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Obama Does Great Job Explaining Being Black in America

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by righteousdude2, Jul 19, 2013.

  1. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    Today, the Prez interrupted the press conference to talk off the cuff, so to speak, on being a black youth in America.

    I'd give him an A+ for his first-ever, fireside, heart-2-heart chat. It's a shame it took this incident to get him to let down his tightly cropped hear, but it was worth it!

    I would have to agree that I would not know what it would be like to simply be walking across a street, and see cars of white folks locking their doors. I can't imagine having security follow me through the mall and every store I shopped in. Or, getting in an elevator with an older whiite lady and watching as she tightly clutches her purse in her arms.

    No I can't imagine those scenarios, and I can only say that it is a shame that this is how non-blacks in America have learned to respond.

    Let me say this, in rebuttal. While it is a crying shame that non-black America has seen it necessary to move into a protective mode upon seeing "most" blacks approaching them; some of the blame has to be shouldered by the black community for not teaching their children the importance of being upstanding citizens, polite, and working to remove the stigma or stereotype that cause old ladies on elevators to clutch their purse. White folks to lock their car doors. And security guards to follow a group of black teens or young men through a mall.

    I would venture to say, that a good portion of times non-blacks respond this way is not due to color but the attire of the person, or persons they fear!

    That is something a black family can install in the minds of their children. Gang attire, and the use of hoodies [by any race of people] sends the wrong message!

    Let me share something that took me years to out-grow. There was a kid in high school, Marcellus Lee, and his friends, who went around shaking non-black students down for their lunch money. I can't count the time in three years that I was cornered in a restroom, behind wood-shop, or at the side of the library by Lee and his cohorts, and with a knife held at my throat, I gave them my money and went hungry for that day!

    My run-ins with blacks didn't end at high school. I've been held against a wall, searched and robbed by black guys; I was once beat up for being in the wrong place, by, black guys; in the army it was the blacks that started the most fights, even with those supervising them, like while on KP.

    Speaking about KP, I was a mess hall cook, and had ten black soldiers sent to me for a week of discipline by their commanding officer. My mess sergeant and I could get them to do very little, due to their continued physical threats against us. My sergeant finally called the MPs and had four of the soldiers arrested, and the other six fell into line, quite quickly.

    While trying to help an elderly lady on public assistance, get her broken refrigerator replaced under welfare, I was at her home evaluating her, as my position as a unit supervisor was supposed to do, and near the end to our meeting, her son and a friend came home early; they saw a "cracker" in their elderly mom's home, and before she could finish introducing me to her son, he and his friend pulled guns on me, and told me I had ten seconds to get my "white @ss" off the property.

    I did set a Ripley's Believe-it-or-Not record for getting down a level of stairs and to my car and off that street in less than ten seconds.

    As a Unit supervisor for a large-group home, I had a healthy mixture of white, black and Hispanic kids. And was physically confronted by members from all three groups. The great thing about the black kids was that, for some reason, a few of the ring-leaders liked me, and at times stuck up for me when other kids were hard to control. In fact, to kids who happened to be brothers, both black, had observed that my car radio was not working, and they offered to "lift one" from a car while home without a weekend pass. Of course, I thank them but encouraged them not to steal for me or anyone else.

    I still get the sensation of "fight or flight" when I see a group of kids, regardless of their race, approaching me on a dark street. And the reason I get that adrenalin going is not based on color, but on, once again, attire. Gang clothing, and hoodies pulled tightly over the face, is no different to me than living back 150 years ago, and coming upon a group of men with bandannas pulled up to cover their faces.

    It is my opinion that, while I had a great many negative experiences with black men and women, it is not the color of the skin that causes me to lock my car doors; clutch my wallet in a lonely elevator; or, cross the street to avoid the group of kids approaching me. However, rather, the appearance of those in the group.

    It is a fact, that human instinct teaches all of us to survive, and part of that natural instinct is based upon what the mind sees and attached to what it is seeing. Past experiences. and a general sense of concern that the brain sends out to the body. I firmly believe white, black or brown. The human mind has a built in sense that is there to protect the life of that person, and that seventh sense does not always react based upon the color of one's skin!

    I can honestly say that on a dimly lit street, it is hard to gage the color of a person's skin, so I believe that we react more to the size of the group approaching you; the attire of the group; the loudness of the group; and any actions you observe that may signal that it would be best to avoid that group.

    Young women know this sense quite well, and again; it has nothing to do with skin color, just a sense they get as they draw closer to the individual or group. We, as humans, have an inbuilt radar system that is hard to ignore. And while some folks have built color codes into that system, I believe that today, it is not so much about color, but about personal observations concerning safety!

    I honestly believe the days of color code, color profiling, and racial stereotypes is slowly ending. However, a person can't be called a racist because something about the behavior, actions or attire of another person or persons, sends them a message that something may be a miss.

    In my life, I have adopted the motto: Better safe than sorry! And while I have a ton of negative experiences with black guys, those experiences have be all but erased by years of positive experiences to draw from as I have as many black colleagues and friends as I do from any other race! In fact, I have preached in black churches many times, and I'd much rather preach in a black church that any other church, because blacks know how to worship and they show an enthusiastic zeal for expressing their love to God! A fifteen minute message always ends up going an hour or two; and at least three or four new praise songs are written and sung from expressions coming from my message!
     
    #1 righteousdude2, Jul 19, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 19, 2013
  2. John I Morris

    John I Morris Member

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    He doesnt do anything that he hasnt pre-planed. He is 50% white and 50% black, he grew up in Kenya. So my brother what does he really know about growing up black in America?
     
  3. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    Again, that's YOUR prejudice topped by more of your prejudice. To assume that Blacks haven't raised their kids just because Whites are responding out of ignorance and prejudice is as silly as Gina B mentioned in the other thread.

    You can be an upstanding grown Black man, and some White people will respond that way off of reflex because they been brought up like tha.

    Perhaps. But the skin color coupled with certain attire certainly doesn't assuage the prejudice.

    You mean like young white folks wearing skinny jeans sends the wrong message? You might as well be saying that failies should teach their daughters not to wear certain clothes because it sends the message that she wants to be raped.

    How about placing the ignorance of prejudice in the laps of the ones expressing it over something as silly as clothing. You go to any school in America and the kids are going to school in hoodies. I remember walking into Walmart last year looking for a jacket and all I saw were hoodies. Hoodies for guys. Hoodies for girls. Hoodies for kids. Hoodies for adults. Old navy has done the same thing for years.

    Gang attire indeed. You sound like you think black parents are sendingtheir kids out with gang bandanas on.

    BINGO. Your prejudice and generalized negative opinions about Blacks is attached to your negative experiences that you project on all Blacks who don't meet your ideal for how you think people should act. And it's that same attitude coming from the Sean Hannitys and Rush Limbaughs that is being repeated by white people like it's the Gospel truth.

    I'm gonna venture that a lot of folks on this board have had "bad" experiences with Blacks that has sullied their view of all Blacks. Blacks do the same thing with Whites.

    But at some point, God's people have to start being the exception.

    Dare I say that you're lying to yourself?

    Skin color is part of their appearance and you're aware of that otherwise there wouldn't have been any reason to point out that they were black.:laugh:

    Still not being truthful with yourself.

    smh

    Yep, disingenuous.

    Nice attempt to convince everyone that color of the skin is irrelevant. You do realize that black people also take issue with folks going all ralph ellison on them and pretending like they don't see their skin color. It's a fact of life. It's there even if folks want to convince others they don't pay much attention to it.

    You're honestly out of touch with the reality of Blacks.

    People can call other folks whatever they want. But not all folks are so hoodwinked that they are gonna believe that you're not writing most of this to convince YOURSELF that you don't harbor prejudices against Blacks.

    Yes we all know the "some of my closest friends are black" adage. It would have been easier to just admit that you do see skin color and that it does affect your behavior than to go through this long attempt to re-enact The Invisible Man.
     
  4. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    A Lot of Racebating.....again

    It is you who remains consistantly disingenuous by stirring the pot, and constantly egging members of this board in in order to engage in your strong suit: name-calling and trash-talking!

    You try hard to push the buttons, but it won't work, because you do not know me! You pretend to know me with grandiose statements that amount to nothing more than race-bating, hateful comments. You have to resort to name-calling with everyone on this board whom you disagree with.

    You are not practicing agape love towards those on this board, which makes me ask, for the umpteenth time:

    1) Are you a "Masocist?" Your actions would define you as being masochistic for remaining on a board that UPSETS you with its MASSIVE hypocrisy? It seems like you enjoy being a punching bag, in order to garner the ammunition needed to strike out and back at all of us, bigoted hypocrites!
    2) As the Rev asked: "Are you black?"
    3) Are you a homo$*%ual?

    And, because you will not be honest with us who ask the above questions in sincerity to better understand the Zaac, who is verbally assassinating us for our views and opinions; I can only believe that it is YOU who is dishonest with yourself, and others. Especially when it comes to LGBT and black issues. Thus, your continued silence, regarding fair questions offered to you, would lead any rational person to assume that you are affirming all the above?

    I still say, when it comes to your flagrant attempts to exude Christ in your mightier-than-thou views, and slanderous comments:

    ICHABOD!
     
  5. Aaron

    Aaron Member
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    Don't like being black in America? Try growing up black somewhere else.

    Listen, I've visited Africa, and I've got news for everyone: I'm not an African . . . I'm an American.
    —Whoopi Goldberg​
     
  6. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    Obama ought to just shut up and try to accomplish something really monumental for his race, and ALL Americans.
    somebody ought to remind him that when he said trayvon martin could've been his son, he didn't exactly 'qualify' what he meant like he's doing now.
    so, in effect, he, along with those politically correct bigots at NBC, and the rest of the MSM, hurt racial relations further in this country, and now joined by Mr. Fast and Furious recently.
     
  7. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    There is nothing better that certain "social engineers" would like to see in America - A race civil war.

    "Divide and Conquer" sound familiar?

    Black and white and everyone inbetween : Disappoint them all and don't give them the opportunity!

    We all have the same color blood:

    Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;​


    HankD
     
  8. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    I thought President Obama did a very good job speaking to an uncomfortable but inconvenient reality.

    The white majority (whether here on this board or out in America) doesn't truly understand the challenges that so many minorities suffer in our daily lives. While these aren't insurmountable nor crushing, can be a hindrance.

    President Obama spoke well on this issue and I appreciate his deference and deprecation.

    African-Americans and Hispanics are two classes of ethnicities that suffer aspects of racism and class warfare in the US still. We should be, as Christians, sensitive to these but also thankful that there are other ways out of these stereotypes. We are definitely a more free and less hateful society than back in the middle of last century and before.

    As President, Mr Obama has been careful to speak to these issues. When he does, it is usually very appropriate. I am thankful for that. :)
     
  9. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    Yes because we all know that it eggs the cliques on this board on that anyone would dare stand in disagreement with them.

    I refer to people by name. Actions have also been referred to by their names.:thumbs:

    Last time I checked, everyone on here was grown. If someone doesn't want folks to comment on the obvious, don't put it on the table. So wax on and off as though some high road is being taken when nothing but excuses is being made for unGodly behavior.

    Yes because Lord knows if I were practicing agape love I'd be lock step in line with everything that you and the clique says. Give me a break.


    Just as irrelevant as last time as some have to look for an excuse to justify to themselves why anyone would dare disagree with them.

    So feel free to pin whatever tag as needed on me. It won't change what's being said.

    In the words of my grandfather, pure bovine skeptology as a child can see that this is a fishing expedition to be able to discount what is said because of a label. So keep fishing. The name is STILL Zaac and you feel free to refer to me as such.:thumbs:

    News flash : None of the adjectives some want to ascribe to me change the tenor of the way anyone is treated who does not agree with the nastiness. One would imagine that this is how folks outside the board gets treated too.


    More like irrelevant questions to be used to attempt to justify nastiness and prejudice. So try again.

    But I'M the name caller.
     
  10. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    Truly as the President, you want to temper your words when you speak as the whole world will generally have a reaction to them.

    You would think by now that he would have learned to qualify what he says. But on the flip side, it's also obvious that there are a lot of folks looking for any opportunity to ASSUME that he is saying things because they are still mad that he won two elections and their candidates lost.
     
  11. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    Exactly what Frank Marshall Davis taught him, which was nothing less than communism. Which makes sense, given Davis was a communist.
     
  12. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    I didn't vote for him and I don't like his policies but I thought his comments were appropriate.
     
  13. exscentric

    exscentric Well-Known Member
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    I'm not sure the man knows the country he lives in. I am white, bald and not so great living and I get followed by security in department stores all the time. I take my walks early morning in a multicultural to homeless neighborhood (in my black hoody) and I get my hands on my pocket knife anytime I see someone else coming LONG before I can tell if they are wearing a hoody or anything else AND long before I can tell their color - none of that matters where I live, you don't trust anyone till you get to know them and then you'd better beware. If they get offended when I cross the street to avoid them - tough toe nails. AND I might add we have very few black folks in our area so it is not a race thing.

    Its the country with its lack of law and order, morals and corruption, not the color of skin or the clothes you wear!

    And by the way I'll bet those white homeless guys on the corner get tired of hearing the doors lock as cars pull up to stop at the stop sign also.

    This issue is dividing black America (many blacks seem to be against the uproar) as well as other areas and he is just feeding what Sharpton is up to. As one man asked, There have been thousands of black men die since Trayvon -- can you name one? Why the indignation over Trayvon and not the thousands of others?
     
  14. Zaac

    Zaac Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps in the thousands of others both assailants were armed.
    Perhaps in the thousands of others an arrest was made.

    What's taking place in thousands of other instances doesn't negate what took place in this case.

    He could identify with it.

    And it's not dividing Black America. It may be in the eyes of a lot of Whites, but it has galvanized the resolve of a lot of black communities against the structural prejudice and racism that does exist.
     
  15. righteousdude2

    righteousdude2 Well-Known Member
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    Prove it!

    Over the past few weeks, you have made a lot of off-the-cuff remarks. And you have ignored the questions of others, when asked.

    I doubt if you will respond to this, but I would like you to provide proof in support of your observation.

    It is time to "PUT UP, or SHUT UP!" :thumbsup:
     
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