Racism - Come on down & Splain yourself Eh.

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
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Responding to Goober's open question...

Y'know Goober, this is quite a topic. And it's a very thought-provoking question you pose here. I'm thinking...

I live a few km. down the road from the local native band, been around some of our native people in my younger years plus now - with a few years' interlude in big cities and out of the country - and I have to admit I don't know enough about the situation to really give an intelligent comment. Of course, I know a few native people personally today but I am still out to lunch on the whole subject. I am probably not unusual in that respect.

A few things I do know...the native cultures (there are more than one, in my opinion) go deep and back a long, long way. I have some ideas on healing and spiritualism that would be considered "off the wall" by many people today (result of living in the Far East), but it may explain at least part of my interest in native cultures. A couple of local native ladies have introduced me to some old native medicinal remedies such as birchbark tea (they're probably still laughing at the look on my face when I took my first sip...yuck!) and local plants that have been used for years as healing remedies. Very fascinating.

Of course, there is much more to a culture and once again, I feel I am missing a great deal by not knowing more about even this local one. One thing I am quite sure of is this: Preservation of all the aspects of native cultures is very important to Canada...it would be tragic to lose the languages (I'm a language nut and speak a few words in many foreign languages) and all the other things that are part of the heritage of Canada (I'm also a bit of a history nut)...

The other observation I have is that many non-native Canadians - especially those in urban areas - might be getting all their knowledge on natives from the news media. That can pose a problem as many of the stories I've seen paint a very negative picture...i.e., focus on problems more often than not. But, there are many positive things to talk about too. I'm not saying all the media stories are bad or wrong, I'm just saying that it might be helpful to present a broader, more complete picture now and again.

Those are just a couple of thoughts I have at the moment, but I'm giving it some thought. Nobody has ever asked me that question before, so I guess I honestly have never given it much thought. Stay tuned...
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
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Responding to Goober's open question...

Y'know Goober, this is quite a topic. And it's a very thought-provoking question you pose here. I'm thinking...

I live a few km. down the road from the local native band, been around some of our native people in my younger years plus now - with a few years' interlude in big cities and out of the country - and I have to admit I don't know enough about the situation to really give an intelligent comment. Of course, I know a few native people personally today but I am still out to lunch on the whole subject. I am probably not unusual in that respect.

A few things I do know...the native cultures (there are more than one, in my opinion) go deep and back a long, long way. I have some ideas on healing and spiritualism that would be considered "off the wall" by many people today (result of living in the Far East), but it may explain at least part of my interest in native cultures. A couple of local native ladies have introduced me to some old native medicinal remedies such as birchbark tea (they're probably still laughing at the look on my face when I took my first sip...yuck!) and local plants that have been used for years as healing remedies. Very fascinating.

Of course, there is much more to a culture and once again, I feel I am missing a great deal by not knowing more about even this local one. One thing I am quite sure of is this: Preservation of all the aspects of native cultures is very important to Canada...it would be tragic to lose the languages (I'm a language nut and speak a few words in many foreign languages) and all the other things that are part of the heritage of Canada (I'm also a bit of a history nut)...

The other observation I have is that many non-native Canadians - especially those in urban areas - might be getting all their knowledge on natives from the news media. That can pose a problem as many of the stories I've seen paint a very negative picture...i.e., focus on problems more often than not. But, there are many positive things to talk about too. I'm not saying all the media stories are bad or wrong, I'm just saying that it might be helpful to present a broader, more complete picture now and again.

Those are just a couple of thoughts I have at the moment, but I'm giving it some thought. Nobody has ever asked me that question before, so I guess I honestly have never given it much thought. Stay tuned...


Then time to talk to those ladies and get some introductions - I listened to the Massey lectures on CBC about 4 years ago and it was about Native spirit and how the earth was formed and where man came form - The professor teaches in Western Canada - He has that rare gift that is being lost with every generation - regardless of ethnicity - the art of storytelling.
 

countryboy

Traditionally Progressive
Nov 30, 2009
3,686
39
48
BC
Then time to talk to those ladies and get some introductions - I listened to the Massey lectures on CBC about 4 years ago and it was about Native spirit and how the earth was formed and where man came form - The professor teaches in Western Canada - He has that rare gift that is being lost with every generation - regardless of ethnicity - the art of storytelling.

Goob - Do you remember the professor's name?
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
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Low Earth Orbit
Is their really racism or is there massive white self guilt which only appears racist to the guilt laden and confused?

How come every campus across North America has member groups for every ethnicity except white?

If one does open up and starts promoting white pride in identical ways as any other ethnic group, why does it get labeled as a hate group?
 
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EagleSmack

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 16, 2005
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Is their really racism or is there massive white self guilt which only appears racist to the guilt laden and confused?

How come every campus across North America has member groups for every ethnicity except white?

If one does open up and starts promoting white pride in identical ways as any other ethnic group, why does it get labeled as a hate group?

I thank you for your honest liberal opinion.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
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SJP
I am still waiting for a reply on the below.
That is the criteria I use, what is the black consensus.

That can be a dangerous criteria to use - and it is on topic - victims can be biased as well

Sorry Goober, what are you waiting me to reply to? I came back from a business trip just today and still I am going over the old threads, my memory is a bit fuzzy. Exactly what did you say that needs my reply?
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
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Sorry Goober, what are you waiting me to reply to? I came back from a business trip just today and still I am going over the old threads, my memory is a bit fuzzy. Exactly what did you say that needs my reply?

SJP
Welcome back -

you stated that you use the Black consensus for interpreting if an act - action was racist -

My opinion is that going by consensus in particular when you view the profiles of the top Black civil Rights leaders in the US - they have more than enough baggage and corruption - along with blatantly exaggerating some situations for personal benefit - benefit meaning increasing their stature as a so called protector of civil rights.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
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Sure black civil rights leaders we imperfect, Goober, we are all imperfect. I did not say that what the civil rights leaders say is racism, should be considered racism. I wouldn’t give that power to say, Rev. Jackson or Al Sharpton.

However, when there is a consensus among blacks that something or someone is racist, I think it is appropriate to pay serious attention to it.

A case in point is O.J. Simpson verdict. Most whites thought he was guilty, most blacks thought he was innocent (I myself think he was guilty). Why this divide? So I think if most blacks think that something or someone is a racist, I give blacks get the benefit of doubt. Same as if most women think that something or somebody is sexist, I would pay serious attention to what they say.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
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In the bush near Sudbury
Sure black civil rights leaders we imperfect, Goober, we are all imperfect. I did not say that what the civil rights leaders say is racism, should be considered racism. I wouldn’t give that power to say, Rev. Jackson or Al Sharpton.

However, when there is a consensus among blacks that something or someone is racist, I think it is appropriate to pay serious attention to it.

A case in point is O.J. Simpson verdict. Most whites thought he was guilty, most blacks thought he was innocent (I myself think he was guilty). Why this divide? So I think if most blacks think that something or someone is a racist, I give blacks get the benefit of doubt. Same as if most women think that something or somebody is sexist, I would pay serious attention to what they say.

Now what would happen if all those good folk considered OJ to be innocent just because he's a "bro"?
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
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Sure black civil rights leaders we imperfect, Goober, we are all imperfect. I did not say that what the civil rights leaders say is racism, should be considered racism. I wouldn’t give that power to say, Rev. Jackson or Al Sharpton.

However, when there is a consensus among blacks that something or someone is racist, I think it is appropriate to pay serious attention to it.

A case in point is O.J. Simpson verdict. Most whites thought he was guilty, most blacks thought he was innocent (I myself think he was guilty). Why this divide? So I think if most blacks think that something or someone is a racist, I give blacks get the benefit of doubt. Same as if most women think that something or somebody is sexist, I would pay serious attention to what they say.


SJP
That is the core of what is and is not racism - why did it divide along racial lines -

And I agree Sharpton, Jesse ( Hymietown) Jackson is a piece of crap - made himself wealthy of Martin Luther King -
And then we have Farrakhan -
Yes OJ was guilty - anyone with half a brain could see that - but it is just like people saying - well I know he murdered that person but he is a good father - or he is a wonderful human being -

and yes I believe that many Blacks in the US having encountered racism used that to justify their opinion on his innocence - Murder is murder - regardless of color -
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
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Lone Wolf

Noticed that the Racists on this Forum have avoided it like the plague -
I have not. I just said my piece and left it at that and I still think the human race is better than some others (like no-see-ums, HIV, etc.).
 

Goober

Hall of Fame Member
Jan 23, 2009
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I have not. I just said my piece and left it at that and I still think the human race is better than some others (like no-see-ums, HIV, etc.).
Anna g

The comment was not directed at you - but the racists that inhabit this forum. No offense was intended to you.