Why do people cry racism so much?

[surreal]

Why do some people think any interaction between the police and the public when two different races are involved and it appears on the surface to be unfair, it's racism?
If someone is treated poorly in a store, and there are two races involve it's racism. Not the fact that the clerk is just an ass. Why can a caucasion be an ass toward a caucasion but it they are an ass to a Mexican or African American it's racism?



Also all this talk about Mexicans taking American jobs and how they are destroying our country (when actually much of the last 20 years has been built with their backs) does that teach racism?

How can anyone claim they want the borders closed without coming from a racist POV?
I think the people screaming about loosing US jobs to illegals have never lost their job to an illegal immigrant.
What it is really is, is a grudge against the Mexicans,
not fear of a terrorist entering the country.

Those complaining would never settle to do the kind of work at the same intensity for the same amount of money.

Come to think of it, the Mexicans being here have probably saved US jobs by keeping the companies from moving to Mexico and points beyond.

Plus, they pump a lot of money into the US economy they pay social security and taxes but they can never benefit from it.

[The Real Bingo]

I agree with you on your first point - anytime a white guy treats a non-white harshly, it's racism right away. It's bogus...some people just dislike everyone equally.

I disagree with your second point, though. Those wanting to keep illegal (that word still means something, right?) Mexicans out aren't necessarily racist. For one, they may not want them increasing our population. We already have 300 million people...we don't need any more, especially those of the illegal version. Secondly, I think the disdain for illegal immigrants may stem from the fact that this country is full of immigrants. Most of our ancestors came over by boat and became citizens in this country legally, by the book. These illegals coming over are sneaks and they really don't want to become citizens. They're fleeing their homeland and not thinking twice about not getting a green card or learning the language. Our ancestors had to do it the hard way - find jobs, learn the language, get legally registered in the country - which is the right way.

[BBA]

Also all this talk about Mexicans taking American jobs and how they are destroying our country (when actually much of the last 20 years has been built with their backs) does that teach racism?

The last 20 years of illegal underpaid labor has had only one effect: Reduced pay for labor jobs.

That hasn't helped the economy any...since all the money the illegals make gets sent out of the country anyway, yet we still absorb their medical and schooling costs.

Other than that Surreal, I'd say you have a valid point about racism complaints...most are completely bogus. In fact, I'll even argue the racism against whites by blacks is the most common racism that is seen, except the first mention anyone makes about it the naacp or some other socialist program shister group gets their pants in a wad and sees dollar signs from extortion by lawsuit threat.

[Pexster]

I think that people do sometimes play the racism card when it's uncalled for. I also know that many people are in a state of denial that we live in a racist society.

[nomaxim]

Those complaining would never settle to do the kind of work at the same intensity for the same amount of money.

I'm sure. as Theo would tell you, the jews built some of the greatest works of ancient Egypt, as others built the greatest works of the world.
What about the 'Great Wall Of China', to you believe that it was built by free men?
If these works where right or wrong depends on your point of view.
What you need to be asking is,"How far have we advanced since then?"

Is the US any better?

[Theophylact]

I'm sure. as Theo would tell you, the jews built some of the greatest works of ancient Egypt, as others built the greatest works of the world.

Actually, there really isn't any evidence (other than the Bible) that the Jews ever were slaves in Egypt, and a fair amount of evidence to the contrary. Aside from that, there's no evidence one way or the other that the Pyramids were built by slave labor at all.

[RayH]

Live with racisim and you'll understand. I was born under leagalized discrimination and spent my formative years under it.

[Theophylact]

It's quite possible to be against illegal immigration without being racist. But much of the anti-immigrant movement is pretty explicitly racist. I suggest you check out the Southern Poverty Law Center, and especially their Intelligence Project's Immigration Watch.

I agree that people cry "racism" rather too easily, when it's often only normal bad manners. But that doesn't mean the genuine article isn't out there too.

[nomaxim]

Actually, there really isn't any evidence (other than the Bible) that the Jews ever were slaves in Egypt, and a fair amount of evidence to the contrary. Aside from that, there's no evidence one way or the other that the Pyramids were built by slave labor at all.

I concur, however please PM any other points of view that you may have. I would like get a different point of view from the (O' Mighty God) one. The views of the bible are rather one sided.

EDIT;
O' sorry bible is spelled with a capital B, So sorry.

[Theophylact]

Actually, the Wikipedia entry on the history of ancient Israel covers this pretty well:

The narrative behind how the Israelite slavery began in Egypt is still unclear in many sources. A few historians believe that this may have been due to the changing political conditions within Egypt. In 1650 BCE, Egypt was conquered by tribes, apparently Semitic, known as the Hyksos by the Egyptians. The Hyksos were later driven out by Ahmose I, the first king of the eighteenth dynasty. Ahmose I reigned approximately 1550 - 1525 BCE, founded the 18th Egyptian dynasty, and a new age for Egypt, the New Kingdom. Thutmose III established Egypt's empire in the western Near East. From then on, the chronology can only roughly be given in approximate dates for most events, until about the 7th century BCE.

• 1440 BCE The Egyptian reign of Amenhotep II, during which the first mention of the Habiru (possibly the Hebrews) is found in Egyptian texts [4]. Recently discovered evidence (see Tikunani Prism) indicates that many Habiru spoke Hurrian, the language of the Hurrians. The habiru were probably a social caste rather than an ethnic group[5][6], yet even so they may have been incorporated into early Israelite tribal groups.
• c.1400 First mention of the Shasu in Egyptian records, located just south of the Dead Sea. The Shasu contain a group with a Yahwistic name.
• 1300 BCE Some Bible commentaries place the birth of Moses around this time. [7] [8]
• 1295 BCE Egypt's 19th dynasty began with the reign of Ramesses I. Ramesses II (1279-1213 BCE) filled the land with enormous monuments, and signed a treaty with the Hittites after losing the northern Levant to the Hittite Empire.

The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and its chronology are much-debated. It has long been believed that the Exodus took place in the reign of Ramesses II, but this is speculative- the cities named in Exodus as those built by the Israelites- Pithom and Rameses- were built during Horemheb's reign, and documents from his reign referring to habiru being used in the building of these cities provide circumstantial evidence in favor of this view[citation needed], although the Exodus may have happened over a long period of time. Evidence for an Israelite presence in Egypt has been found from about a century after the reign of Rameses II, suggesting the process was much more complex than the picture given in the Bible. [9] Research into settlement patterns suggest that the ethnogenesis of Israel as a people was a complex process involving mainly native pastoralist groups in Canaan (including habiru and shasu), with some infiltration from outside groups, such as Hittites and Arameans from the north as well as southern shasu groups such as the Kenites- some of whom may have been enslaved in Egypt. [10][11][12]

Note how vague it is on even the identification of the Jews as "habiru". (And note how much later the presumed presence of the Jews is than the erection of the Pyramids.)

[EXreaction]

Well, I don't call myself racist at all...

But for the majority of what I have seen personally, Mexicans(especially illegal immigrants) are usually pretty bad at...well, I would call it living...

Now, don't get me wrong, I have a few friends that are Mexican, but most of the ones I have seen are doing things that are pretty bad and disgusting...

Like usually, when one of them rents an apartment, they have 5x as many people living there as they should. Like a 2 bedroom apt will many times(again, from what I have seen locally) have at least 8 of them living there. And 99% of the time they do massive damage to the property. Windows usually get broken, there will be holes in the walls, etc.

But, the same can go for anyone else, I just happen to notice it much more often in Mexicans...




As for African Americans, I really don't have a problem at all with a lot of them. I usually either see them as a really good person, or really bad, I don't know many in between(but I do not know many at all, so I can't say much about them)




As for everyone else...well, there are plenty of bad ones, but the majority are in the somewhat bad to good categories...I see very few that are really good.

[nomaxim]

Actually, the Wikipedia entry on the history of ancient Israel covers this pretty well:Note how vague it is on even the identification of the Jews as "habiru". (And note how much later the presumed presence of the Jews is than the erection of the Pyramids.)

Correct me if I'm wrong. But, (BCE) is (Before Common Era) c. 1950?
Correct?
Which means that the oldest dates of your quotes is 400 BC.
Correct?
And your quotes give dates of: "c.1400 and BCE 1440" ????
Which is correct?

The Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and its chronology are much-debated.

-concur, no other records state that this event ever happened.

[Theophylact]

No; "BCE" replaces "BC"; "CE" replaces "AD". Point is that for most of the world "anno Domini" is simply not valid, because He ain't their Lord. But they're using a de facto common calendar, which uses as its fixed point 1 AD.

Both of these formalisms share the problem of having no Year Zero, which causes problems every time a new decade, century or millennium rolls around.

And your quotes give dates of: "c.1400 and BCE 1440" ????
Which is correct?

Why not both? They aren't referring to the same thing. (That "1400" is clearly a BCE date.)





But we're drifting pretty far from the thread topic, aren't we?

[nomaxim]

Sorry, but BCE is fixed at 1950 AD, "Anno Domini". This allows us to fix a common date for all records. As far as science is concerned AD 1950 is the year 'ZERO', therefore I can talk to a Chinese scientist and still get a known date. Not sure but I believe the Chinese year is 2400 or so, the Jewish year is like 2140, and the Japanese is like 3410, guessing at that but you get my drift.
BCE is for use by scientist's, so that we may talk to each other and still get a reference to each others time frame.
All this religious mobjumbo (with dates)means little to us.
Therefore all of your "Wikipeda" dates are in question.

The labels AD and BC have lost their religious meaning; few even know what the abbreviations stand for:http://www.religioustolerance.org/ce.htm
bullet All of the older history books use AD and BC.
bullet The terms CE and BCE both contain the two letters "CE," making them more difficult to distinguish from each other.
bullet There is currently a split between academics -- who generally use CE/BCE -- and the general public who currently use AD/BC. This split widens "...the rift between learning and the common man."

(That "1400" is clearly a BCE date.)

I'll go with that. But, do we want the others to know about it?

"Amenhotep IV"
First to speak of monotheism?
Oh, no some one speaks of a one god.
What will they do??
And they have heard of Nefertiti

EDIT:
It is now the year "ACE (After Common Era) 56".

[RayH]

EXreaction Which Mexicans are you talking about?? My brother in law??

[surreal]

The last 20 years of illegal underpaid labor has had only one effect: Reduced pay for labor jobs.

That hasn't helped the economy any...since all the money the illegals make gets sent out of the country anyway, yet we still absorb their medical and schooling

Hasn't it increased our affluence by allowing costs to be kept down by the lower wages ?
And as far as school and medical, what about the taxes they pay using illegal social security numbers. You haven't address that free income for the government. They pay taxes and have withholding, they just never file because they have to keep under the radar.

Well, I don't call myself racist at all...

But for the majority of what I have seen personally, Mexicans(especially illegal immigrants) are usually pretty bad at...well, I would call it living...

Now, don't get me wrong, I have a few friends that are Mexican, but most of the ones I have seen are doing things that are pretty bad and disgusting...

Like usually, when one of them rents an apartment, they have 5x as many people living there as they should. Like a 2 bedroom apt will many times(again, from what I have seen locally) have at least 8 of them living there. And 99% of the time they do massive damage to the property. Windows usually get broken, there will be holes in the walls, etc.

I wonder how many Mexican families you really know. Especially well enough to know about holes in the walls.
Being a landlord for many years in southern CA, I experienced the overloaded one bedroom apt problem. Only the family just got bigger and bigger. There was never a problem with damage, or destruction. All the tenants paid their rent on time. The only destruction ever done was done to my places was by Caucasian tenants. The Mexicans never moved as often as "citizens" did either.

I think buying groceries and coughing up 600 to a grand a month for rent is putting a lot into this country. What are they doing when you see them in Walmart or Vons? You see them at Kmart and driving cars with licence plates on them. What are they doing? They have to pay for everything they buy to live just like we do. The difference is they send money that we would squander on better living conditions, or stereo equipment back home. I see that as the luxury goods market.

As for African Americans, I really don't have a problem at all with a lot of them. I usually either see them as a really good person, or really bad, I don't know many in between(but I do not know many at all, so I can't say much about them)
As for everyone else...well, there are plenty of bad ones, but the majority are in the somewhat bad to good categories...I see very few that are really good.

Do you even know enough to make the good or bad judgments you just made?

[Theophylact]

nomaxim, you're confusing the archeological term "BP", meaning "before present", with "BCE". The first is used primarily for carbon dating.

[cyphen]

Racism is a scapegoat. It's victimization. It's very easy to be a victim, because when you view yourself as a victim of something, then it's beyond your control to correct - because the problem doesn't lie with you. That's why racism gets overused. And that's entirely the problem with views lik Pexters, thinking we live in a racist society.

We don't. not in the least. Are there examples of racism? Sure. In fact, many examples of racism exist in all directions. Probably the worst are the ones committed against white males. Why? because that's not even viewed as racism. it's summarily dismissed. Perhaps some see it as justified? Dunno. Racism is never right, no matter who is guilty of it.

That said, it's by far way overblown. It's also used as a political issue. (Call Sharpton and Jackson!!!)

So what happens? What's the easiest thing in the world to do? Blame somebody else. And when that somebody happens to be a different race, the most convenient excuse is racism.

We live in an extremely fair and just society. In fact, often we go too far in correcting a wrong, and end up creating another.

Now, the fallacy about the border issue... it is in NO way racist to be for secure borders and against illegal immigration. That's the weakest excuse for an argument i've ever heard.

A nation with no borders is no nation at all. Borders are the first thing that is required of a nation.

Why am i for securing the border? It has a little to do with the ease with which terrorists can enter the US - but mostly, it's about what's right. Mexico is essentially exporting its problems to the US. They are a tremendous drain on our economy. Very often they do NOT pay taxes, yet they tie up our courts, our hospital systems, and many other social handout programs.

Do i feel bad for them? Sure. But they need to fix their own country, not syphon off of ours. We have our own problems and don't need them exacorbated by a huge influx of illegal immigrants tresspassing. Further, it's completely unfair to those who come here legally, and the ones who don't come here legally largely DON'T assimilate into the culture. They don't learn the language, or the laws en masse. And it ends. No more. That's it.... you want in? that's nice... back of the line. We control how many people we let in our country, and we pick which ones we let in. That's how it works.

That is in no way racist. See? They're breaking our laws by coming here illegally. They come here to have anchor babies (which we should amend that loophole...) They're creating problems by being a drain on the economy. Perhaps if they ask nicely we can help them make Mexico a better environment for them so they wont HAVE to cross the border.

[shawshank62]

Racism exists throughout society...whether be through individual, cultural, or institutional practices. It's wrong to just turn a blind eye and say that it doesn't exist, or to advocate being color blind, since it simply won't work. In a perfect society we would all ignore race, and judge people by their actual traits, but it doesn't work that way. There are certainly times when individuals can overplay the race card to get things to go their way, but the way that society runs makes it possible to do that. And the funny thing is that there really is no biological differences between races, its just an invention of ours.

[EXreaction]

I wonder how many Mexican families you really know. Especially well enough to know about holes in the walls.
Being a landlord for many years in southern CA, I experienced the overloaded one bedroom apt problem. Only the family just got bigger and bigger. There was never a problem with damage, or destruction. All the tenants paid their rent on time. The only destruction ever done was done to my places was by Caucasian tenants. The Mexicans never moved as often as "citizens" did either.

Not very many...
I was just saying that is what I have seen.

The last girl that rented a place from my dad completely trashed it...I mean trashed it so bad you would have nightmares about cleaning it and it would take at least a week of 4-8 hour days to fix it all. She had all kinds of people coming in there, partying, getting drunk, and just destroy things.

What pissed me off the most was right before she got in we put in all new stuff. Completely remodeld the kitchen and bathroom, put in new floors, and everything, but then it was just trashed.

Just a few really bad experiences with the very few I have met...but I don't judge any majority by the minority(ok, that might not sound right...but I mean the minority as in the jackasses that destroy things).