You better grab a damn SNICKERS bar, 'cause I've got a lot to say...
First and foremost, it's nice we're able to have an honest and open discussion about this...which is more than I can say for our elected officials or community "leaders."
I won't argue people's personal claims because I wasn't there to witness events firsthand. I will say, however, that things are not always what they might seem. White employers turn down white job applicants all the time. There's nothing unusual about that. As someone who's been in the position to hire and fire, I assure you that race was NEVER a consideration when trying to find the best people. It ultimately came down to a judgment call of who I thought would bring the most to the table or be the greatest asset to the company.
A big part of that decision making is the one-on-one interview. At that point, it's not as much about what's on the resume as it is the vibe you get from the person sitting across the table from you. Personality and presentation go a long way in helping to determine who's in and who's out. I'm sure I turned away good people who -- for whatever reason -- just didn't interview well. Might they have been a better choice than the person I hired in the long run? Maybe.
As someone charged with putting the company's best interests first, though, you have to go with what the applicants give you and use your own instincts to decide who fits your needs best. The color of that person's skin just does
not enter into the equation.
I can't sit here and tell you that bigotry and racism
don't exist in the workplace, though. They exist throughout society...just like homophobia, xenophobia and every other irrational prejudice. They're not nearly as commonplace in hiring as you seem to think, however. Nor, are those traits exclusive to white employers or white people, in general.
Rather than point the finger elsewhere, perhaps you should look in the mirror to see what you might be doing wrong.
It may be your attitude. It may be your breath. It may be the scuff marks on your shoes. It may be any number of things that gives someone else the edge over you in that prospective employer's mind. The simple fact that a white person turns down a black person for a job should not lead anyone to jump to the conclusion that the decision is racially-motivated, however. That kind of thinking is, itself, a form of bigotry and prejudice. Not to mention, it shows a rather juvenile understanding of how the business world really works.
I agree to a certain extent,but you can't always blame the parent because the parent isn't with their kid 24 hours a day.
If you do your job as a parent properly, you don't
need to be with them 24/7. Children rely on what they learn at home to make decisions
away from home. Your sense of right and wrong doesn't change just because your mom walks out of the room. We don't hold parents accountable for their children's actions nearly enough in this country.
A thirteen-year-old who picks up a gun and kills another child over a bike or a pair of sneakers -- and shows no remorse or care whatsoever -- has not been taught the most basic principles of functioning in a civil society. Whose fault is that if not the parent's or guardian's? Children are a blank slate at birth. It's up to the parents to provide the framework and guidelines that ultimately shape their decision-making and determine the people they become.
I agree that violent crime tends to be more prevalent in low-income communities. I do not, however, accept the premise that poverty
causes criminal behavior. It's just a convenient excuse for people who don't want to be held accountable for their actions. Being poor does not mean that you forget the difference between right and wrong. Being poor does not mean that laws no longer apply. Being poor does not mean that you have no personal responsibility to your family or your community. Being poor does not mean you're incapable of living an honest and moral life. Being poor does not mean that you can't better yourself through education and ambition.
Is it easy to pull yourself out of poverty? No. Is it possible? Absolutely. My father is living proof that you can come from nothing and still make a pretty good life for yourself. His family's living conditions didn't keep him from applying himself in school or learning personal discipline in the Army. Having to crap in an outhouse for the first 12 years of his life didn't turn him to a life of crime or undermine his character. Being teased in school for wearing the same clothes day after day didn't make him pick up a gun and shoot anyone. He used those experiences as inspiration to make something better for himself through hard work and determination. It would've been easy to give up and settle for the kind of life his father led, but he had too much character and pride for that. It's the principles I learned from him that have made me the person I am.
And it's his story -- and the personal triumphs of so many like him -- that leads me to say
bullshit when I see people making the same old tired excuses for the problems plaguing Black America. Things have been headed in the wrong direction for decades, but it wasn't always like this.
No, you just
assume that...which says more about you and your own prejudices than anything.
If they were
presented with better opportunities? Excuse me?
Opportunities are something you
create through your own ambition, talent and work ethic. No one is
entitled to a chance at something better. You have to make your own breaks. Nobody knocked on my door and offered me anything. I got where I am by working for it, making smart decisions and taking chances.
Wow...
Are you suggesting that those who "use it" and "sell it" bear no responsibility for their actions? Are they somehow incapable of making sensible decisions about right and wrong...good and bad...legal and illegal? Are you inferring they
shouldn't be prosecuted for violating our drug laws?
South America?
...which gets back to my point about having parents who instill the proper values in their children. If you have any foundation whatsoever, selling drugs is NEVER an acceptable alternative. This is precisely the kind of moral equivocation that exacerbates the other problems tearing the community apart. There is no justification for turning to a life of crime if you have a solid understanding of right and wrong or a sense of personal accountability.
Again, whose fault is it if these "dudes" lack the education, job skills or desire to find respectable work at a wage comparable to their abilities? There are consequences in life for bad decisions. Dropping out of school and not making the most of your educational opportunities are
bad decisions.
Really? Have you been through the upscale white suburbs lately? Drugs are everywhere, slick. The kids in the wealthy neighborhoods prefer heroin. Yes,
heroin. No, they're not shooting each other in the middle of the street...but only because they don't need to. They can all afford it. Here in the 'burbs, money does a decent job of masking many of the same problems plaguing the black communities. That doesn't mean they don't exist, however.
Wow, so in addition to being a complete moron, you're also an unabashed bigot. Nice. I'd say you've got a bright future with the Nation of Islam...you've already got the horseshit rhetoric down.
Hardly,
anybody speaks "proper" English...doesn't matter what race they are. America is a nation full of "C" students. The references to dress and speech were not limited to black kids, alone; they apply to ALL kids. In case you haven't noticed, white kids usually copy everything black kids do...fashion, music, language...there's really very little difference. The problem is that the culture they all seek to emulate is a recipe for failure. They don't realize that much of the imagery they're trying so desperately to copy is largely manufactured in board rooms by middle-aged white men.
That black kids are ridiculed as "trying to be white" if they apply themselves and actually take an interest in their future speaks volumes. It's also somewhat ironic, considering just how dumb and lazy white kids can be.
And white kids are guaranteed jobs simply because they have college degrees? Where is this fantasy land you speak of...this Ivory Utopia? It sounds like a wonderful place to be white. Man, I probably wouldn't have to work or anything...just sit back with a bag of Doritos and wait for the mailman to drop off my monthly "white guy" check. Sweet!
Don't be so simple. A college degree thirty years ago might have opened doors -- back when a high school diploma still meant something -- but not today. I don't know a single person who's working in the same field his degree is in. That fancy piece of paper merely tells employers you've put the time (and money) in to advance your education. It doesn't guarantee you work...not even if you're white.
Man, you don't know too many white folks, do you? LOL...
He then tells me the only job available is to sweep out front in the lot,then I tell him no thanks, then I leave, at that moment I knew it was about race,that bastard,but it's all good, everything happens for a reason, good or bad.
I wouldn't be so sure of that. Based on my interaction with you on this board, I wouldn't let you walk my dog to the mailbox and back. I can only imagine what that experience must be like in person.
But hey, if it makes you feel better to believe white people have nothing better to do than wake up each and every morning thinking of new ways to keep a brother down, by all means, be my guest. It's obvious you're not alone in your absurdity.
What I see -- both here and elsewhere -- is this recurring theme about
deserving opportunities...which, to me, is a tell-tale sign that the velvet oppression of liberalism has a firm grip.
When a political party gets 90% of the black vote election after election for decades on end, that party's leadership realizes they don't have to actually deliver on their promises. They take that support for granted, throwing out a few crumbs here and there. They tell you what they think you want to hear. They tell you you're entitled to certain things because the odds are so stacked against you that you can't possibly compete on a level playing field. Of course, what they're REALLY saying is they don't think you're bright enough or capable of achieving things on your own without their "assistance." History says they're dead wrong, of course, but that doesn't stop the message from grabbing hold. They tell you the problems in your communities are out of your control and can't be solved without government intervention. They tell you it's okay to fail, as long as you try. They tell you your schools are falling behind because there just isn't enough funding to go around. Of course, they blame that on "tax cuts for the rich"...because, well, all those greedy old white men simply aren't paying their fair share! They talk down to you like children, rather than treating you as their equals. They say, "Things are getting better...but there's still a long way to go!" Naturally, that's code language for, "No, we haven't lived up to any of our promises, but you should vote for us again anyway." And you do.
The solutions are well within your reach, but the same old suspects -- Jesse, Al, Louie, Maxine, Sheila, Julian, Harry, the NAACP, the DNC, etc. -- keep singing that same familiar song. Nothing ever improves. It anything, it only gets worse. There's a lot of power and money at stake. By keeping those problems around and dividing people by race, they maintain their power and influence in the community. They don't want conditions to improve and they don't want equality. There's too much to lose.
It's so bad that when someone as universally beloved as Bill Cosby -- a man who's done more for race relations and the advancement of black people than Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louie Farrakhan, Maxine Waters and Julian Bond combined -- stands up and says, "Hey, look! We have to stop blaming everyone else for our problems and start changing the way we're conducting ourselves and raising our children in our own communities," he gets
attacked by the professional race-baiters and their minions. The man's been around a long time. He's seen the best and the worst of times. It hurts him to see what's become of the Civil Rights movement 40+ years later. And yet, he gets labeled an "Uncle Tom" for stating the obvious and trying to show people a way out of this downward spiral.
Do you see why it's frustrating to an outsider like me? I can only imagine how he must feel. The excuses have to end. You can't sit around waiting for opportunities or praying for things to improve. Change starts at home...one family at a time...one house at a time...one block at a time...one neighborhood at a time.
Actually there was no interview,I walked through the door,and then I said good morning,I spoke properly,I told him that I called over the phone about the driving position,he then told me that no such position existed and the only job available was to sweep the lot,but the thing is there was a sign outside about the driving position,I told him no thank you,I showed respect,I didn't argue, and I left and that was it.There was no interview,there was just a denial by him about the job that was posted outside.
I didn't have an attitude,my breath didn't stink.I wasn't close enough to him for him to smell my breath,there was nothing wrong with my clothes,there was no scuff marks on my shoes.I wore the same clothes I wore on my next interview for an electrician position that I got.There was nothing wrong with me,so there's no reason for me to look in the mirror,in this case,I'm pointing the finger and I feel I have very good reason.
When it comes to white employers turning down blacks,it isn't about race everytime, but there are cases where race is an issue.For my electrician interview I was interviewed by 4 people and we sat around this table.I was thinking in my head that I was going to be interviewed by 1 person, but anyway I did the interview and it was 3 white men and 1 black men,I spoke well,they asked me questions of course, I made them laugh when
they asked me certain questions,and when I did that I said to myself, I think I got the job right at that moment and you know what I was right. Because I've always known that a resume will get you the interview and the interview will get you the job.
When a white employer turns down a black person,it's not always about race,but thinking it's racially motivated isn't a form of bigotry and prejudice,it's just looking at the situation from a realistic perspective. I know how the business world works.When it comes to how things work in
the business world,I'm very knowledgeable.
As far as your parents doing a great job,your parents can tell you not to
do drugs,but when they're at work, and it's you and your crew,who's going to tell you not to do drugs,your mother isn't there and neither is your father,if you want to do drugs you will,it's the kids decision, they have to make wiser decisions. The availability of guns is the main reason why there are so many homicides in the black community, back in the days,we shot the fair, nowadays,kids still shoot the fair,but in most cases they are using guns. All it takes is one person in the crew to say"you can't
see him in the fair, his hands are too good,I'm telling you you're going to lose,go get the gun from such and such, or they'll say here take this"
alot of kids in that situation unfortuantely are going to go for the gun to solve their problem,they don't want to get their a$$ kicked,so they use the gun because they know they will not lose,it's not the bad job of the parents and how they're raising their kids it's the availabilty of the guns.
Take away all the guns on the streets and watch crime do a nose dive,will there still be stabbings, yes,but it will be more fist fights and much less death.
The reason that 13 year old can pick up that gun and kill another kid for
his sneakers or bike is because the gun is so easy to get. Guns are too available.If you're 13 you know right from wrong.See this is what's wrong,people forget that age is just a number. A 13 year old knows exactly what an 18 year old knows as far as having a gun, they both know that whoever has the gun has the power,we should stop babying people because they're not a legal adult,some of us need to wake up and understand that alot of these kids are much smarter than we give them credit for. A 13 year old can put a gun to your head just like a grown man can and pull the trigger,stop looking at age,kids younger than 13 are pulling triggers on people,it's the availability of guns,it's not the parents fault.
Kids know that once they got the gun,they got the power and whatever they want,they know they can get it with the gun in their hand. Again,it's the availabilty of guns,not mom and dad. I know people with two parents in the household,they have 5 boys and 1 girl, and one of their sons decided to sell drugs and eventually he got locked up,but now he's on
the right track and another one used to sell drugs,but now he turned his life around and has a honest job, so now all of them are productive members of society, so does that mean that mom and dad weren't there for them, no it doesn't,they made their own choice to sell drugs. The availability of drugs and guns are a big reason along with poverty.
Now being poor isn't an excuse, but I'll tell you this alot of people will rob before they starve to death. You got people out here who are down on their luck,have little or no money,can't find work and these people have no criminal records,I'll tell you right now,if they can get their hands on a gun and they can,they will use it to rob people for money. If they can't get a job they will sell drugs. I knew this one dude making $3000 a week and he was only 18, if that opportunity is there alot of people won't turn it down especially if they can't get a good job.
You don't have to accept anything,poverty brings about crime, people will rob before they starve.People who are poor have nothing to lose,that's what you're not understanding. What are you going to do when you catch them after they commit a crime, you're going to lock them up and give them a bed and three meals a day and recreation in the yard,that's punishment, you gotta be kidding me.
The poorest places will always have alot of crime.Of course there is crime in the suburbs and things get covered up,but comparing the slums with the suburbs as far as crime and drugs is a joke.
Here in Brooklyn when those three black men shot that cop in the face and killed him,they had no care in the world,they were down on their luck,and had nothing to lose. Some people who come from poverty have no care in the world,and they will kill you without hesitation.
Assuming and knowing are two different things,and I'm not prejudice.
Because I'm not blind to racism in this world,doesn't make me prejudice it makes me look at things realistically.
I'm currently working at UPS, and I didn't create that job opportunity,they gave me that opportunity, by accepting my resume and calling me down for an interview. I never said they were supposed to knock on your door
and just offer you the job,that's not what I'm saying,I'm talking about
giving someone an opportunity to work, a chance to work,that's what I'm talking about,if they don't accept your resume,if you don't get called for an interview you can't create an opportunity for yourself,unless you go into business for yourself. And the college degree does mean something, because most places won't call you for an interview if you don't have one.It's better to have it,then not have it.
I never said the people who use it and sell shouldn't get punished,but the ones who are giving it to us should be punished, and should not be given a slap on the wrist and set free. In L.A. this drug dealer by the name of Rick Ross was setup by his supplier,the gov used his supplier to send him to
jail,and his supplier didn't go to jail.How in the hell are you going to lock up the little fish and set the big fish free.They should lock up the ones bringing it in. if they went to the root and stopped it from entering our communities,the opportunity to sell it and use it wouldn't exist.
I never said problems didn't exist in the white community,but there drug problems don't lead to the amount of homicides as it does in the black communities.The white communities don't have the same problems,what world are you living in,and what part of the country are you talking because here in NY,the white communities and the black communities are night and day, the same can be said for the communities in Philly.Crime is much heavier in our communities. Come to Brooklyn around by Brownsville,East New York,Bed-Stuy,Flatbush, and then go to the white neighborhood and then I want you to honestly tell me that the white communities are going through the same problems.
Do you have any idea about the amount of crews/gangs in the black communities,about the ones that the media never mentions,because they don't know about,there is no way they face the same problems.
They can wear red and blue in their communities and not think twice,if you're going to walk through Bed-Stuy,you better not being wearing blue if you know what's good for you,if you pass through the 90's wearing red,it could be the last thing you ever do,if dudes don't recognize you,it could be problems,it means you're in the wrong hood. This is common,not isolated incidents, this happens alot, more than too much. It's hell of alot safer to live in a white neighborhood. No place is a 100% safe,but there are places safer than others.
You're the moron ,you better watch your mouth,I find it funny that their are always internet tough guys. WHat I said is the truth.It was a NY prosecutor or a judge being interviewed and they were profiling Nicky Barnes and they stated that the Mafia made sure that the drugs was kept in the black communities and that they didn't want it in the white communities,and that they made sure that it was in Harlem. I'm an unabashed bigot, for speaking the truth,then you're a five star a$$hole,ya bastard.
No $hit SHerlock,everyone knows that white kids copy black kids,that's common knowledge. I never said white kids with college degrees are guaranteed jobs.I pointed out the fact that you can get an EDUCATION and not have a criminal record and still can't get a job, and that is the real world.
A college degree means more than not having it. And being white doesn't guarantee you a job,but it defititely can't hurt you. And I know alot of white people.It may not guarantee you work,but it increases your chances.
You wouldn't let me walk your dog to the mailbox and back,ha,ha,ha,your jokes have always been so,what's the word I'm not looking for,funny,that's it.
Say what you want, I know it was about race. As for me on this board, you can't judge me based on this board,I just disagree with you,and when you make your points you take what I've said and flipped it,and then try to make me seem like i don't know what i'm talking about,it's all good though.
This is a board based on music,anybody can read my replies and see that it is filled with tremendous knowledge, have I made mistakes, yes,spelled words incorrectly,yes, been wrong a few times yes,one of
the smartest brothers alive,yes,joked around a little bit because I knew it would piss you off,yes,but does that make me a bad person,or bad co-worker,no,my co-workers have nothing but love for me.It seems like you take this Tempt talk a little too seriously,sometimes I feel like i'm talking to David Ruffin, and no it's not because of that pic that you have of him.That's how serious you get over this, and sometimes i can't help but to take advantage of it,like that time I didn't want to admit I was wrong because I knew it would piss you off,it was nothing personal,you was just taking the topic a little too serious for the both of us.
Just like when you were talking about Otis and saying that he was as responsible for the Tempts success as anyone, I was saying that ever since I joined this board.
On job interviews we do not speak slang,we speak proper english,with millions of black people working, i don't believe any of them used slang to get their jobs,I know I didn't.
As for me,I'm at a much better job right now, where I get praised by my employers who are both white and black. So me getting turned down for my race before,it doesn't matter now,because everything is looking up.
