Never Mind the Giant Flat-Screen TV...

[goof2]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

Um...black people already make up about a third of the military now....BTW the military isn't quite as lask as it used to be. Besides, we tend to make that into a "meal ticket" as well. I wonder what the percentage of blacks pulling military disability is? I know quite a few... Heck, I work with a guy that gets $3,000/month from disablility because he was injured in boot camp. BOOT CAMP!!! He went to college on Uncle Sam on top of that... I never claimed that we don't use the system guys, I said that there must be reasons OTHER than we're just lazy.

Again (post #58), do you see this as primarily an issue of race or economics? You seem to be vacillating through the discussion between the two. Like this post seems to indicate race, while your post immediately before it is all about economics. It also happens to be remarkably similar to how a few white people on here said they grew up.

You keep using "we", but the way I'm reading it you have used it to describe black people. I couldn't care less about how you self identify racially, but more than a few times you have used "we" in situations that are far from unique to the black community.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by wildchild

harder? of course, but it doesn't mean the opps aren't there.

and I never said that they aren't...

[wildchild]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

and I never said that they aren't...

we are agreeing here. LOL

[Tmall]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

Um...black people already make up about a third of the military now....

Then why not 1/2? 3/4?

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by wildchild

we are agreeing here. LOL

It's funny but I don't think that I'm actually disagreeing with most of the sentimate here except the premise that poor white people work their way out of poverty while poor black people lay around and work the system.... I understand that we are talking economics AND race here. What strikes me is the premise that we (blacks) don't make any effort to get out of poverty. I think that there are education issues, cultural issues and mostly attitude issues that need to be addressed before any real change will come about.

[wildchild]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

It's funny but I don't think that I'm actually disagreeing with most of the sentimate here except the premise that poor white people work their way out of poverty while poor black people lay around and work the system.... I understand that we are talking economics AND race here. What strikes me is the premise that we (blacks) don't make any effort to get out of poverty. I think that there are education issues, cultural issues and mostly attitude issues that need to be addressed before any real change will come about.

the eng mgr i mentioned before from chi was black LOL

[Tmall]

And what I'm saying is.. If you're taking handouts, it's not the systems fault because you qualify. It's your fault for qualifying and for taking it. That person who applies for benefits and abuses them is the person responsible. Not a deadbeat parent. Not a racist gym teacher. There are very few excuses. Crippled? Mentally disabled? Those are things beyond a person's control. Being a minority is not a disease..

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Tmall

Then why not 1/2? 3/4?

so 12% of the population should fight and die to defend the other 88%? Sure that's fair... Besides, the military should be a last resort, not the best you can aspire to...

Look, this thread started on a racial note and some of you are trying to pretend that this is strictly an economic issue. Fine.

Per capita,

More blacks in prison.
More blacks on welfare.
More blacks working for minimum wage.
More black teenage parents.
More blacks on drugs.
More blacks drop out of school.
Blacks have a shorter life span.
More blacks under the poverty line.
Fewer blacks own homes.
Fewer blacks own businesses.
More black single parents.
More blacks in the military.
Why? Considering that everything is and always has been equal....

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by wildchild

the eng mgr i mentioned before from chi was black LOL

Yea I know, you have a story about an exceptional black man. He was probably very intelligent and worked very hard. Now then, there's this white kid. Slacked off for most of his life, parents paid for college where he slid by with B's and C's. Probably wasn't half as smart as your guy but is probably holding down a cush job with the Tennesee Valley Authority as an engineer...

Dude, I guess my point was that you can bring up 1,000 examples of poor black guys that made it but it still doesn't explain the millions on welfare or why we top the "bad list" in almost every category...

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Tmall

And what I'm saying is.. If you're taking handouts, it's not the systems fault because you qualify. It's your fault for qualifying and for taking it. That person who applies for benefits and abuses them is the person responsible. Not a deadbeat parent. Not a racist gym teacher. There are very few excuses. Crippled? Mentally disabled? Those are things beyond a person's control. Being a minority is not a disease..

Okay, real talk...I'm finding it a bit hard to understand why a white guy from Canada thinks he knows more about what it's like to be a black man in America than a black American.... It's like you're trying to tell me what it's like or the obsticals that I've had to overcome...and you'd know that how?