Some are not going to feel comfortable

Hers a "funny" story Anviel I guess Im in the story telling mood!LOL>>The "absurdity of ignorance" we can at least poke a little fun of eh?

Case in point my BIL..My BIL is of GERMAN decent mostly..His mother was born in Nicaragua to parents of German decent..I beleive she had a tad of spaninsh in her bloodline..dont ask me how Germans wer ein Nicarragua in the 50's but hey were..His FATHER staioned in Ncaraugua U.S military..he happened to be of German decent as well..like full blooded German..those two MEET..Two Germans the woman born in Nicaragua(his mother) primary language Spanish..and him American(his father)..they fall in love and MARRY..

So my BIL is heavlily accented Spanihs..with dark hair green eyes and olive skin..Gets "held" in the airports and harrased durign international travels..My BIL by the way is a HUGELY succesful business man in the IT software industry ..sales to be exact..My BIL is so persuase and natural at sales he coudl convince you to buy yoru own house from him....LOL!!...He makes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ much money a year...Hes one to the ones that DOESNT Like Obama....LOL!!(they are in the #% tax rate increase range)..

The ignorance is HE gets called a "wet back' here in Dallas...and other places..A derogatory adn HATEFUL term to even call the INTENDED victim ..a.k.a a Mexican....but the FUNNY absurd IGNORANT part is they are callign a GERMAN in a sense a MEXICAN because his primary language isnt English but Spanish(and a unique kind a dialect becasue Nicauragians have thier variation or "sayings" that other spanish regions dont and vice versa) and hes darker skin tones and has dark hair...

The added bonus is his family(his mothers side) owned "the" largest prducign Banana farm in Nicaruragua and even YOU may have had his familiys bananas in your fruit bow at home..Next tiem you buy Bananas if the sticker said produced in Nicauragua thats MY Bil and his sisters farm..(or was I THINK they may have sold part of it)..

SO HA!...

Dallas

dsrohe said:

Police are allowed to profile as much as they want on things like heavily tinted windows and hoodie wearing. I did ride-alongs with police on a number of occasions, and we definitely profiled heavily tinted cars, brightly colored sports cars, cars driving around in known drug trafficking areas in the middle of the night, etc.

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I can attest to this. I used to work with a white guy who drove a Monte Carlo with heavily tinted windows. He was hassled by the cops all the time. He got pulled over at least once a month.

I know that I'm getting into this discussion a little late, but as far as clothing. I have seen experiments done on both 20/20 and Dateline. They would have two men and two women dress the same (in professional attire), apply for jobs, and go shopping in the same stores. They were one white man and one black man, as well as one black woman and one white woman.The black actors were followed in stores and seen as suspicious. The white actors were shown respect.

I'm white, so I can only sympathize, but racism is clearly alive in this country in all facets of society. I'm too lazy to cite my sources, but I recently read an article with data that showed black and Hispanic students were treated worse in schools (with boys being treated worse than girls). Plus, I have read studies that showed kids with ethnic names tended to be given lower grades (a couple of studies involved having people grade papers and exams without ever meeting the students and only knowing them by their work and name). Resumes are also shown to be given more consideration if it does not contain an ethnic name.

While I don't think it's right that non-white people have to raise their children to work with or around racism, it will help those children in society. While I do hope that society will improve greatly in 20 years, I'm not entirely optimistic. My husband is Chinese and if we are blessed with children, I fully expect that we will have to be prepared to teach our child(ren) how to succeed in a racist society.

I have worked for black people and with black people and found if they carry themselves with respect on both sides, they get treated with respect. I volunteer at the hospital - watch people coming through those doors on both sides. - The ones coming in and handling their children with respect get treated with respect on both sides, but if they come in and their kids are running wild security will take over - on both sides. So I do think that treating your children right and teaching them respect and how to act and dress - on both sides - they will carry that respect throughout their adult lives. I have to agree there is racism - also on both sides, some blacks hate whites and some whites hate blacks - there is no getting around that.The blacks that I have worked with that have confidence in themselves went right up the ladder with the whites. The whites that acted as if there was a problem and had less confidence - stayed on that bottom rung of the ladder and let all races get ahead of them. A lot of it is in the mental thinking. But when the news show the difference - they pick the black panthers and the white nazies - they couldn't get a worse group to compare.

Avniel said:

What is a thug? Especially when so many young men in the black community embrace the "hip hop culture" as their own. Which in part is apart of the black experience for many young black men. If you go to any historically black college or university you will see young black men dressed similar to other young black men who are not in college.

I went to a top ranked HBCU the same HBCU that martin luther king went to. The kids there dressed the same way the rappers on TV do, the same way the kids in the bronx do.

Clothes doesn't make you a thug your actions make you one.

The question comes up, when you notice a lot of young black men dressing a certain type of way inspired by an art form as being "thuggish" then when does that become a race issue?

The fact is there are millions of black men that are not thugs that have had many run ins with police officers, one being Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo and many other law abiding citizens that have lost their lives because the color of their skin lead to suspicion....to deny that is to deny what the black experience in america is.

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That's a good point. A lot of young men and teenagers (and some old men lol) who like hip hop, rap music, sagging their pants, walk with that swagger and talk hood like have (ok don't get offended) been called "black people want to be's" when I was growing up. Mind you where I grew up in the school I went to the there were as many black people as white, and the majority was latino, so it was "cool to be black". I think that that trend came from maybe people in the hood, gang bangers like to dress and act that way. How it came to be a misconception of being a black thing I don't know. Maybe because there used to be more black rappers than white and that's how they dress and come across as well. Maybe it's old prejudice white people who started saying it was a black thing, I don't know. You are right, just because people are in the hip hop culture, doesn't make them a thug. But I think that people who talked in bad language and walk around like they are all bad are trying to mimic a thug, or people who are into drugs and crime because being bad or tough gains people fear and respect. That's why some of the people who walk around like they are all bad do it. So others will fear and respect them. Like I said, I don't think that this is a black person thing, but somewhere along the line it got labled a black person thing. And I definitely sympathise with your pain of being a black person in a white America. Since slavery black people have been treated as less than white people. And although America has made a lot of progress in leaving that prejudice behind, it's still around and I can just imagine what it's like being a black person or a minority of any nationality because minitories have experienced some prejudice in their life so it would be hard not to feel like it's always about prejudice.

You have a legitament concern. But I still agree with your wife on this one Although I think your son needs to learn from your wisdom, I still believe that he should do what he wants, not change for anyone. But at the same time he needs to do it wisely. And like I said, I think that any teenager that likes to partake in the hip hop culture in dress, carrying themselves, the way they took, should be careful in how they carry themselves because this would make them a police magnet.

Avniel said:

What is dressing like a thug? What is driving like a thug? What makes you a thug? I always thought it was crimes, I never thought it was how one dresses.

The fact is that I bought a charger I really wanted a BMW 7 series and I could have bought it but I would have been a target. If I'm wearing a suit in a Mercedes Benz I as a black man will be pulled over in the Bronx my car will be searched. I bought rims because I like shinny things and I have tints because they are legal and I can have them. There is nothing thuggish about rims and tints it makes me a suspect because of where I am living and how much money I put into my car. I am a black kid from the bronx that still lives 6 blocks away from the projects and my car looks nice, my clothes look nice so no matter if I have a hoodie on or ferragamo suit I am a target. I have a college degree and I am in law school there is no reason I should be stopped and treated like scum.

If I go outside for a jog and I have a hoodie on I am a suspect?

Its not even about the hoodie. Do you know how many times I have been stopped by the police walking on my two feet in my neighborhood because I fit the profile. All my friends experience this from my college friends to my friends that arent doing anything with their life. I mean this is a reality this is the black man's experience in america.

The fact is a black man from my area in a nice car is..........a drug dealer, and a white man in my area in a nice car is........a business man. Which might not exactly be true but that is the reality most people are working with.

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Well hopefully the police officers who pull you over will learn that just because a black man has nice things, doesn't mean he's a criminal. Maybe you will be a good example to them.

It's interesting to me that even my 12yo has become interested and has been talking about it. We all talked about it again this morning when my husband was watching the news, and my aforesaid 12yo pointed out that the shooter followed the black guy - entirely against the advice of the 911 operator. And they still didn't arrest him. How is "standing your ground" the same as "pursuing an apparently innocent man on foot and shooting him"? Standing your ground should be defined as - someone is coming at you, and you have to protect yourself. Chasing after someone with a gun - that's pursuit. Yeah, he should be tried for sure, and this stupid law needs to be reviewed.

My son asked why a Hispanic man would be prejudiced against an African American man. He said wouldn't the Hispanic man know what it's like to be treated badly because of his race, and be less likely to be a racist.

Ah, the innocence of youth.

Avniel said:

So I'm going to start off by saying we as brothers and sisters of Christ should be able to talk about anything and no hard or bad feelings should come from it.

So my wife and I are paying attention to the case of the black Florida teen that was shot by the night watch. We had a conversation that lead us to a deep side that a few people are taking it to. What do we teach our son about his reality of being black in America?

My thoughts were I would tell my son that he can not do everything he sees. The fact is I'm a law school student married and with a child I was pulled over because I have a charger with rims and tinted windows I was driving at night time with a hoodie over my head and I was pulled over. That is my sons reality to avoid trouble he shouldn't put rims on his car, he shouldn't wear hoodies in certain areas, he can't be in a car with 4 of his friends at night or he has a higher chance of being in a dangerous situation. The reality is my son is a black child in America and he can't walk around like there is no such thing as racial profiling. That is his reality.

My wife on the other hand she is more of an idealist. If he likes rims, if he wants to go out with his friends if he wants to dress a certain way he should this is America and he has rights.

Yeah I agree he should but just because someone should be able to or it's only fair that they are able to doesn't mean that the reality they live in is fair. Life isn't fair all persons living has to find away around it.

What do y'all think????

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i think the guy who shot the kid should be charged with murder, i also think statistically that if one black kid a night is shot in a city, i would get my black kid out of that city and bring him to a statistically safer area, statistics are simply a way to measure things. you can call it racial profiling, but its simply a matter of statistics. if gang members are statistically known to wear hoodies, and gang members are statistically shot more often than nongang members then statistically the smart thing to do is not put yourself in a statistically higher field of danger, much the same way a white kid could walk into an all black neighborhood wearing a klu klux klan hood, and then complain he was racially profiled and beaten to the pulp, even though he has no affiliation with the clan........it certianly was not this kids fault this idiot shot him, he obviously was completely in the wrong, but common sense goes a long way in this world

Well, it looks like you're all agreed that Zimmerman is guilty.

The good taxpayers of Florida (of which I am one) thank you for not clogging up our court systems with silly trials where we just waste time presenting evidence and listening to both sides.

I guess the only thing to decide now is where you all would like for him to be hanged.

Publius said:

Well, it looks like you're all agreed that Zimmerman is guilty.

The good taxpayers of Florida (of which I am one) thank you for not clogging up our court systems with silly trials where we just waste time presenting evidence and listening to both sides.

I guess the only thing to decide now is where you all would like for him to be hanged.

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"Waste time presenting evidence and listening to both sides ... " Sure. Then why bother with a court system at all? So if you get mugged or otherwise attacked, don't bother trying to get redress because wouldn't that, after all, clog up the courts also? Better to just take it on the chin.

As for finding him guilty - people are giving their opinions, which is enshrined in the first amendment to the Constitution, I believe.

Publius said:

Well, it looks like you're all agreed that Zimmerman is guilty.

The good taxpayers of Florida (of which I am one) thank you for not clogging up our court systems with silly trials where we just waste time presenting evidence and listening to both sides.

I guess the only thing to decide now is where you all would like for him to be hanged.

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yes following and then executing someone is a death penalty case

Publius said:

Well, it looks like you're all agreed that Zimmerman is guilty.

The good taxpayers of Florida (of which I am one) thank you for not clogging up our court systems with silly trials where we just waste time presenting evidence and listening to both sides.

I guess the only thing to decide now is where you all would like for him to be hanged.

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Yeah, everyone knows that once the majority of the public determines guilt there isn't a trial, the accused just goes straight to jail.

Oh wait. That's not how it works at all.

The presumption of innocence is something that applies in court, btw, and not in general. To those of us who will never be eligible to serve on his jury.... yeah, we don't actually have to wait to make up our minds before we think it is murder. Nor do we have to apply the 'beyond a reasonable doubt' burden of proof. If, for example, I think there's clear and convincing evidence that it was murder - then I am free to say that I am convinced it was murder.

We can weigh the evidence ourselves and come to our own conclusions. And just because we do come to a conclusion, doesn't mean we're going to be organizing lynch mobs.

Avniel said:

I actually love the UK. My family is Jamaican and I am a first generation american. However I did notice while there that it was a more cultured and accepting place regarding race. Maybe that is due to a higher level of education among the people. I find people in the UK are generally more diverse, well traveled and well read.

Exactly if I'm on the train and I have a cold and I'm wearing a hoodie jordans and a nice watch....I automatically am a hoodlum, a street guy and a criminal. If its my friends birthday and we load up in a car five professional business men going to BBQ's in jeans and tshirts with snap backs on we automatically are pulled over for the car we drive. And your right it is a big difference for being shot for walking while black vs being stopped for driving while black. But the mentality is the same, the core cognitive reasoning is the exact same.

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My mother is Jamaican. I would say that racism does not seem to be as overt as it is in the states. Of course that is just basing things on other's opinions. I have never actually been to America. For example I do not have to be wearing a hoodie to be followed around a shop or looked at suspiciously in some places. I do not wear "gangsta"- (really wanted to use that term) clothes, i'm 5f2 and very soft spoken yet between me and an asian guy in a hoodie guess who is followed around shops. That is why I say take it all with a pinch of salt. You can not help what other's think about you. Being stopped may be an inconvenience but it is not life threatening. It's only when it turns to civilians feeling the need to profile you and taking matters into their own hands that you have a problem.

Avniel said:

Is he shot for reaching for his wallet?

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You haven't addressed any of my points. It seems like you are ignoring me when I am pointing out where you are wrong. Here's a good video for you to watch:

Larry Elder (race in America) - YouTube

Avniel said:

Is he shot for reaching for his wallet?

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No, but then again, neither are 99.9% of black people when pulled over and cooperative with law enforcement. Nice hyperbole, though.

dsrohe said:

I think wallowing in self-pity holds more people back than racism, however, and self-pity is something that isn't addressed nearly as often as racism as something which holds people back.

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:o.....????????