Now here's a topic I can sink my teeth in to.
Kudos to the TSM moderators for not locking it out already-though I'm sure some are cringing behind their keyboards.
TMKIWI-completely agreed.
Maicoman- I'm not sure I get the gist of your previous post with the reverse racism thing.I wasn't insinuating you were racist at all and wasn't referring to your post-and agree that JS should be disciplined though I think Jlaws actions were way more over the top than JS7's.
A little background first.I count no "minorities" as friends at this time.I have in the past in various places I've lived and honestly never thought anything of it one way or the other.These days,I count true friends on exactly two fingers,which leaves the possibilities somewhat limited.
My parents and grandparents grew up in communities with black populations and they worked together,went to church together,visited and played together-as I did growing up.My prejudice factor is zero-for anybody.That said,I resent being held responsible for the sins of someone else's father,grandfather or whoever.I don't hold the present day Germans responsible for Hitler,Spaniards for the inquisition,Southern US for slavery etc.
In Canada,it would appear it is my fault the English beat the French and Aboriginals-and I'm paying for it now-so be it.
What actually bothers me is how conditioned we are to thinking we did something wrong.I'll give you an example.
Years ago I was working outside when the wife called me in to supper.I flopped down in the chair and she was watching Oprah.On this particular show they were talking to some of the contestants competing on the "Miss Black America" pageant.All I thought was-boring...I wish there was a bike race on.Then some guy stood up in the audience and asked what people would saying if they were talking about a "Miss White America" pageant.He got bood down of course.Oprah's response? "You're right ,but it happened so long to us it's only fair it should now be the other way" Any respect I had for her was gone at that moment.
What really bothered me about the whole thing was that I myself never flinched at the Miss Black America thing but had someone suggested a Miss White America pageant,alarm bells would have went off in my head and I'd be thinking-Holy Crap,you can't do that.
Such is conditioning these days.I think of myself as being reasonably intelligent and it bothered me I wouldn't see the obvious.Now there's reverse racism.