Fight on the beast's loading platform.

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WildThingNative said:

Although there was still no need to make accusations because of one word that is actually more about culture than color... Isn't thug or punk more negative that urban?

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That's the way I understand it to be. I think the word urban more applies to a type of behavior rather than the color of one's skin. I think it's a shame that poeple usually associate "urban" with "black", although it's also a shame that the majority of people caught illustrating that "urban" demeanor are black. It goes back to racial profiling- if you're black and don't want to be referred to as urban, don't act like gangsta thugs. If you're white and don't want to be referred to as redneck, don't keep a pile of old appliances in your backyard. If you're Italian and don't want to be accused of being a mobster, don't wear a bunch of gold chains and talk like an extra from Goodfellas. See where I'm going with this?

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Jeffrey R Smith said:
When I see large numbers of kids willing to unabashedly cut in line and then “throw down” with anybody who dare question them…it saddens me. When I see racial groups consistently (not always) blame racism as deflection for immoral/illegal behaviors…it saddens me. I could go on…

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Again, I place a lot of the blame on the media, which is sort of an extension of society in general. Like it or not, things are very lopsided.

Imus calls a women's college basketball team comprised of mostly black females a bunch of "nappy-headed hos" and Al Sharpton raises a ruckus so loud that it eventually leads to Imus losing his job. And that's fine- in all honesty, the guy has said some pretty insulting things about black people in the past and should have been canned years ago. But what happened when three white Duke lacrosse players were deemed innocent when put on trial for assaulting a black stripper? Did anyone in the media make sure that matter was resolved? Did Al Sharpton come out and say something should be done about the accuser that lied and ruined the lives of three innocent men before their lives could begin? I'm sure the answer to that question is pretty obvious?

Not a rant, just showing how some balance needs to be achieved.

Don't leave that job mulf...sounds like you have a good one. It is not like that everywhere.

Well, I now stand corrected on my earlier statement about how increased security at the Mall of America has improved safety. Two 14-year old girls got in a fight at the Mall today. One pulled out a box cutter and slashed the other across the abdomen. She is in critical condition at a local hospital. The other one is in jail. Now that's what I call bad PMS.... I suddenly feel bloated.

For me though the biggest line cutters for me are white people who are over pushy and think they are above the law, and I am white so dont call me racist or whatever.

Seriously though being called racist because you blame something on another person who is a different race than you and they actually did this is just wrong.

PS. I personally think that Al Sharpton is probably one of the most racist person I think I have ever heard. Just my personal opinion though.

I think it's time for a big collective HUG.

Love - in anyone?

"this ain't no love-in" for you Misfit fans.

I think there are alotta good points in this topic. As a gay american, I can see discrimination without wearing the word "gay" on my head. But let me tell you, there is nothing like telling a person I'm gay after listening to their "gay joke." (At least come up with some good ones!)

Until I hear the word "f*g," I never try to pull the bigot thing. And when I do, I tell them I'm one, they are usually horribly embarassed, scared, etc.

It's the last publicly um... bad name - that is kinda sorta still "ok" to use. "dude, your a f*g," "dude, that's gay." How about - "that's so black of you!" or "how mexican!" (I don't recomend 'em though.)

As a white guy who grew up in an 'urban' setting, I can tell you I've gotta a monster load of crap from non-white folks. But it really is no worse from the attitude from 'sub-urban' (especially "North Shore" in my case) white, 'upper-class', attitude.

I find the best way to deal with all this misunderstanding is to just try to let your false pride go, and talk one on one. Yeah, I'm a hippie, I know this stuff runs deep. But a little patience, TOLERANCE (even of other's behaviors), really helps.

J7, I agree with you on the tolerance thing. I take the phrase "Love THY NEIGHBOR" seriously. I try to respect one's views, even if i may not like them. Heck, you may even find some common ground.

It really doesn't matter what you look like. If we all sat down to try to understand each other's views, we all might find even a TINY speck of common ground.

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Audioslaved said:

Seriously though being called racist because you blame something on another person who is a different race than you and they actually did this is just wrong.

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I agree, but apparantly others don't. It's gotten to the point where if you so much as say something negative about something that someone belonging to a minority group did, you get accused of being racist. Never mind you're just stating facts.

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PS. I personally think that Al Sharpton is probably one of the most racist person I think I have ever heard. Just my personal opinion though.

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An opinion that I share. I toss him into the same group with KKK members because he's guilty of the same thing. Just as KKK members wrongfully hate the blacks, I believe Al Sharpton hates the whites. But while the media shies away from the KKK (and with good reason- they're a bunch of backwards-thinking nuts), the media seems to embrace Sharpton as if he's Jesus Christ reincarnated. It's absurd.

I agree.

He is always sticking his nose in everything.

It's not just that... it's the fact that his conquests never favor anyone aside from other black people. If someone white engaged in a bunch of conquests that only favored white people, I promise you that person would be accused of being racist. And like I said earlier, I didn't see anything about Sharpton coming out about that black woman that wrongfully accused the Duke lacrosse players of rape- he shut his mouth once the tables were turned and the person he was standing up for ended up being the guilty instead of the victim.

*** Edited 5/8/2007 8:53:19 PM UTC by Rob Ascough***