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Originally posted by tomegun
Although you make some good points I still think you don't understand. You might not be able to make it based on ability and your weight. What if you didn't make it because the color of your skin? What if you could flat out ref but there wasn't "room" for you? Don't be so naive to think it doesn't happen.
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I think I'm way too old to be naive anymore. I certainly understand that it does still happen. But, in the absence of a direct reference, how would I know that it's actual racism and not just stupidity? Or, that there was a real, legitimate reason I didn't get that opportunity? I'm not pretending to know what it's like to be discriminated against on a regular basis. And certainly any type of discrimination or racism is just flat-out wrong. And there may be times where it is more subtle than direct. But, is there a chance, in your experiences, that certain events transpired that you were conditioned (based on past experiences and culture) to feel that it was a result of direct or indirect racism, when in realty it might not have been? A simple example: you're driving down the highway, and a white guy in a pickup truck with a gun rack passes you. You look over and see that he sees you as well, and he's not smiling. A few seconds later, he swerves in front of you and cuts you off, forcing you to slam on your brakes. I know I'm going out on a limb, but my guess is you're initial response would be Johnny Redneck just cut you off because you're black. And if he flipped you off while yelling out some racial slur, that would make it obvious. But, what if what really happened was he just got off the cell with Daisy Duke, who just dumped him. Now he's pissed, and he's headin' towards the bar to drown his sorrows with his friends. He's completely forgotten about you from the moment he turned his head away. He did something stupid, but it certainly wasn't racially motivated. Now, is there a chance that there are some of these types of experiences you have faced that you might instinctively write off as just another example of discrimination, when perhaps it might not be? The only reason I mention that is because in my experiences and in the people I know, racism is a non-factor in how people interact; much less so than what I remember while growing up. So, in a similar situation where I'm cut off by the tricked-out Escalade with the 20" rims, my initial reaction is the driver's an idiot. My past culture and history and current experiences might lead me to different conclusions than you might in the exact same situation. That could make me naive, that could also make you overly-sensitive. The truth is probably somewhere in between.
Maybe my little corner of the world is not representative of the world at large. But, at least in my corner, I'm working at making sure people are treated with respect and that my kids learn the same things. It's good to see in Mark's corner he's doing the same. And I know others are as well. There will always be bad people, or just ignorant people. But as long as more of us do the right thing, there will be less ignorant people, and those bricks will disappear.
Oh my god, I'm turning into an idealist. Next thing you know, I'll be thinking it's the Cubs turn to win the World Series, just because Boston did it last year.