US a nation of cowards

[Richard]

Dear Mr Attorney General,

Obviously, you do not know me. KMA.

Sincerely yours,

Richard

Holder: US is nation of cowards on racial matters
Devlin Barrett, AP

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder described the United States Wednesday as a nation of cowards on matters of race, saying most Americans avoid discussing unresolved racial issues.

In a speech to Justice Department employees marking Black History Month, Holder said the workplace is largely integrated but Americans still self-segregate on the weekends and in their private lives.

"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards," said Holder, nation's first black attorney general.

Race issues continue to be a topic of political discussion, Holder said, but "we, as average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race."

He urged people of all races to use Black History Month as a chance for frank talk about racial matters.

"It is an issue we have never been at ease with and, given our nation's history, this is in some ways understandable," Holder said. "If we are to make progress in this area, we must feel comfortable enough with one another and tolerant enough of each other to have frank conversations about the racial matters that continue to divide us."

He told Justice Department employees they have a special responsibility to advance racial understanding.

[rubberneck]

I am so damned sick and tired of liberals telling me that I should feel guilty or that I am indeed guilty in some way, shape or form for racism in this country. Chances are if you are under the age of forty that you are less likely to be hung up on the race issue than you are if you are from Holder's generation. At 39 years old I am from the post civil rights movement era. I don't view people in terms of color but the content of their character, and frankly I am sick and tired of idiots like Holder trying to cram white guilt down my throat at every turn. The only coward here is the guy using inflamitory speech to push an agenda.

[Rogue]

This is only the beginning...........

Here's some more from yesterday

New York Post Cartoon: Is this 'Racially Offensive'?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnew...n-controv.html

[The Reaper]

So much for the new POTUS ushering in an end of racism complaints and special priviledges.

Frankly, I see a lot more black racism, reverse-discrimination, and epithets used against whites than the other way 'round. I have not heard a white person use the N word in a long time, I hear blacks using it in public conversations and in entertainment all of the time.

Who has stood in Holder's way and prevented him and the POTUS from getting where they are?

TR

[Hostile0311]

'They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk:
Why you ain't,
Where you is,
What he drive,
Where he stay,
Where he work,
Who you be...

And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk.

And then I heard the father talk.

Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth.

In fact you will never get any kind of job making a decent living.. People marched and were hit in the face with rocks to get an education, and now we've got these knuckleheads walking around.

The lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal.

These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids. $500 sneakers for what??

And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics.
I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit.

Where were you when he was 2??

Where were you when he was 12??

Where were you when he was 18 and how come you didn't know that he had a pistol??

And where is the father?? Or who is his father?

People putting their clothes on backward: Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong?

People with their hats on backward, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something?

Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up and got all type of needles [piercing] going through her body? What part of Africa did this come from??

We are not Africans. Those people are not Africans; they don't know a thing about Africa

With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap, and all of them are in jail.

Brown or black versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem.

We have got to take the neighborhood back.

People used to be ashamed. Today a woman has eight children with eight different 'husbands' -- or men or whatever you call them now.

We have millionaire football players who cannot read.

We have million-dollar basketball players who can't write two paragraphs. We, as black folks have to do a better job. Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids, you are hurting us.

We have to start holding each other to a higher standard.

We cannot blame the white people any longer.'


Dr. William Henry 'Bill' Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.

[Paslode]

Not many people have sit at a table and got their ass chewed for calling a black person Sir, Mister, Miss, Mrs. or Ma'am. Not that racism doesn't exits, but there aren't too many white people these days that will go out of their way to cause extreme harm to person of color like some of my relatives did.

It is my opinion that most people these days have no clue have far things have progressed in regards to racism. It is also my opinion that folks like Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al and many others continue to stoke the embers to maintain their income and power over those they profess to represent.

And would agree with TR....the racism shoe has been on the other foot for quite some time.

My .02

[spooker23]

I completely agree with everyone here, and to take it one step further... who is the real racist when it comes to things like affirmative action? What are they saying about people of other ethnicities when they give them a leg up based on what race they are? To me it seems like an implied racism, almost like they are saying that those people aren't good enough on their own, that they need "extra help" to get jobs or to get in to college.

Just my thoughts...

[Sigaba]

The present administration seems intent on suffering as many self-inflicted wounds as possible. Attorney General Eric Holder's unfortunate choice of a single word ruins an otherwise subtle speech (available here). In his speech, AG Holder calls for renewed discussion of affirmative action.

There can, for instance, be very legitimate debate about the question of affirmative action. This debate can, and should, be nuanced, principled and spirited.

The attorney general also takes some great shots at the political left and African Americans as well.

Our history has demonstrated that the vast majority of Americans are uncomfortable with, and would like to not have to deal with, racial matters and that is why those, black or white, elected or self-appointed, who promise relief in easy, quick solutions, no matter how divisive, are embraced. We are then free to retreat to our race protected cocoons where much is comfortable and where progress is not really made.

[Puertoland]

I come from a Puerto Rican family, and can honestly say I've never met anyone whose called me a spic, or anything else racist for that matter unless we were breaking each others stones.

I will say I have seen far more Blacks and Hispanics go all out and say things about white people, with the white people themselves laughing it off. Its ok for people of color to make fun of white people in any manner they want on a comedy show, but not for white people to do the same...that would just be racist.

I think its ridiculous and aggravating. And I for one feel that a big problem that divides us is not ignoring a problem, its assuming one is there.

What really divides us?

Hispanic-American, Asian-American, African-American (somewhere the Jamaicans and Haitians have been screwed out of acknowledgment) and whatever else-American. What happened to just American?

We're all American. Thats it. And when we try to divide our country into our own communities, and we say we were wronged by this group or that group, we're doing worse damage to national identity.

Only three colors we should recognize ourselves as, Red, White, and Blue.

[Kosta]

Then, of course, we have the bullshit regarding Miley Cyrus. For crying out loud, the girl is like fifteen or sixteen. I'm pretty sure it's a law that you have to do stupid things when you're that age. That doesn't mean the rest of the world should stop acting like reasonably mature adults.

Racism will persist so long as people keep on reminding us about it. If you want a colorblind society, then shut up. A man with a hammer sees a world of nails. Put down the race hammer and take a deep breath. The cartoon is making fun of both the chimp attacks and the stimulus bill. It has nothing to do with the ethnic slur that I didn't even know existed until I read the article. Tip from a young 'un: our generation gets its cues on how to treat the racial issue from the older ones. I asked my five fellow suitemates and none of them knew that "monkey" was a slur for black people - not even the black one. And so what if the cartoonist was calling Obama a monkey? Why should someone being a minority automatically exempt them from having stupid ideas? I'm half Jewish - does that mean that if I have a big nose or a knack with money, nobody is allowed to notice that?

It's a tragedy that the phrase "acting white" still exists. Being a decent, intelligent, responsible human being knows no skin color.

One last thought: When my class arrived at university for freshman orientation, a speaker of some kind exhorted us to dispense with the "melting pot" analogy and embrace the idea of a salad instead - all of us different and retaining that difference through thick and thin. I find this a dangerous idea. Until we not only disregard but forget our previous allegiances to race, we cannot come together as Americans the way we should. If we cling to the relics of the past, we should not be surprised when we find ourselves buried with them.

[Richard]

Perhaps the greatest strength of the United States is the diversity of its people and to truly understand this country one must have knowledge of its constituent parts.

One of this country's constituent parts and one of my roommates and best friends in SFTG was Cal W. We used to go down to Hay Street to fight with the 82nd at the Seven Dwarf's, and where I would buy a copy of The Clarion (the Klan's rag) because they wouldn't sell it to someone like Cal and he would buy The Panther (the Black Panther Society's rag) because they wouldn't sell it to someone like me. We'd sit in the barracks reading and discussing them, and laughing about how so much of the same BS was used by both groups to preach their divisiveness. One of the items I remember the most--mainly because it was so ludicrous and dangerous--was a full page notice on the back page of one of The Panther issues--a warning to not get immunized because this was really a secret government program to infect African-Americans with sickle cell disease. We were both shocked at that one and somewhat dismayed that there were people who were endangering their lives because they were gullible enough to believe it. Some interesting times. FWIW, Cal is retired and now a JROTC Instructor and minister. We laugh about that last one whenever we get in touch.

Richard's $.02

[Saoirse]

Two very good friends of mine (husband and wife) are black. Both very well educated, grown children (their son currently going thru selection) and they are both great folks. We have often discussed all this "white guilt" and the hiphop "keeping it real" attitudes. They raised their kids not to live in that "culture" because in their words "it's not culture, its demeaning and ignorant". They never tolerated the ebonics speak in their home nor the manner of dress that is prolific amongst our youth. And they are sick and tired of the blame on whitey and the white guilt. But as they have said, "unfortunately there aren't enough of us that feel that way or that speak out about it. And when we do, we are still called "Uncle Toms" and "selling out to the white man".
I worked with the husband (who is retired Army) and when a young black man showed total and utter disrespect toward me (I won't even go into the language that spewed from his piehole), he spoke to that young man and told him, "not only are you showing disrespect to her but to yourself as well and you only further the argument of discrimination and segregation. Think how you feel that a white man treated your sister or mother like you just treated her!?" I almost had to laugh because he had his best 1Sgt look on his face and I started to watch this guy's bravado and posturing start to melt and a lot of nodding was going on and many "yes sirs". He apologized to me. This young man....a young private in the Army and dressed like a thug.

[Paslode]

I was thinking about much that has been said, especially the comments on Affirmative Action. It is probably the worst thing that to happen in regards to the Black Community.

Why do I say that? Every (and I mean every) employer I every had, would not hire a black person, regardless of how much they wanted too, because of affirmative action and those that flaunt it..JJ Rev Al etc.

They were all small businesses.

Their reasoning was simple. It is worse than the Unions. If they aren't worth a pot to piss in I can't get rid of them, and we cannot afford that problem.

[greenberetTFS]

It was in the spring when I arrived at Ft. Bragg, I do remember falling out in the company street with the rest of the guys and a MSGT said all caucasian personnel fall out and we did. However,we did hang around to hear what was going on. The MSGT was black and he went on to warn the black guys that they were in the heart of the Klu Klax Klan and to be careful and not to fraternize with any of the white girls if the valued their lives. I was from up north(Chicago) and some of my best buddies were black,so that BS didn't sit right with me. Flourenoy from(Cleveland), a black guy and a buddy who went through basic with me and later on jump school,77th,and also ended up in the 11th ABN with me said we can't go into town together. I wasn't really ready for what I saw in town. "Colored only",water facets,bars,theaters,etc. I suppose the point I want to make here is we've come a long way since then and this guy can only bring back memories that we have past by and bringing up "old" times isn't helping the healing, only prolonging it...............

GB TFS

[Gypsy]

Originally Posted by Hostile0311

We have to start holding each other to a higher standard.

We cannot blame the white people any longer.'


Dr. William Henry 'Bill' Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.

He took a hell of a lot of heat for his comments. I thought, and still think, he was spot on.