LESSER OF TWO EVILS

Let us let go of our innocence and embrace reality.

Anytime you are voting, you are voting for the lesser of two evils. Well, at least I hope you are. But lets not take this expression out of context. It is not necessarily the fault of any one politician, it is the system. The system is evil!

Just because capitalism is the best system the world has seen, it does not mean it is the right one.

So how can I be making these claims? Well...

Guy A wants to drill Alaska VS Guy B who wants to put money into clean energy

Guy A wants tax cuts for the rich VS Guy B who wants to tax the rich
AND SO ON, AND SO FORTH

So, depending on personal belief, one guy is the right guy, and therefore not evil. I am with guy B all the way, so how is he still evil?

Well... Even though I agree with all the things guy B wants to do, what about all the other things I want done that will see no progress?

Guy B is better for a number of reasons, in my opinion, but he is still discouraging our children from thinking by allowing standardized test to be required. Now teachers have to focus ONLY on getting their students ready for these tests, and that they can't teach anything else. So now we have a noneducational education system that not only wants, but needs people to be incapable of thinking critically.

Guy B is also evil because of his personal interests. He is not going to be willing to do something potentially good if people don't understand and down the road will cost him votes.

And the list goes on and on.

Because the system is what is evil, choosing the lesser of two evils is unarguably necessary.
So please, don't discourage people from voting because they think all of their choices are evil. Try to understand why they would make such a claim and start thinking more realistically about what is going on in politics.

Thank You.

talking white

Recently a friend introduced me to one of her friends who is Jamaican. He moved here when he was young, and frequently goes back to Jamaica. She asked him to tell me a story that he had told her from when he was young. About half way through the story, my friend stopped him and said to him, what's wrong with you? You're from Jamaica, talk like it. You're talking too white.
He looked at her and replied by saying, what are you talking about. I'm speaking english, how do you talk white? She told him to put more emphasis into his accent.
This made me think of the movie Crash when an actor in the movie was told to speak more black, which just confused the actor like in this situation. It's bad enough that there are stereotypes as to how people of a certain race behave and dress, but also how they must speak. To me it's like saying, youre lesser than others of your race or not even a member at all, if you don't speak like the rest of them, or fit the overall stereotype of that race.

Obamamerica

I am not a Barack Obama supporter. I question his motives and also don't like the fact that he is supported by corporate banking shills. I see a large dichotomy between what he preached about in his campaign and what he is actually doing. Having our future sold into taxation and continually widening the gap between the rich and poor isn't much of a change. Now, most peopl are cool with me stating that i don't like the guy but if i start getting into my reasons for not liking him, people either assume that i am a racist or that i am a consperiacy theorist. Most of these people preach about how riduculously ignorant a person has to be to be racist, but pay little attention to how ignorant they themselves are to the way our government works. My arguments have nothing to do with his race except for the fact that he is the first black person to SELL us the idea of America and make sure that his friends who paid for most of his campaign ($1.5 billion dollars) don't lose any money. Just because he is black doesn't make him any less of a puppet than George Bush. It is just a lot harder to read between the lines with him because he is a better liar, er, speaker than Bush was. Why is it taboo to be skeptical about politics and why do people get so worked up about his race? (beyond the whole "touchy feely" look how far we've come argument. I know, and must say that i am absolutely tickled that we live in a country where big business finally gave us a black man as one of the two options we had for president. That doesn't change a damn thing.)

My eyes are open

I live in Avalon in Upper North Mankato, and for two years I've had different roommates. I live in a community where my neighbor across the street is a little old lady who has nothing better to do than sit in her rocking chair and watch everyone else. Within the last two weeks, I had a new roommate move in. Within two days of that roommate moving in, I received a notice on my door that I have an "unauthorized guest" living with me and that if I don't have them become "authorized" I am supposed to become evicted as of April 6th. To have a roommate authorized, they have to summit a criminal background check, and fill out an application. Like I've said, I've had many, many roommates in the last two years, but this roommate happens to be black. It bothers me how fast my neighbors around me called the park manager and told her about this new roommate, even though they've known about and have met my past roommates. That this roommate is the only one that has bothered them.

I guess my point is that I never really realized that racism still exists in everyday life . I live in this world where all my friends are very open-minded and we aren't racist. We strive to promote love and equality. It boggles my mind that this happened. Through this class, my eyes are being opened to the struggles of the hate and racisim that is still happening today in our very own neighborhoods.

"be the change you want to see in the world"

Media

The other day I had the TV on while I was sitting in room. I normally have the TV on just as background noise, but I rarely watch it. I was sitting there, reading for another class when it caught my attention and I began to watch it. It was a movie that was made I would say in the early 90s and it just about killed me to see what was happening. This black guy was running through some town because he was late for something and just happened to run into a white man standing in the middle of the sidewalk. The white man freaked out and claimed the black man was trying to take his things. The white man was a rich business man and had called the cops. While the black man was in the back seat of the cop car, the white man and the cop were talking. One of them, I'm not sure who, said something along the lines of "He's black, he learned to steal before he could walk." My jaw about hit the floor when I heard this. I could not believe that this was on public TV around supper time. How many families in America watch TV during dinner? I know mine always did. I realize that this was a movie and wasn't intended to hurt anyone, but this is why we get the stereotypes that we do. I know it makes for a "good movie" but was it necessary to say these things? I think that if our media didn't have the things in it that it does, we would be closer to being "equal" than we are.

Class today

I just wanted to comment on something that was said in class today. It was said that high school kids that yell things out the window of their cars at other races are not racist. That they were just doing it because of their friends and to look cool. I disagree with this. True they may not do it while they are alone, but that does not make it any less wrong! There are many crimes in history that would not have occured if there wasn't a group mentality present. The fact remains that they were still crimes. High school kids are a product of their enviorment and their families. They should have to face cosequences for their actions. It is not okay to hurt others with words or in any way. They should learn while they are young so they don't grow up to be big racists jerks with the power to really hurt others with their ignorance. We were all in high school at one time or the other and not all of us did this I am sure. It is just wrong.

Seth and I talked about this after class. We were talking about a UFC fight and the announcer said something like, "Jones is in the red shorts and Micheals is in the white shorts." then Joe Rogan said, "Or, Jones white and Micheals black. Why doesn't anyone say it like that?" The other announcer paused and said, "I don't know?" Now was Rogan being to forward or does it matter? Was it wrong for Rogan to identify the fighters like that?

What is not racism?

BEFORE YOU READ THINS YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT ARTICLE AND THE COMMENTS IT PROVOKED.

Very interesting article.
Instead of trying to solve the race problem, maybe we should try to learn how to reduce it.
I think the next step to this movement is for everyone to start informing eachother.

What is racism? (looking for comments here)

If you can ask yourself what is racism, you can ask yourself, WHAT IS NOT RACISM?

People seem to be looking for racism and perhaps they are finding it because that it is what they are looking for.

The article said people are looking for racism and waiting to pull out their race card, so it makes me wonder... How many people are looking for racism on a day-to-day basis? My gut tells me this would have a profound increase on the very thing we are trying to eliminate.

With complex issue like racism, let us do what mathematicians do... Eliminate what it is not.

What do I think racism is not?.....
I don't think calling people that like trucks and guns "rednecks" is racist. They are just a group of kids that like guns and trucks... B.F.D... they are a group of friends with similar interests. Instead of taking offense, let us be careful about how we say things, but more importantly, let us be careful on how we interpret things. It does not mean that all people from a small town are "rednecks," or anything else. I just mean the person who wrote that comment noticed some people were potentially being racist. This comes back to what I was talking about with the symbols. What a symbol means to me may not mean the same thing to others, so we need to be aware of both sides of interpretations. Eliminating as much confusion/misunderstanding as possible will benefit us greatly.


I think that understanding what racism is not will reduce it as a whole. Not only that, but it will make this complex problem a little simpler. Once we can understand what racism is not, then we will all have a better idea on what it really is.

In other words, my approach is to minimize the definition of racism to the best of our ability. By doing this we will reduce it as a whole, increase our understanding and perhaps find a more practicle approach to eliminating racism once and for all. Maybe not in our life times, but maybe in our children's...

Does anyone know what I am talking about, or am I just crazy?
I would really appreciate your feedback.

What is racism?
What is not?
Is this a good idea or a bad one?

Please help!

Excellent Article on the Discussion of Race

Here is a really thought provoking op-ed piece by Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald on why we as a society are lousy at discussing race in a meaningful way. Check it out and leave your thoughts. I'm going to chime in later with my thoughts.

Cartoon

I was watching the news last night and they showed the protesters that were protesting the cartoon that ran in the New York Post. It showed a police officer that had shot a chimp and another one said that they would have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill. The protesters were calling it racist and chanted shut down the Post. They said that the dead chimp was suppose to be the President. First of all, I did not tie the dead chimp to the President. It was obvious that the cartoon was portraying the chimp that attacked a person in Conn. earlier this week. I didn't see any of these protesters protesting when President Bush was made to be a monkey or bashed him. Where were they for that? It seems to me that they are saying that it is okay to bash white Presidents, but not other race Presidents. Who's the real racist here? It appears to me that people like the protesters are just looking for things to get pissed about and chant stupid stuff. The President is going to be bashed by cartoons no matter who they are. It comes with the job title. I say to the protesters get a life and go to work. If you don't have a job, then try looking for one. You apparently have the time.

I was watching the news the other night (on President's Day) and I saw something pretty interesting. There was a man, who was supposed to be Abraham Lincoln, giving a speech that Lincoln had given while in his presidency. The speech he was giving was drowned out by the loud voices of activists shouting out for Native American's lives and yelling about how they were disrespected and completely ruined during Lincoln's presidency. I am not sure what to think about this. I do not think that the people speaking against the speech were wrong in what they were doing, but it almost seemed disrespectful to the man giving the speech. He was just there to talk. He wasn't actually Abraham Lincoln. And he couldn't even speak because the noise around him was drowning him completely out. I understand that these people had a right and a reason to do what they did. But, I was a little taken back at the way they did it. Like I said, I don't think that it was wrong of them. But, they were punishing a man who was just reading off a piece of paper and happened to grow a beard to do it, he wasn't actually Abraham Lincoln.

Reparations

I have been asked the question of whether or not I believe the United States should give African Americans reparations for their enslavement a couple centuries ago, and for the laws that kept their race segregated and initially inferior for the color of their skin. I have been asked this many times, and I feel that it is hard to answer this question with a correct answer. So I will attempt to give a profound opinion other than yes or no.
With the knowledge I have accumulated over my lifespan of 20 years, I do not today believe we should give reparations to all Black people living in the United States today because I do not think money and or tangible things are the type of currency that should be used in order to aid past and present racism and pay back for the cruelty our ancestors bestowed upon Black people. Inevitably in our world, these reparations will get old, and racism I believe will still prevail. What I have seen today are programs out there to help minorites of all different colors to better themselves, no matter the hinderance of their past. Welfare is one system, however the problem with welfare is that it rewards people for not working. What I think is intersting is looking back to the 1600's, people living in West Africa had the same values, education, family dynamics as we have today, however slavery in America has today created this idea of how a Black person should be, act, wear their clothing, speak. So how has throwing money at a problem ( like the US has done for everything-for example reparations for Native Americans) made a difference or created equality in human beings living in the US? I believe the problem is innate, and for African Americans to finally be seen as just human beings, and not people who had ancestors long ago that were slaves of white people, it is going to take a change of family values in their homes, and the ability to see that they are human beings, and have every right and ability to suceed in this country and the world as any other race or person. That is why I do not believe we should give reparations any longer, because it is just throwing money at a problem that will never be fixed unless the people who wish to better themselves stand up and say that they will no longer go down the same path expecting different results.

The Power of Symbols

Symbols are everywhere and are used to understand everything. In all reality, it makes no diffrence if a symbol is appealing based on appearence. The only thing that matters is the symbolism. For example, I am not Jewish. I would admit that the two over lapping triangles to make the Star of David looks rather cool. However, I know that it represents a certain belief in faith and it is used to shrink down the complexities of Judaism to a simple symbol. That being said, I would never represent this cool looking sign because of my personal beliefs.

Same principle with the cross and how it represents the coming of the son of "God" and that he died for our sins. The list can go on forever.

What is the difference between a non-believer representing faith signs and "non-racists" representing the Confederate flag? It makes no difference if in one's own mind, different meanings are created. What do certain signs mean to the majority of the population? Where do signs originate from and what is its purpose? This is what people have to be accountable for and before any symbols are represented, people have to understand what interpretations are going to be made by the people observing.

Something Real

The media may have something to do with that, but why not focus of what is real. Back in the day, N.W.A rapped about how it is hard to be black in America and the real shit going on in their lives. Now days all I feel I am hearing is fake bull shit. Instead of embracing the stereotypes to make a little money, why not talk about the reality of things and use that voice to create a movement? That is the only way things will change for the better.

It is as if some of todays rappers portray that the gang life is the only way to get ahead anymore. It is thought of as lucky if some of these gang members live to thirty. I'm sorry, but how the hell is that getting ahead? What good is money when you are dead?

I am only saying, the greatest and most powerful black speakers of all times never said do whatever it takes to make money, he said something along the lines of holding hands and keep walking.

Friday's class

I was thinking about class today and how we were talking about the negative stereotypes for African Americans. I thought there was a good point made about the rap industry and how there are black males rapping about shooting people, slapping hoes, etc. and I believe the main reason there are so many negative stereotypes is because of our media. People listen to rap music and hear all those negative stereotypes so therefore they believe them, and even with our news media, 90% of the time when we hear of a crime committed, it is committed by an African American. Because our media is relaying these negative stereotypes, we subconsciously begin to believe them.

I thought it was funny in the first chapter of the Ronald Takaki book when he is riding in the cab and the driver asks him how long he has lived in America and Takaki replies by saying all his life. This has happened to me so many times. I was born in South Korea and adopted when I was about six months old so I have spent just about my entire life here in America. I get so many other sorts of questions from people. Just last Thanksgiving a women I work with looked to me and said, "do you parents ever make your kind of food for thanksgiving?" I looked at her confused for a second because I did not know what she meant. When I realized she what she was asking I just said no. I have never actually eaten Korean food in my entire life. I also have hadpeople ask me if I'm going back home (meaning Korea) for the holidays, people have commented on my excellent english and I have even gotten some questions concerning my parents. Many people think that just because I'm Korean, my parents are. They are actually German. I also get a lot of comments about how I must be good at math or good with computers. I just find it funny to see how people often assume so many things about you just based on your race.

Item From Fox News

I was in the lounge the other day getting some reading done and one of the TVs happened to be turned to Fox News. They ran down a few stories and the last one caught my ear. The anchor said (translated as close as I can recall), "In the wake of the Obama presidency, do minority children now have an excuse to not fail?"

I don't expect a lot out of Fox News; The have a base and they pander to it. But I had to wonder why this stuck in my head. I believe the main reason is the blatant use of racism to try and hook a surfing viewer. As a white man, am I supposed to stop when I hear them ask that question and say "Yeah! Those [insert your favorite racial slur]s don't have any excuse now! Let's see what their excuses are now!"

It reminds me of our reading and how labels were used to make an entire people into savages. Only in this case, its painting them as lazy people who are all this time refused to succeed. But now there's a black president watch out because now all you lazy colored people have to start working harder.

Instead of celebratingthis historic milestone they've turned it into a way to divide us.

What are your thoughts?

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