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everyone should stop expecting black people to contribute to society in a positive way just because his or her ancient ancestors once bought and sold them.




That's an interesting point, H2C.

On Saturday I'll be reciting the following line:

"Once we were slaves unto Pharoah in Egypt."

Somehow we Jews survived.


There's no need to forgot American slavery. In fact, I think we need to remember it. But, there's no need to dwell on it as much as is done.

It's been a long time since slavery and I'd guess that almost all of the posters on this board are too young to have been directly impacted by Jim Crow segregation [which I believe is the source of America's racial problems, NOT slavery, but anyway ...].

How many Americans even have a blood relative who had anything to do with American black slavery or Jim Crow anyway? So many are Central American natives or Asian. A great many whites are descended from immigrants who came after the Civil War and had to deal with discriminations against their own groups.

I'm more than willing to fully recall slavery and Jim Crow. I validate all of the needless horrors they inflicted on people solely because of the color of their skin. But, I will not allow that memory to be used to mask failings of people who did not directly suffer. It's time to be responsible for one's own actions.

The people who engaged in slavery are all gone.
The people who enacted the Jim Crow laws are all gone.
The people who enforced these laws are slowly dying off.

Who's left to blame who was actually responsible?

My great-great-grandfather whose name I carry was killed in front of my great-great-grandmother and my 13/14-year-old great-grandmother while they were being raped by some Ukrainian thugs during one of the countless pogroms of 1905.

I don't see how I could find Gunker or Gigi responsible for this.

So, I don't see why I or anyone in my family is responsible for the plight of blacks.

Grow the fuck up.




Sorry for this rambling rant. Recently to stiffle a rant I've posted bunny pics. I think I'm going to return to that strategy.




By your logic we shouldn't acknowledge the 4th of July. All those White men that founded this great nation are dead. White man logic is to acknowledge all the good things of the past that allow us to live in this country, but ignore the bad.



WRONG. Read the BOLD. I said we should acknowledge slavery and Jim Crow. We should acknowledge everything our predecessors did incorrectly. I've felt for years that we should dump MLK day and make it a day that recognizes ALL of America's misteps.

We should acknowledge the genocide of the native americans. We should acknowledge the exclusion laws implemented against asians. etc etc etc The list is quite long.

We should not and MUST NOT forget our past - GOOD and BAD. We must learn from it.

Like when I celebrate July 4th, I recall what it achieved, and what it failed to achieve. I always read Frederick Douglass' Rochester speech, ""This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn."

But, we must not allow these unfortunate events to be used to excuse irresponsibility.



I CANNOT permit a person to blame the historic past misdeeds against groups for his/her current individual shortcomings.

If you aren't making it and want someone to blame - LOOK IN THE MIRROR. The culprit that's denying you your rightful place will magically appear.

I don't know how that trick works. Magic is fucking amazing!

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Amo i Gemelli!! wink