Black History Month?

[Rin-chan]

  I think that it's completely racist to have 'black history month'. People could make the arguement that it's 'white history month' all the time, but I could make the opposite arguement just as easily. But, I would be immediately labeled as racist.

  Just as when black comedians make fun of white people, which is definately racist, it is for some reason justified. When a white person even considers making an even slightly negative comment about an African American, they are, as usual, labeled as being racist.

  Even Martin Luther King Jr. wanted people to be 'judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character'. Our Constitution says that 'all men are created equal'. How can this be so if not everyone is recieving equal treatment?

  African Americans want compensation for distant relatives being enslaved hundreds of years ago. If any of these people were personally enslaved, then yes, I'd try and help them. However, I don't think many African Americans alive today have ever experienced slavery.

  Why should we even have months for different ethnicities? Wouldn't that just be pointing out differences in people that shouldn't matter in the first place? If you are an American citizen, you are, first and foremost, an American. You may be descended from various ethnicities, but you are American.

Rin-chan

[A18]

When is black history month?

[Frodo]

February.

[Max Power]

What the hell...?

[Nation]

What the hell...?

Yeah, I know. Interesting post.

[A18]

I agree that black "history" month is a really dumb concept.

[Emsworth]

Our Constitution says that 'all men are created equal'.

Actually, that was the Declaration of Independence, which is not a legal document and has no legal effect whatsoever.

I agree that black history month is a really dumb concept.

I would agree that the concept is utterly ridiculous. Still, it's not as bad as the "Black National Anthem."

[Jake]

If it makes them feel special, keep it. It doesn't hurt anything unless schools are forced to teach about it.

[angus]

  I think that it's completely racist to have 'black history month'.

Jambo,
yes, it is racist, by definition, to have "black history month" if we define "black" as a race.  And since we usually do, then yes it's a very racist concept.  But remember, it wasn't created to make people angry.  It's the sort of racist concept that was meant to make people feel good about themselves.  I'm not black, and I have no idea what it is like to know that I'm the descendant of slaves.  I'm pretty irreverent, anyway, and can only assume it would not matter to me personally, but most folks are much more socially conservative than I.  So to the average black, maybe it is a big deal.  Really, I can only assume it was created with the best intentions. 

Yes, I agree, and have posted before, in almost exactly those words what you write about MLK.  In fact, I admire King a great deal, and I think the phrase I used is that he would be "rolling over in his grave" if he knew about this.  It was not separate drinking fountains that king wanted, but common ones.  So surely this can be considered a slap in the face of his ideal world.  Still, I do not believe it is an intentional one.

Long before any of our ancestors found their way out of the fertile Great Rift valley of East Africa some two hundred thousand years ago, there was one race.  One day there will be one race again:  The human race.  We should not assume that those left behind on the Dark Continent are intrinsically inferior.  Nor should we assume their distant cousins in the Americas who descended from slaves are intrinsically inferior.  But they do have social problems that white folk may not be truly sensitive to.  And, though I am not pushing White Man's Guilt, as I believe it exacerbates more problems than it solves, you must remember that many problems in the developing world are directly related to six hundred years of Europeans claiming racial, religious, and moral superiority over the rest of the world.  And it is important to keep this in mind while making such bold statements.  But for now, our society is experiencing growing pains.  It is up to you to help defeat this idea that we should create a permanent class of 2nd-tier citizens with racist programs such as Affirmative Action and the like.  And be advised that there are many narrow-minded people who will call you a racist just for speaking out against these blatantly racist policies.  Paradoxical?  yes.  But, remember, they are not mean-spirited by nature.  Just ignorant.  And easily led.  So, take it upon yourself to lead them, my dear.  But lead them well.  And be patient.  And be strong.  And don't be a bitch.

Peace and Love. 

[riceowl]

I do find it humourous that we picked the shortest month of the year for it.

[Frodo]

Well I'm decendent of Jews and Native Americans and I couldn't care less about the past.  It happened, there's nothing we can do about it, and that's all.  When you dig up the past, all you get is dirty.

Not if you can't learn from it and prevent a repetition. 

[Alcon]

Well I'm decendent of Jews and Native Americans and I couldn't care less about the past.  It happened, there's nothing we can do about it, and that's all.  When you dig up the past, all you get is dirty.

Not if you can't learn from it and prevent a repetition. 

Well yes of course, I'm saying that yes, it did happen and it was bad and I understand why.  There's no reason to dwell on it though, we don't need to remind people of their horrible, horrible pasts every five seconds.  Let's focus on now and make sure that kind of thing never happens again.

Part of that is not covering up past, and present racism.

I don't think there is anything inherently racist about it primarily because it is something we need to look back at and know that we can never fall into again, and that we could.

I don't see why we can't look toward the future without keeping one close eye on the past.

[Citizen James]

Freed slaves should have been shipped back to Africa.

Hence the nation of Liberia.

Any particular reason for that position as it relates to modern day?  Should whites similarly be shipped back to Europe?  Asians to Asia, etc., and leave the nationside to reminants of the original tribes?

I had no idea you had such a radically liberal streak to you Philip.

[MODU]

All I want to know is when will I get my Prussian History Month?  Man, seems like ever since my ancestors were absorbed into Germany and Poland, people have forgotten about us.  hahaha

[Joe Republic]

What exactly do people do during this month?  For me, February is hardly any different from January or March, except that it contains my birthday and Groundhog Day.

[J. J.]

Freed slaves should have been shipped back to Africa.

Hence the nation of Liberia.

Any particular reason for that position as it relates to modern day?  Should whites similarly be shipped back to Europe?  Asians to Asia, etc., and leave the nationside to reminants of the original tribes?

I had no idea you had such a radically liberal streak to you Philip.

I'm part Native American.  You all get out of my neighborhood!!!!!  :-)

[MODU]

ever since my ancestors were absorbed into Germany and Poland, people have forgotten about us.  hahaha

payback for the more widely publicized absorption of the Kingdom of Poland into Prussia, Russia, and Austria.  Don't f uck with the slavs.

anyway, you guys have the pope now.  it all comes around.  so stop bitching.

*dies laughin*  OOOOH, them be fighting words.  hahaha . . . I'm gonna have to dig up a Danzig album and get Eastern European on your buttocks.  hahaha

I'm part Native American. You all get out of my neighborhood!!!!! :-)

hahaha . . . can I stay?  My great grandmother and her family "joined" the Cherokee when they travelled from Georgia out to the midwest.  While we don't have native american blood, we have/had representation.  hahaha

[angus]

My organic chemistry teacher in college was a pole.  A real pole.  thick accent.  he used to tell all these awful jokes, the sort you couldn't get away with in this age of political correctness.  Here's one that, even in the 80s, had us all speechless:

What do Polish women and American Hockey players have in common?

[MODU]

What do Polish women and American Hockey players have in common?

Ummm . . . they both lack teeth?

[angus]

Imagine this bald fat guy with a big porn-star moustache, speaking in a thick polish accent at the front of a big lecture hall filled with impressionable 19-year-old:

"They both change their pads after every three periods."



(like I said, even prior to the age of political correctness, that was pushing the envelope.  Funny as hell though.  there was silence for a few seconds, then we all burst out laughing.  Nowadays he'd get sued.  or fired.  Actually, he was a pretty good teacher, but I can't remember what that joke had to do with nucleophilic substitution, which was the lesson that day.  Should have seen his wife.  Man, typical slavic woman.  Rather attractive, but tall and muscular.  Big ass.  Busty too.  Bleach-blonde hair on top.  But a thick forest of brunette in the armpits.  And she was fond of sleeveless dress.  And heavy makeup.  What a pair those two made.)

[MODU]

hahaha . ..  that's pretty good.    We had a Calculus teacher from Hungary (if I remember correctly) who was responding to one of the students prior to class who said he couldn't understand what the teacher was saying.  (Again, heavy accent).  The teacher responds by saying:

You say po-tA-to (for emphasis), I say po-tah-to.  You say to-mah-to, Isay to-mah-to.  You say cAke, I say cahke (as in cock).

The whole room busted out laughing before the teacher realized what he had said.  hehehe

[??????????]

They have a month and we have the other 11..haha sorry bad old joke there.

[Storebought]

Black History Month is just an extension of "Negro History Week", which was created by Carter Woodson back in the 1920s. That the month happens to be February is a mere consequence that "Negro History Week" was the second week of the month.

Christmas in July ... Black History Month in September. All the same.

[MaC]

What do Polish women and American Hockey players have in common?

Ummm . . . they both lack teeth?

(post the old woman communist here)

[A18]

Freed slaves should have been shipped back to Africa.

Hence the nation of Liberia.

Any particular reason for that position as it relates to modern day? Should whites similarly be shipped back to Europe? Asians to Asia, etc., and leave the nationside to reminants of the original tribes?

I had no idea you had such a radically liberal streak to you Philip.

I said they should have been, not that they should be now.