[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'a')nd you think Obama is unpopular because he's black?

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Serial_Worrier', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', ' ')it took the election of a black guy to really rally the troops - we know it wasn't deficits, elective wars, or elimination of civil liberties because Bush did all that.

[gollum]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', 'a')nd you think Obama is unpopular because he's black?

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', '
')Putnam is calling for GREATER acceptance of cultural diversity and creating a broader sense of "we".

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'I')n mixed race countries like the US, how will folks tell what race everyone is? Will we be back to the "paper bag test" or something?

[SeaGypsy]

The language of the subject shows the naiveity of race based belief.
OBAMA IS NOT BLACK.
OBAMA IS NOT WHITE.
OBAMA IS BLACK / AS MUCH AS HE IS WHITE.
CALLING HIM BLACK IS RACIST AGAINST HIS WHITE HALF.
The whole subject is stupid, really.
The whole of humanity is about to face our 1st bottleneck in 15,000 years or so, who comes out the end and does colour have even the slightest thing to do with it?
I doubt it very much. Like an argument about the ethics of sniper use in the second world war.
Of intellectual interest to obsessives, but otherwise ultimately meaningless in the outcome of the entire war.

[Oakley]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'T')he language of the subject shows the naiveity of race based belief.
OBAMA IS NOT BLACK.
OBAMA IS NOT WHITE.
OBAMA IS BLACK / AS MUCH AS HE IS WHITE.
CALLING HIM BLACK IS RACIST AGAINST HIS WHITE HALF.
The whole subject is stupid, really.
The whole of humanity is about to face our 1st bottleneck in 15,000 years or so, who comes out the end and does colour have even the slightest thing to do with it?
I doubt it very much. Like an argument about the ethics of sniper use in the second world war.
Of intellectual interest to obsessives, but otherwise ultimately meaningless in the outcome of the entire war.

[SeaGypsy]

We see what we want to see, believe as we will, because the truth would annihilate our egos.
We are not in control.

To a person who had travelled the world as a child (through my US Army father); who grew up with German kids, aboriginal kids, Papuan kids, well kids are kids and people is people.
That little moment in time most people here spend most of their energy freaking about (or planning for); will be over very quickly and you will either be dead or alive at the end of it.
If you are dead you won't care and if alive, well youn will probably be so transformed you barely know yourself at all anymore.
Die off is one thing, post die off is another altogether.
If the only chick on the only island my broken yacht lands on after all I know has ended, happens to be from any race in the world; whoopy do! We will be making babies.
The race of Tan is coming.
That is what Obama is. Tan. Not Black not white, a new race. The race of the future.
Tough luck to them who don't like it because it is happening, will continue and post dieoff will be all that is left. No Black or White or Mongol, just Tan.

[Quinny]

I feel a song coming on..

What we need is a great big melting pot.......

[SeaGypsy]

My Dad came from North Carolina via Pennsylvania. The family were German and adapted to fit in with the Pennsylvania 'Dutch' (read German). His Grandfather was a slave trader who got into horses when selling people became illegal. They were bigots. Seriously ugly racists. Most of the family still are.
But not my Dad.
He was the younger of 2 brothers, the older got all the investment/ Harvard, Yale etc. and went on to become CEO of FEDEX for over 20 years. All he ever gave is brother was 'REPENT OR DIE' Christmas and birthday cards, a real christist asswipe.
Anyway my Dad rebelled and got kicked out of Penn State Uni and went to the Army.
Being 6'4" and solid, they set him up as an MP, where he rose to Sergeant in charge of part of Berlin at night.
He was there 7 years.
When he came to Australia he wanted to become a remote aboriginal schoolteacher.
He was asked by the Immgrration office here if he had a problem with black people.
His answer I will never forget:
"Ha! I've been in the American Army for 7 years, I love black people.!"
Years later his brother refused to invest in a bone marrow transplant for my Dad, which may have saved his life from an auto immune disease, unless: "You come to your senses and come to the Lord".
Billionaire racist asshole religious bigot self righteous turd.
My father refused and died, with dignity.

[Ibon]

Thanks for sharing that Sea Gypsy. Your dad lives on in your writings and in who you are.

[rangerone314]

Kumbayah, Kumbayah.

lol

If I were the last male survivor on a desert island and the only other human survivor (a female of any race) washed up on the shore, I'd take one last turn with her, before pushing her off a cliff onto the rocks, and then jumping off after.

(Since if the human race got to that point, it doesn't deserve a 2nd chance)

[SeaGypsy]

Geez ranger, the glass definitely half empty this morning?!
It's really an interesting moment in history isn't it?

[leal]

My deep respects to your father SeaGypsy.
My father is very sick. When I and my 2 year old son visit him my father can wave his hand to my son. On the other hand my grand father died when I was two weeks old. My father is over 90 years old and my grand father was also quite old, something like 89 or so. I was 37 when my son was born so I guess we all are a bit late on "sword side" as it is called in Swedish. My great grand father was born 1826 if I remember correctly, so he was over 50 when my grand father was born. Not bad for the 19th century.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Serial_Worrier', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', ' ')it took the election of a black guy to really rally the troops - we know it wasn't deficits, elective wars, or elimination of civil liberties because Bush did all that.

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'G')eez ranger, the glass definitely half empty this morning?!
It's really an interesting moment in history isn't it?

[Newfie]

This is a difficult subject. I can hear truth in both arguments, if I listen carefully.

I abhor racism, yet I find some cultures very abrasive. It is not the person but the ideas they grew up with that rub me, as I probably rub them.

Yet there is truth that when the chips are down we will help our children first, and our family second (usually - aholes excepted.)

I think this one of those areas where our high ideals can run into a dose of reality when times are tough.

Let us all hope we are not so tested.

[PrestonSturges]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'G')eez ranger, the glass definitely half empty this morning?!
It's really an interesting moment in history isn't it?

[rangerone314]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SeaGypsy', 'G')eez ranger, the glass definitely half empty this morning?!
It's really an interesting moment in history isn't it?

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', '
')I was cranky, ate too much pizza and no fiber.