C-SPAN Apology for Slavery Discussion is shocking.

[immoderate]

Where did all these racists come from? This is most embarrassing. It's hard to believe there are so many small minded people. I'm surprised that they listen to C-SPAN.

Some of them are virtually saying that black people should apologize for slavery. It is shocking and disgusting.

--IMM

[cornermouse]

1. It's the Klan.

They still exist. In some places they don't even hide very much.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. It's not just the Klan.

Due to Affirmative Action, this kind of thinking has bled through to every Republican stronghold. People who go to private schools that are primarily Republican would eventually expose their true nature sooner or later.

[meg]

16. You blame affirmative action?

How is that? Affirmative action is not meant to promote or hire unqualified people as the racist/sexist talking points say. Affirmative action requires the extra effort to find and mentor qualified people who are different from you.

Affirmative action is meant to give qualified people a chance against Bush-like nepotism, cronyism and the old-boy-network.

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. You're preaching to the choir.

I know what it is, and I know how they view it. Their misperceptions are incredible. But it's not just Repubs. I have a very good Democratic friend whose son partied and skated through high school so he shouldn't have high expectations for college. But he's still sure, that if he gets rejected, it will be because his spot will be given to a minority member due to AA -- even though he has grown along side of my son (hispanic) who is very introverted and has spent his school years indoors working on computer programs and has challenged himself with magnet programs in Technology. It's to no avail because my son's friend's mother knows of a white person who had a spanish sounding name and according to her, the child's application was turned down when she marked herself as white, but when she submitted it again and marked it as hispanic, it was approved.

So, this is a lifetime Democrat who believes that AA gives minorities unfair advantages. Something drastic has to happen, but I don't have access to records to really suggest anything.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Okay, the logic train just left the tracks.

How can you present a position wherein slaves should apologize for being enslaved, dehumanized, tortured and murdered, and refused an identity apart from his/her owner? What harm has the slave propounded upon another person or society at large?

This is waaaaay beyond "Alice in Wonderland" logic.

[kentuck]

3. I noticed they changed their "I Love Bush" number to GOP callers??

Why? On this topic? And he wasn't saying which caller was which? So I turned it off.

[immoderate]

5. I don't think it's so hard to tell who is who.

It sure would be nice and instructive to some though if Pedro would say which line it's coming from.

--IMM

[rasputin1952]

4. Racism will always be w/us...to the detriment of humanity...

:(

I am also amazed that some of the comments are incredibly ugly.

There are so many things that could/should be discussed about this issue, and yet racists from both sides appear have a hold on the conversation.

[EFerrari]

7. I missed it. How ironic though, that the next discussion

is about homeland security.

[enough]

8. Can someone explain what this is about?

What are they talking about? Who is saying that black people should apologize? What is their "reasoning?"

[immoderate]

11. The question was,

Should the US Government apologize to blacks for slavery?

You might imagine what some of the reasoning was; it wasn't logical.

"Blacks get welfare; they didn't thank whites for fighting in the Civil War, etc."

These people were pigs.

--IMM

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

15. In re: thanks for fighting the Civil War

Two of my great-great grandfathers fought in the Union Army; one was seriously injured and crippled for life; the other lost his modest fortune when people who were left in charge of his busineess took his money while he was in uniform. He came home seriously ill, and he never recovered, either his wealth or his health. I don't expect anyone to thank these fellows for their sacrifice; their stories were told to me with pride, for they fought for the Union and for freedom, and that's all that mattered.

[Wetzelbill]

9. I used to think tht racism wasn't all that bad anymore....

I'm a minority too. I just felt for the most part we all have gotten along alright. Sure, we had the Rodney King business and some individuals were racist, but we moved on....

Now, though, is a different story. When I moved to Arizona I couldn't believe how people spoke about Mexicans. The LTTE are blatantly racist and awful. Last year in one of the local congressional districts a known racist was nominated by the Republican party. He doesn't even have a platform. So what do you plan to do on education? "Get those damn wetbacks out of our country." What is your take on the environment? "I think the spics have gotta go."

I am not exaggerating, he uses terms like that. (hope they didn't offend anybody, I was using them in the context of what he says)
Thank God, he was trounced by Raul Grijalva.

In the last 3 years I started paying more attention to people's attitudes against Affirmitive Action etc and other issues like that. It makes me sick how inane and disgusting people can be. I mean, in this day and age? At least, we don't suppress black people's right to vote or anything any..... wait..... nevermind...

[Democrat 4 Ever]

10. I can't authoritatively speak on this matter as a middle-age white

woman. I have no real basis of discrimination except for work related job opportunities/glass ceilings 20 years ago. Things are not perfect but so much better than they were.

It seems to me in the last ten years - since the Contract with American/Newty Baby BS - it appears the repug party has made it okay to be overtly racist. They campaign on doing away with affirmative action because it "discriminates" against white people getting jobs and into "their" schools. Need to trash Title IX because it harms big ol' football teams at State U with 200 team members when only 11 can play at a time. Those women and "others" just need to forget about educational opportunities through athletic prowness - we have men who have games to play.

They spread nonsense that most welfare recipients are black women with 10 children (driving the obligatory Cadillac!) and no father in sight - when the vast majority of people receiving benefits are white women with children. And let's not discuss their issue with "good" mothers must stay home, home school and certainly not expect a living wage and decent, affordable child care to support their families.

They have made it okay to be passive/aggressive racist - all in the name of "saving" the country. Yeah, right. Just my .02¢

[Wetzelbill]

13. well said...

Although, you probably have plenty to add on this topic. Women are typically discriminated as women and then as women in the workforce. If you are a minority then that makes it even worse. Also, women get discriminated against for their weight, but men really don't. I would argue too that age discrimination is probably more prevalent with women. Have you seen any over 55 female news anchors on you local stations? I'm sure some may exist, but in my local area -Tucson, Arizona - we have head two middle aged anchorwomen -both attractive and engaging- shelved, one for a much younger woman. The beauty standards for a woman are harsh to put it mildly. Not so for men. If you watch tv look at all the sitcoms with a Joe SportsBar type guy who is an overweight average looking guy, but his wife is stunning and in perfect physical condition.

Interestingly enough, I recently found out that there are conservative church organizations that actually pay women to quit their careers and stay at home to raise their families. They are bribing women to give up there choice and creativity in life. Stay out home mothers are great, what they do is invaluable, but paying women to give up their careers and everything is pretty sick in my book.

[ohio_liberal]

12. Sometimes people hide it, sometimes not

I'm a foster mom of one fabulous black man (he's all grown up now) and I say without a doubt that racism is alive and well. Sometimes people hide it and sometimes people don't care who knows they're racist. Sometimes it comes from people you'd never expect it. Hell, the Dem running for Congress in my district belongs to a local fraternal organization that doesn't allow black people. And everyone knows it.

[Wetzelbill]

14. how true

And when it rises up it can be ugly. It's amazing to me how far known racists can get in life. People just brush it off or accept it way too easy for my tastes.

[Cassandra]

17. That woman from Indianapolis was nuts...

Saying that the Nation of Islam had supported Kerry and now they were calling in their markers and were going to take over the country by force and have black people rule over white people. :eyes: I knew the Klan had a strong presence in Indianapolis but I hadn't realized they were so divorced from reality.