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Originally Posted by super66
this is laughable.....free expression is one thing....this isn't free expression.........I'm not "African American" but I'm not white....and I'm not generally sensitive to this kind of crap considering my favorite comedians include the likes of Mencia and Chapelle....but the comments below aren't made to funny....
I truly hope none of our "African American" board members read this cause I would think it would be rather offensive to them....wait, the one comment already suggested Afican Americans don't own Porsches so I guess we don't have members.....
for those of you who think its free expression.....go express those thoughts in the ghetto, surround yourself with individuals of a particular race and make those comments.....not from behind computers where you are nice and safe....
I've got 5 bucks you would probably not take that chance huh....
said my peace.....
take a queue from 986 roadster "wow who cares what colour they were, and where they came from and where they went......not one of you asked the guy if he was okay!"
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I am not a huge fan of being a hyphenated American or in even recognizing this distinction. While my ancestors were from Germany and Ireland, I do not describe myself as German-American or an Irish American. I am simply an American, as I was born here and am a citizen of the United States.
The first step towards relaxing the tensions that exist around race in America is to use language as a tool for unifying, not dividing the citizens of America. I would suggest that the so-called "leaders" of "black america" get off it and stop making distinctions that separate rather than unify. Ditto for the pols who use the race card as a way to get or retain their jobs.
It is very disingenuous to attack racism when in fact, you claim to "lead" folks who insist on being addressed by their race! It is also disingenuous to want to be treated equal while asking to be treated differently and in some cases better.
Lastly, it is not useful to avoid talking about this issue, simply because some folks might take offense. If I am out and about and am approached by ANYONE who looks like they have bad intentions, I would be an idiot NOT to recognize that fact and act acccordingly, ie get out of there. If that behavior makes me a racist, well then the definition of that word needs some refining. Here is the dictionary on racism.
Racism-The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
Discrimination or prejudice based on race.
In my opinion, it is usually not race that gets folks nervous. I meet regularly with an investment banker who has black skin. This guy provokes nothing in me but respect and admiration for his smarts and class.
On the reverse side, I used to box in an inner city gym. Some of the guys there with black skin made MY skin crawl, they were that scary.
Racism? Hardly! Some of the guys with white skin in that gym made my skin crawl even more. To me, it was all about what I thought the person was up to in life, not the pigment in their skin.
I think MLK had it about right. It IS content of one's character that matters. Sadly, many folks on either side of the pigment scale have forgotten those words.