I Would Like to Talk (Civilly) About the Generalization of "White People"

[*michaelsean*]

(09-30-2016, 03:15 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Hmm, I'll have to look at the numbers again. There was something I had read not to long ago that had the numbers and implied that 3/5ths guaranteed a slight edge to the free states in the House. I'll have to see if I can dig it up again. Of course, what you say here really doesn't dispute that because once you break it down state by state what I am stating could very well remain to be true. I'd just like to see if I can find the information again.

It might have guaranteed an edge as opposed to 5/5, but 3/5 still helped the South.

[Belsnickel]

(09-30-2016, 04:25 PM)michaelsean Wrote: It might have guaranteed an edge as opposed to 5/5, but 3/5 still helped the South.

That's the point. When the Constitution was being written the southern states wanted to count all of the slaves for the purposes of representation. They would never have signed on to the document that said only free persons would be counted, and the free states in the north would not have signed if they counted all slaves. three-fifths was the number that was most equitable, but still gave an edge to the free states. Not two-thirds, or five-eights, or any of that, but three-fifths. It was a compromise just like the Connecticut compromise.

[McC]

I take no pride in nor guilt over being born white, having no say in the matter. I have felt neither advantage nor hindrance from being white. That makes me unable to identify with anyone who has experienced either side of that coin. That doesn't mean I'm not aware of the experiences of others. Wrong is wrong, no matter who is doing it or to whom it's being done.

I say give everyone the same opportunity and let the chips fall where they may. We're moving in that direction. We're not there yet but we're on the way there.

We've come a long way. We still have more to go. Every generation, it gets better. That doesn't make it soon enough but the human race is still a work in progress. There was a whole lot of bad animal behavior to brew out. We are far from a finished product.

[Beaker]

(09-26-2016, 12:23 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I'll bet if a "good Muslim" or "good black person" wrote something like this a lot of people would be claiming that he should be doing something to stop the "bad Muslims" or "bad black people".  But none of the "good white people" ever get ripped for not stopping the "bad white people" from being racists.

You never see any white people marching in civil rights protests? You never see any white bikers confronting westboro baptist church racists? There are many examples of whites acting against racism. I would venture to say the majority of white people hate racism and actively exclude outwardly racist people. 

[fredtoast]

(10-01-2016, 07:30 PM)McC Wrote: I take no pride in nor guilt over being born white, having no say in the matter. 

You do not have to feel guilt in order to admit that white privilege exists.

(10-01-2016, 07:30 PM)McC Wrote:  I have felt neither advantage nor hindrance from being white.  

Actually you have no way of knowing this.  There were times that you might have been stopped by police if you were a minority.  Or if you have ever applied for a job or looked for a place to live you may have been chosen over a minority just because you were white.

It has been proven to happen.  So you vert well may have benefited.

[fredtoast]

(09-29-2016, 09:57 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Well.... I'm not 100% white, but most would guess so.
But..... I started with next to nothing.
I received a $400 car, for graduation.
That was it.
I had worked since I was 12, bought a beater car, and paid my own insurance.

And based on scientific studies you may have been chosen for a job or a place to live over a minority based on the color of your skin.

it has been proven to happen, so you do not know if you have benefited or not.

[Aquapod770]

(10-02-2016, 10:47 AM)fredtoast Wrote: And based on scientific studies you may have been chosen for a job or a place to live over a minority based on the color of your skin.

it has been proven to happen, so you do not know if you have benefited or not.

Those studies are most likely descriptive or observational research that can only imply correlation. Can't "prove" anything. Does it happen? Definitely and that sucks, but it doesn't happen everywhere in every single situation as some love to proclaim. 

[fredtoast]

(10-02-2016, 11:07 AM)Aquapod770 Wrote: Those studies are most likely descriptive or observational research that can only imply correlation. Can't "prove" anything. Does it happen? Definitely and that sucks, but it doesn't happen everywhere in every single situation as some love to proclaim. 

It doesn't have to happen in every instance for there to be a privilege. 

The point is that many white people here try to claim that everything is equal and that they all succeeded (or failed) without the benefit of any privilege and then they use that claim to "prove" that the only people to blame for blacks lagging behind are the black people themselves.  And that just is not true.

Opportunity is NOT equal in this country.