Don’t Take the Bait – The Race Bait – It’s the Oldest Trick in the Book

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
" You know how you get rid of racism, terrorism or any other unwanted -ism in society today?"

Stop Participating In It.

~Tenth

The truest words spoken,in this thread.
.

Thank You Tenth.

reply to post by seabag


Thanks Seabag...peace bro.

reply to post by seabag


I agree with you on alot of things, but real racism is institutionalized...it's not simply a feeling of not liking someone because of their color. I guess most humans are that way to an extent, but I'm truly not. I never dislike a person based on skin pigmention. In essence, that's being bigoted or prejudiced, which is essentially the same difference. Racism is the ability to create social and economic boundaries by the predominate race of a geographical location. It has and is happening systematically. Can that be circumvented? Of course it can...on an idividual basis. But when you spoon-feed a segment of people the same negative things day in and day out, that's what they know. Take for instance, rap music. Look at the then and now. Before it was corporate, it was real, and I'm not talking gangsta. It talked about struggles, real life. Now, it's all about who has the most money and worthless trinkets, and you know the rest. Just like young black people in the 60's and 70's....TOTALLY different generational values. Just a little grub for thought.

reply to post by rexrugerblack


That's why I love this guy...



Kids, any kids but, especially ones born into oppression or poverty...they need positive, they need love.

reply to post by Dilligaf28


I must say that you are wrong in your assessment that Sharpton and Jackson are ''leaders of black people''. And as far as ''the black community'' goes, there is no ''black community''. Black communities are as diverse as the hues of our skin, sport. Not that there's anything wrong with living in a trailer park, but what if I defined just trailer parks as the ''white community''? Contrary to popular belief, most of us don't live in the ''hood''.

reply to post by HoppedUp


Check my earlier post sport...if blacks were so violent in nature, slavery wouldn't have went so smoothly and during the civil rights era, black skulls would not have been getting cracked while singing'' We shall overcome. Seriously, man. Violent nature? Ok.

now off topic posts? wow, just wow.

I would like to add to my earlier post on page two (please read before assuming I may be racist). I have often wondered if there isn't a "catch-22" involved in the true race issue, which I will call the race for equality. Is it not fair to state that regardless of what is said, how it is said, or who says it that there are some individuals on all sides who will never be satisfied? In addition, if and when any of these immovable opinions meets its unstoppable force on the opposite end of the spectrum there will be fireworks. Finally, what may make it worse is the tendency for those with less inhibition and flexibility in both style and purpose to insert themselves into the front lines and assume leadership. I have seen some rude statements and some exceptionally profound remarks in this thread and it serves to demonstrate that there may never be complete acceptance on all sides, but there is hope for tolerance even in the absence of respect. In a perfect world, this would be such a non-issue that we were oblivious to skin color or other differences between us, and I see some very defined dissenters here saying they believe they could do better. This is a great sign for the populace in general.

For those who revel in discontent and confrontation, I would like to be one of the first to tell you that your time has gone and you need to go with it. I don't care what the color of your skin is or if you are a Nobel Prize recipient or the assistant to the janitor at the cow barn. Get out of the way and let those who are capable of sincere and constructive discussion and actions take charge before its too late or you ruin it for everyone.

For perspective, I would again encourage you to see my earlier post to understand my personal position as someone with no race or ethnicity to call my own.

Originally posted by Kali74
Seabag,
I understand what you are trying to say and I know it's a big talking point in the right wing media at the moment. The media sucks and Sharpton/Jackson tend to do more harm than good. I think your point would be valid if, as I said before, you pointed out cases where justice isn't being served. Personally, I think it's long past time when we had some intelligent discussion on race because it plainly still is an issue, ignoring it will not make it go away. This is a multi-colored/cultured country and we'd better learn to function like it, in my opinion.

Kali74, you are absolutely right - ignoring it will NEVER make it go away, it only strengthens it. "Ignoring" it is precisely what the OP is NOT doing by calling out race-baiters like Sharpton, Jackson, Holder, and Obama. Yet HE is labelled a "race-baiter" for speaking his mind and saying right out loud that the Emperor is naked. Accusations such as that - calling "race-baiter" at someone highlighting one of the problems, is just their way of attempting to silence him, shame him into submission.

If they can shame him into silence, they can carry on business as usual. He seems not to be allowing that. Maybe he has no shame to play on - I know I don't. More power to him for that!

A "race baiter" in the classic sense plays up to racial divisions, and tries to widen them as Sharpton and Company are doing. The OP is not playing to racial issues - he is calling out the ones who are. Big difference, and they seem to be very uncomfortable with that particular spotlight.

Originally posted by rexrugerblack
Seriously, most black people are not criminals. And when I see certain posts, it seems as if this is the consensus. As if black people are inherently violent. If that was the case, slavery wouldn't have went so one-sidedly smooth, and during the civil rights era, no blacks would have just laid there getting their skull cracked singing we shall overcome. Just saying.

I agree wholeheartedly. My own ancestors WERE a pretty violent bunch. Slavers rode up and down the East Coast capturing them for slavery in the Spanish Caribbean, on sugar plantations. The net result was a lot of dead Indians, a lot of dead Spaniards and Jesuits, and no net economic gain. They couldn't keep the Indians alive long enough to realize a profit from their plantations. It wasn't long after that experiment that the slavers turned to Africa for their wares, and turned to extermination as a means of handling us recalcitrant, violent, unprofitable Injuns.

I don't think Blacks as a race are any more violent of criminal than most others. Some individuals can be fairly scary, but that goes for all of the races. As I mentioned before, I live in a "mixed" neighborhood. The family next door to the south is Black, and the family next door to the north is Mexican without a word of English beyond "OK". We all get along pretty good. If, however, I edge down the block to the local "Crackville", I can find as much trouble as I like, and the denizens there are mixed as well, between Black, White, and Mexican. Not many of my kind around here, but that doesn't keep us from getting along either.

It's not a "race" thing, it's an "individual interaction" thing. I can (and do, just about every day) walk a block to get a pack of smokes and take my life into my own hands, or I can sit at the house and have a multicultural cook out. It's all about how individuals relate to one another, not about how color blocks relate to one another.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
" You know how you get rid of racism, terrorism or any other unwanted -ism in society today?"

Stop Participating In It.

~Tenth

Simple refusal to participate is not enough. Active opposition to these things is needed. They will find enough willing dupes to participate without my help, but they may find fewer with my active opposition.

Originally posted by seabag
Blacks like Bill Cosby, who speak out on these issues, are called every name in the book. Why is that?? Why are the real problems never addressed but instead these so-called ‘leaders’ like Sharpton choose instead to pursue the boogyman?

Because people want hate and drama, Seabag. They don't want solutions. They don't want reconciliation. They want the war to go on. Race war, any kind of war. You name it.

Conflict is a pattern. It's a very old, familiar pattern for most of us. One person yells at you, you yell at them back. They hit you, you hit them back. They shoot at you, you shoot them back. It's easy. You don't have to think about it.

Peace? Peace is much, much harder. You have to think about that. You have to learn about who the other man is. You have to sit down and actually talk to him, and think about what you're going to say. You have to confront who he really is...and worst and most scary of all...confront who you really are in the process.

Very few people want that. Most would rather die.

reply to post by nenothtu


You're spot on bro.

reply to post by petrus4


I never thought about it like that...I love to argue but I hate war, I hate division...go figure lol.

reply to post by petrus4

Because people want hate and drama, Seabag. They don't want solutions. They don't want reconciliation. They want the war to go on. Race war, any kind of war. You name it.

I think this is true of the instigators, agitators and race baiters but not the average American. I certainly don't want that nor do I know anyone who wants that. 

Peace? Peace is much, much harder. 

Very few people want that. Most would rather die.

On the contrary, only a small handful of people continue to stoke the flames. 

You could have a group of 100 people hanging out together without incident. One idiot throws a punch and you've got a riot on your hands. Sharpton represents that 'one idiot' to me. People like him cause the tension and conflict among otherwise peaceful groups.     

reply to post by rexrugerblack


Of course Al and Jesse do not represent every African American person in America; to suggest so would be ridiculous (which is why I did not suggest it). It is however readily evident that many many many people within the African American community do follow these two individuals as leaders/role models. When you combine that with the way that Jesse and Al do seem to be shown in the media quite often as a source of opinion from the "black community" one could easily see where they could be/are regarded as defacto leaders.

I didn't make any broad sweeping generalizations about ghettos or any of that so I'm not really sure why any of that was included in your reply to me.

reply to post by rexrugerblack


I didn't have enough time to edit my first response to your post hence this one.

I appreciate that you offered your opinion regarding my observation that Al and Jesse are leaders (not the leaders) of the African American community. As I said in my previous reply I obviously am not of the opinion that Al and Jesse represent the sentiment of every African American in the country.

I'm curious what your opinion is regarding the astounding silence from these two individuals regarding black on black violence versus their vocalism regarding white on black violence? Do you see an inequity/hypocrisy in their two very different responses to violence perpetrated by one human being against another?

my question is what are they trying to get out of this "race war" whats to gain?

i have noticed i have been getting certain "looks" ever since this whole circus was started, kinda makes me feel a little un easy..

reply to post by seabag


whites are the most discriminated against nowadays, if you critisize a black as a white you're racist, if you hire a more qualified white than a black you're racist.

Liberals love racism. After all, theirs was the party of slavery, segregation and Jim Crow.