CNN: Political correctness leads to idiotic statement

If you are from Africa, then by all means, check African-American!! My friend from South Africa checks it each time, and she's as white as white can be!

I am pretty sure someone from Egypt would not fit the our defanition of "african-american", yet technically they are. This is the problem when we try to define race and put everything in nice little groups. The world is much more complicated than that. Could you imagine the NAACP defending a white "african-american" from South Africa? It would never happen.

Hey...just to clarify, I'm not an angry white guy. Point of my statement is that almost everyone in America can point back 200-300 years and say that their ancestors were in a bad situation. So why look back and say "my ancestors were oppressed"? Yes...they were. In America, whose ancestors weren't? What has made America great is that thrown-away people from all over the world came to America to make a better nation and they succeeded.

If people want to air their grievances, that's fine. But why talk about something most of us are not guilty of and that we can do nothing about? We cannot erase the fact that there were slaves in our country. We can, however, do something about poor schools, discrimination, etc. Confine the protest to problems that can be solved and you will have my attention.

Lastly, you mention that "they'll get on ok without my pity". You're exactly right. Why are we still discussing slavery? Everyone knows it happened. Nobody alive today suffered it. Tell us what is happening today that is unacceptable and let's focus on what we can do about it. You might be surprised to find out how many people are willing to help out.

. wrote:

I always did wonder one thing though. Why is it offensive to African-Americans to be called black when Caucasians are called white all the time? Just didn't know if there was any historical reasoning for that.

It isn't offensive to be called black.

It wasn't offensive for white people to be called white because that was something that historically gave them power. Picture an Irish immigrant in the 1900s coming to America. If you were Irish, you would face discrimination from the other white ethnic groups (just an example), but if you called yourself white, you united with all the other white ethnics in standing opposed to blacks. This was one of the fundamental reasons that white immigrants were about to advance at a much faster rate than AFrican Americans.

The term black was initially a deragatory term (during which Negro was the appropriate term). African Americans claimed it as their own by turning to the inherent strenght of the color. AGain the problem with that term is that it wasn't created by us to define us. The Term AFrican American was created by us for us.

Of course as with every group there will be some who feel stronger than others (no person can speak for an entire group). I just don't understand why it is such a big deal to respect peoples desires to be called what they want.

man I hate liberals.

PC liberals are simply weird, weird people.

This entire thread summarizes what's wrong with America. We should be looking at ALL Americans no matter the color of their skin or their national origins as AMERICANS. All sides that trade in ethnic cloistering, PC speak, open racism, and reverse racism are merely perpetuating the problem. A century ago, nearly all immigrants clamored to become part of a greater America. They assimilated into society while still maintaining pride in their past. Today, people want to honor their roots and dwell in the past rather than looking towards a brighter future.

Nothing great was ever created from anger, bitterness, or narrow racial thinking.

Read my posts, all of those immigrants were claiming their new Americaness to separate themselves from African Americans, who incidentally were not allowed to claim theirs. A white person just off the boat was allowed to join a labor union,get an education and other privlidges that African Americans were not to.

The fact remains that what most of you consider American culture is white American culture. When is the last time you heard a black kid discribed as the "all american kid", almost never.

No one disputes that blacks have been treated shamefully throughout American history but you are faulting other immigrants for doing the very thing that brought them acceptance and success. They looked at the situation and ADAPTED. They ASSIMILATED to make the path easier. If they were not granted opportunities, they CREATED opportunities for themselves.

Inaction is not a substitute for ambition. Feeling sorry for oneself is a waste of time. Failing to take chances ultimately fuels a failure mentality. The greatest engines of success are free choice and self-determination. No one guarantees success nor will anyone ever do so.

As for culture, culture is what you make it.

this post makes you look ignorant to the plight of other opressed peoples in the histroy of america - the irish and chinese and others had generations of struggles before they could participate in the "american dream." I'm not for a second saying that they had it worse than slavery, but many of them were effectively indentured servants.

I am not faulting, I was simply responding to those who are saying that all of the white ethnic groups have assimilated and African Americans should have done the same.

African Americans were not able to CREATE their own opportunities because the U.S government created laws to ensure that they were not created. When they did find sucess their money and property could be siezed with little warning.

REcognizing the past isn't about feeling sorry for ones self. It is about recognizing why the socio-economics in this country are the way they are and trying to find solutions to this problem.

Here is the solution to the "black problem of assimilation. Don't listen to the NAACP. JESSE JACKSON, AL SHARPTON ETC. They only succeed by keeping a "Black" problem alive. Instead get you kids to sit their butts down and study while in school, do Homework outside of school. Stop having illigitimate kids. Give yourselves and your kids a chance to succeed!!!!

No government program can do this. Churches and communities can help but you can do it on your own even without help from parents. Parents can FORCE kids to do it. If this were done. The "Black problem would be gone!!!

No excuses Just get the job done!!!

the caveat would be that white immigrants can matriculate themselves into American society in a way that blacks and other non-white immigrants cannot

trackhead wrote:

the caveat would be that white immigrants can matriculate themselves into American society in a way that blacks and other non-white immigrants cannot

No longer true - with the amount of race based initiatives in education this is a crock. An urban kid may be at a disadvantage, but the odds are nothing like impossible for them to make it out. Unfortunately it's about choices and urban kids have a much smaller margin for error.

Farakhan, Jackson, and Sharpton have no vested interest in making true progress - they have institutionalized protest in a way that nullifies its power, but makes them wealthy and powerful. I believe they do more to hurt young black kids than anyone else. They feed anger and self pity while ignoring hard work and real dignity- too bad Bill Cosby turns out to be a molester - he was the first civil rights leader of national/international prominence to make sense in a long time.

dmb wrote:

It's amusing how this argument breaks down. On one hand you have the PC types unable to admit how absurd it is to call a black/arab/whatever in france "African American."

No, you're wrong. You'd like to think that advocates of politcal correctness are "unable to admit" that, because that's an easy argument to defeat. Unfortunately, NO ONE on this thread has made such a post. You're just making an "I'm smarter than everyone else" statement.

As a side note, it IS accurate to describe many blacks living in France as "African American", since in the early 20th century, thousands of black people living in America moved to France, especially Paris, to escape the hostile racial climate in the United States and find opportunities for success abroad. A jazz musician in Paris, for example would do far, far, better than any jazz musician stateside.

The cold, hard truth is that political correctness serves a valuable function in society, and is never given enough credit. It is, very simply, about respect and dignity. Call people what they wish to be called! Those people who berate "PC" are, sadly, often insensitive to racial issues that still exist today. It is even sadder how "Non-PC" jokes and comments are often celebrated in society today.

Many of you must be living in a cave, anyway. It is perfectly acceptable to call people of African descent living in America "black".

The Importance of the timing of these uprisings are significant. Worldwide resistance to the Crusade Against Islam has spread to France. Rioters are emboldened by the freedom fighters and are taking control of their own desitiny. England, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, also have problems with disrespect for Islam, and their is much discontent there too. Islam must be treated with full respect for peace. There is simply no othe way. The United States is slowing learning this lesson at the cost of many American lives. European countries haven't committing nearly the level of atrocities against Islam. Respect for Islam will lessen their burden and ease the situation.

And, if a black kid tried to sit down next to you at school and assimilate himself as one of your friends?

I find it amusing to imagine locknload doing his yoga while he contemplates the next target of his hatred.

locknload did you ever lose your balance while standing on one leg thinking about how much you hate every person that is not fortunate enough to match your ideals?

The link to locknloads yoga..