rest of his life.

http://news.yahoo.com/shooting-death...004720741.html

Who justified shooting an unarmed black man because his music was too loud anyways?

[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Who justified shooting an unarmed black man because his music was too loud anyways?

Amen. Nobody did.

[trialedbyfire]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

What happens is a rival gang is black. They shoot one of your guys, a rival gang that is Hispanic..the hate begins.

It also get's perpetuated in our prisons. Racism, the hows and whys, never makes sense.

BTW I have relatives on the East coast...years ago when I was a kid I always perceived them as being a little "racist" towards blacks. That was when they lived in DC

When I visited years later and they had moved to Annapolis, I detected less racism in them.

I also noticed, in Virginia too, that the stores and other areas seemed more racially integrated while in DC you either lived in a black area or white area (and those areas closer to DC)

If I lived near a poor white neighborhood, I might start disliking whites...sometimes it's about where we live

Random funny fact I don't know how long ago it was when they lived in DC, but DC's demographics are rapidly changing due to something called "gentrification" and an African American middle class that was rapidly growing in this past decade. I grew up outside of DC on the Maryland side, Prince Georges County and Charles County. I saw the influx of African Americans from the city into the suburbs first hand. DC on the other hand is becoming more white believe it or not.

Wikipedia says it all here:

Washington has had a significant African American population since the city's foundation.[85] African American residents composed about 30% of the District's total population between 1800 and 1940.[26] The black population reached a peak of 70% by 1970, but has since steadily declined due to many African Americans moving to the surrounding suburbs. Partly as a result of gentrification, there was a 31.4% increase in the non-Hispanic white population and an 11.5% decrease in the black population between 2000 and 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing....#Demographics

I grew up in the suburbs and saw two sides of this. You had some communities that were 90+% African American and were thriving with 400k-900k priced homes, good young solid professionals with families, gated communities, etc. And then you had the poorer neighborhoods of African Americans that left DC because it just simply costs to much to live there. Then you had the middle class African Americans like my family that have lived in the suburbs and rural areas outside of the city for generations (that would be my family).

I said all that to say, strangely now the suburbs are becoming less diverse and the city itself is becoming far more diverse. I don't know how then trend has been coming a long since I left the area about a year ago though.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Originalist

"Fact, fact ,fact....VICTIM.

...Before you mentioned the Martin case. Worry not. It was decided long ago that Zimmerman would be found guilty. There is not going to be an actual trial, just a show.

I fear that you are correct. He is already considered guilty by the racists and the trial will just confirm that.

[Monterrey]

Aren't we glad that we have a wonderful POTUS that is bringing unity and harmony to all?