Quote (ringo794 @ 9 Jul 2016 21:23)
"black people were the first people to enslave black people". This is a very annoying thing to read and hear ALL THE DAMN TIME. This is similar to the "I am not the one who enslaved them, it was my ancestors, therefore I shouldn't feel bad about this person being miserable." logic.
It focuses on who in the past is responsible rather than trying to improve the lives of a people that are statistically disadvantaged (and to say it is their fault is undeniably racist, statistics is a powerful thing)
Why do we not care about our own species?
Incoming rant that I hope some people will at least read and argue with:
What really adds to the situation and makes this image powerful is the fact that those people are treated horribly by the disproportionate amount of successful and powerful whites. In other words, we are formed into groups that are distinctly separated for reasons other than race.
This country owes a great portion of its success to those that we stole it from and those that we used to make it strong. And yet, because of how it played out, those people are much poorer and unhappier. Statistics do not lie; only people can lie with them.
Unless you actually believe that these people's brains are inherently different, the most likely idea is that they are there because their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc. were all poor and unhappy, going all the way back to the last time their entire race was fucked over entirely.
This reasoning leads me to this idea: Unless you can come up with a better counter argument than the above (in other words, a better reasoning as to why minorities are poor), clearly it is owed to these groups to receive more support in terms of things like financial assistance, education, counseling and medical service.
To say no to that, unless you have a solid argument against the above, shows extreme distaste for those particular people. That is the kind of attitude that I think people need to get out of so that we can take care of ourselves as a species.
:)
I've thought about what's being portrayed by that image many times in the past, and we've all been aware of it. It's also true that African's sold their own kind into slavery, but that's not justifiable in our society today. Fortunately, we've had some great leaders that brought about revolutionary reform. We carry the burdens passed on to generations, but that doesn't make us responsible for the decisions they made before our time. I doubt that logic will hold before those that have been oppressed and choose to administer radical beliefs on the basis of ill intent -- this seems to be a problem in general for humans not knowing when to let something go, and history serves as a pillar to further propagate those intentions.
I'm not going to argue your points, but I will add that many people simply don't care. Not about you, or me, or anyone else. I would say however that there are different groups, although I don't consider that to be segregation as there are so many ideologies and values that simply don't suit everyone's unique interests and beliefs. Whether it be politics or business, school, religion, even hobbies, because of our diversities we're not going to be pacified under the same banner or principle attachments. This is not to say that we can't come to an understanding with each other's individuality.
If our concern is minorities and the impoverished, then we should look at the foundation of the giants whose singular purpose is to manipulate said persons for profit. Certainly being born into poverty and being a minority exposes one to adversity. I don't specifically believe that these individuals are not capable of surmounting these challenges in America because of the house they were born into. Many have come far from nothing, and their race didn't stop them.
Politically speaking, the real issue is in the ethics behind the forms of manipulation used to seduce or entice these individuals. If we're to to raise the bar on equality, we'll need to look at why the disadvantaged are disadvantaged and what is taking advantage of that disadvantage today, as that would bring clarity into what keeps them in a poorer quality of life.
An example would reviewing the structures of our societies on a large scale, and discerning therein cause and effect.
e.g. tobacco giants
