From: DRPORTER@SUVM.SYR.EDU (Brad Porter)
Subject: Re: What A White Person Learned in College About AfAm Culture
Organization: Syracuse University
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 22:29:25 EST

In article <1992Dec31.123451.25482@cas.org>
cwm54@cas.org writes:
 
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> [stuff deleted]
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>>> Really?  That's sincere, not sarcastic.  I don't live in the real world,
>>> I live in a town in NY with an African-America population of at most 10 out
>>> of 3000.  Yet even while I've probably only know 5 or 6 African-Americans
>>> personally, I don't think I have a deep-rooted hatred for any minority group.
>>> At the same time, I'm not qualified to debate what the rest of society
>>> believes.  I guess I have a hard time believing there is an underlying
>>> prejudice against African-Americans throughout white society.  Prejudice
>>> is a personal, not societal matter isn't it?  My fear however, is that
>>> because of AA, I'm going to have an extremely difficult time finding a job -
>>> much more difficult than a woman or minority will.  Don't get tripped up
>>> by this question:  Is is worse for an African-American to be prejudice
>>> against a white because his/her ancestors were slave-holders, or is it
>>> worse for a white to be prejudiced against an African-American because
>>> his/her ancestors were slaves?
>>
>>If it is so much more difficult for a white man to get a job why is it that
>>unemployment among blacks is on average twice that among whites?  Get a clue.
>>Are you concerned that African-Americans will be refused jobs because of
>>discrimination?
>>
>>It amazes me how people act surprised that after generations of continuing
>>discrimination that blacks would express a dislike for white people.  It's
>>called human nature.  Not everybody subsribes to the dictum "Love those that
>>despisefullly use you".
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>    It truly is amazing. For anyone to think that a white man will
>    have a more difficult time finding a job than an African-American
>    even with AA (though in my opinion AA is very rarely practiced)
>    indicates just how little whites know about conditions in america.
>    Not only is it amazing but discouraging. Having read this newsgroup
>    for a few months now, I'm sometimes left speechless. How do you
>    debate people who begin with the premise that white men are the
>    oppressed group in america? One would think that by this time
>    in our history we would be argueing about how best to rid this
>    country of its' race problems. Instead we(blacks) find ourselves
>    trying to convince whites that the USA even *has* a problem.
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>    Though I don't agree with separatist at this point, I can certainly
>    understand their frustration.
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>                      Carlyle
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>          My views only. Not those of CAS.
Both of you appear to have missed some very good responses to the question I
posed.  As I've said, I haven't had to worry about AA so far, and from
the responses, I won't have to in the future because of the way the system
works.  Well, ok.  I believe the best qualified should get the job.  Racial
or ethnic considerations needn't be a consideration.  Speaking for myself,
as a white employer, I could objectively decide who's most qualified without
any consideration of ethnic or racial characteristics.  If most whites couldn't
be perfectly objective, then AA is a necessity.
    In response to how whites could feel there isn't a problem:
      I don't see myself as prejudiced in the least, so the idea that the
      rest of society (most of whom grow up with the same values I do) is
      different is hard to believe - especially to believe that the rest of
      society is extremely prejudiced is difficult.
    In response to the idea that it is natural for blacks to hate those who
    have so often used them:
      One of us is living in the wrong century (and it may be me).  There is
      NO justification for prejudice in any form.  If you believe blacks have
      the right to be prejudiced towards whites, then how can you say that
      white don't have the right to be prejudiced towards blacks?  "Get a
      clue"?
It's highly unfortunate that many blacks are unemployed, but are either of
you?
                                 -Brad Porter
DRPORTER@SUVM
 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american