Simple question

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Danzig

you're kidding yourself if you think all lives matter the same in this country.
so, own the fact you want to be considered superior because you're not a minority.

Where do you live, Arkansas? I can't claim to know how things are in Arkansas. I can tell you that in California, there is no significant racism. You can go into any store or business here. There will be customers and employees of every race. Everyone gets along fine. There are no issues.

I tend to think it is the same way in most of the country. In case you didn't notice, we have a black President. I think anyone who is intellectually honest knows that if you work hard and have talent at what you do in this country, you can be successful, regardless of your race. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar. I don't know a single person who is talented and is a hard worker, but just can't make it in this country because of their race. Do you know such a person?

Back in the 1960s there was real prejudice. The only thing that people like Martin Luther King wanted for black people was a fair chance. That was his dream. Today his dream has been accomplished. If he were alive today, he would be thrilled. As I type this in the year 2016, for people who live in the US, a person's race will not be an impediment to their success. In some cases, people of color actually have an advantage because of affirmative action type hiring practices in the private sector.

Am I claiming there is zero prejudice in this country? No. I'm not claiming there is zero. What I am claiming is that the amount of prejudice out there is so small that it is insignificant. As I said before, if you are talented at what you do and you work hard, your race is not going to stop you from succeeding.

[Rupert Pupkin]

I can't believe how racist this board is. There hasn't been a single vote on here for Black Lives Matter. LOL.

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

I can't believe how racist this board is. There hasn't been a single vote on here for Black Lives Matter. LOL.

Many a truth is said in jest. [I'll now use one of my nauseating Rupert disclamers]. I don't claim to be an expert on this topic nor do I claim to be wearing the same rose colored glasses as you likewise I dont claim to be locked up in my house with Fox News and Derby Trail political forum as my only view to the real world. I also dont claim to be suffering from any CTE but if you ask my wife it may be debatable. For someone who focuses so much of their energy on racially themed postings whose conclusion is that racism in this country is at insignificant levels is a real head scratcher. If it is so insignificant than why all the energy? Why not simply post on other topics that you know absolutely ****ing nothing about? I say that with Peace and Love since by your nauseating use of disclamers you are telling us that yourself in all your postings. Racism is a huge problem and continues to be such in this country. And it isnt just whites being racisit against blacks. Try reading the comments of any article on CNN or any other news site sometimes to see that withing 5 posts it denigrates into someone hurling a racial epithet.

[OldDog]

[richard burch]

Originally Posted by OldDog

thats so cute...

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by jms62

Many a truth is said in jest. [I'll now use one of my nauseating Rupert disclamers]. I don't claim to be an expert on this topic nor do I claim to be wearing the same rose colored glasses as you likewise I dont claim to be locked up in my house with Fox News and Derby Trail political forum as my only view to the real world. I also dont claim to be suffering from any CTE but if you ask my wife it may be debatable. For someone who focuses so much of their energy on racially themed postings whose conclusion is that racism in this country is at insignificant levels is a real head scratcher. If it is so insignificant than why all the energy? Why not simply post on other topics that you know absolutely ****ing nothing about? I say that with Peace and Love since by your nauseating use of disclamers you are telling us that yourself in all your postings. Racism is a huge problem and continues to be such in this country. And it isnt just whites being racisit against blacks. Try reading the comments of any article on CNN or any other news site sometimes to see that withing 5 posts it denigrates into someone hurling a racial epithet.

First of all, I don't watch a lot of Fox News. I do watch it sometimes. After the Dallas shooting last week, I watched plenty of Fox News and some CNN. But in general I do not watch a lot of Fox News. I read tons of news stories on-line from every viewpoint you can think of.

My opinions are always my own opinions. I never parrot anyone. I'm an original thinker and I always have been. As you know, I'm pretty much anti-hunting unless it's for food. I'm totally against hunting for sport. Did I get that from Fox News? I am actually totally in favor of trying to get the minimum wage up to $15 over the next few years. I think there is a huge problem in this country between the halves and have nots. I think raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour could make a significant impact on this issue. Did I get that from Fox News?

With regards to race, there is no contradiction with my thinking that race is not a big issue, while also being bothered by the false claims of BLM. It annoys me that this group gets all kinds of media time when their whole narrative is a lie. By the way, BLM does not speak for most black people: "Only 31 percent of black people surveyed said that the statement 'black lives matter' most closely comports to their own beliefs, compared to 64 percent who chose 'all lives matter'.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...l-lives-matter

What we have is a vocal minority (who do not speak for most black people), making all of these false claims of racism.

By the way, I definitely am an expert on the city of Los Angeles. I have lived here my whole life. I will tell you unequivocally that if you have a person of color who is intelligent and they go to law school or medical school and they do well, their race will not be a detriment to their success. Are you claiming that their race would be a detriment to their success?

With regard to your point about comment sections of articles, I agree that you will see some racism on there. And as you said, it will come from both directions. I will read some racist comments from whites and also some racist comments from blacks. By the way, calling out BLM on their bs, is not racist in the least bit in my opinion. Sometimes you will see flat out racism, such as someone calling a black person the "N" word. And you see plenty of racism from black people too. I never said that there was zero racism in this country. I said that it is minimal and it will not have a big effect on the vast majority of people's lives.

I would say the same with regard to anti-semitism in this country. I read some Jew-bashing in the comment sections of articles. There is some anti-semitism out there. But it's not a major problem. I am 3/4 Jewish by blood. What effect does it have on my life if some jackball on the internet makes some derogatory comment about Jewish people? It doesn't have any effect on my life. So to me, even though there is some anti-semitism out there, it doesn't really have a significant effect on most Jewish people.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

Where do you live, Arkansas? I can't claim to know how things are in Arkansas. I can tell you that in California, there is no significant racism. You can go into any store or business here. There will be customers and employees of every race. Everyone gets along fine. There are no issues.

I tend to think it is the same way in most of the country. In case you didn't notice, we have a black President. I think anyone who is intellectually honest knows that if you work hard and have talent at what you do in this country, you can be successful, regardless of your race. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar. I don't know a single person who is talented and is a hard worker, but just can't make it in this country because of their race. Do you know such a person?

Back in the 1960s there was real prejudice. The only thing that people like Martin Luther King wanted for black people was a fair chance. That was his dream. Today his dream has been accomplished. If he were alive today, he would be thrilled. As I type this in the year 2016, for people who live in the US, a person's race will not be an impediment to their success. In some cases, people of color actually have an advantage because of affirmative action type hiring practices in the private sector.

Am I claiming there is zero prejudice in this country? No. I'm not claiming there is zero. What I am claiming is that the amount of prejudice out there is so small that it is insignificant. As I said before, if you are talented at what you do and you work hard, your race is not going to stop you from succeeding.

this is all utter bullshit

I wish you were right, tho.

[declansharbor]

Black lives matter?? Only when a white cop takes a black life (warranted or not).

Blue lives matter?? I'm going to venture a guess and say that one voter is a racist.

All lives matter?? Well, no $hit. My parents brought me up the right way. The way that makes a statement like this asinine.

Lastly, my vote, which is none of the above. The fact that any one group thinks their life 'matters' more than another is a crock of horse $hit. That alone is driving the racial tension to new highs. (Don't tell me that the BLM idiots don't think their life is more important than a cop, and don't tell me that the majority of cops don't think their life is more important than a jobless parasite, bc they do).


And Rupe -- that west coast BS that you're spewing is funny. Maybe if the left coast wasn't known for being loaded with 'fake' people, it would hold more credence.

[Danzig]

Was watching a show, and thinking.....

Many areas of the country have cut programs for mental health, rehab, etc. But that police budget? No.
So, do we have states doing the same as feds? What is our answer so often with foreign policy? A military response.
And here we are, with police given military equipment swat raids ten times what they were...you would think, based on seeing police departments with rpgs and full body armor that we live in a war zone. But our crime rates are so low. Why are they armed to the gills, when we are actually safer than ever? If we keep sending cops out like that, are we not begging for too much force to be used?when given military surplus equipment, these depts are told you have to use within a years time, or you obviously didnt need it. Which means depts are going to find a reason to use their toys, to keep their toys.
So, what if, instead of hiring more and more police, we actually put the money where it belongs?? Or are police lobbyists and military equipment lobbyists and for profit prison lobbyists too powerful to buck?

[jms62]

Originally Posted by Danzig

Was watching a show, and thinking.....

Many areas of the country have cut programs for mental health, rehab, etc. But that police budget? No.
So, do we have states doing the same as feds? What is our answer so often with foreign policy? A military response.
And here we are, with police given military equipment swat raids ten times what they were...you would think, based on seeing police departments with rpgs and full body armor that we live in a war zone. But our crime rates are so low. Why are they armed to the gills, when we are actually safer than ever? If we keep sending cops out like that, are we not begging for too much force to be used?when given military surplus equipment, these depts are told you have to use within a years time, or you obviously didnt need it. Which means depts are going to find a reason to use their toys, to keep their toys.
So, what if, instead of hiring more and more police, we actually put the money where it belongs?? Or are police lobbyists and military equipment lobbyists and for profit prison lobbyists too powerful to buck?

Ding Ding Ding... Follow the money. For profit prisions and those that hold a stake in them.. Think lawmakers. How much money are we wasting locking people up for victimless crimes. Crimes that we the taxpayers are on the hook paying to prosecute and penalize. Crimes that are only prosecuted to enrich stakeholders in for profit prisions. Capitalism is great but it has run amok. Greed has made us unable to see conflicts of interest Anymore.



http://www.nydailynews.com/news/poli...icle-1.2707601

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Danzig

this is all utter bullshit

I wish you were right, tho.

Are you saying that most black people are subject to racism every day, most days, or rarely? Do you think that most black people are constantly being discriminated against? Do you think most black people would claim that? If not, then why do you have this opinion?

[Rupert Pupkin]

Just to be clear, I'm not claiming that groups who commit a disproportionate amount of crime will not get extra scrutiny from police. I think they will certainly get more scrutiny. For example, black people make up 23 percent of New York’s population, but they commit 75 percent of all shootings. Whites are 33 percent of the city’s population, but they commit fewer than 2 percent of all shootings. So police are obviously going to focus a lot of resources on the black community. If it gets to the point where Chinese Americans are committing 75% of shootings in New York, I'm sure they will get a huge amount of scrutiny. Whoever is committing all the crime will get the most scrutiny. And that's the way it should be. Right now virtually all terrorism is coming from Muslims. So who do you think the anti-terrorism unit of the FBI is going to focus on? They will obviously focus on Muslims. If Christians start committing most of the terrorism, I'm sure the FBI will start throwing resources in that direction.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Rupert Pupkin

Are you saying that most black people are subject to racism every day, most days, or rarely? Do you think that most black people are constantly being discriminated against? Do you think most black people would claim that? If not, then why do you have this opinion?

Minorities encounter racism quite often. In housing, education, dealings with law enforcement, the judicial system, banking, employment, customer service.
It is not a claim, it is a fact.
I have to say, you are the first person i have ever come across that said racism is not a problem.

[bigrun]

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Danzig

Minorities encounter racism quite often. In housing, education, dealings with law enforcement, the judicial system, banking, employment, customer service.
It is not a claim, it is a fact.
I have to say, you are the first person i have ever come across that said racism is not a problem.

I was looking at some polling of African-Americans. A majority say that they are treated fairly by the police. Granted it is a bare majority, but it is a majority. Not only that, more blacks than whites actually want a greater police presence in their neighborhood. The way the media portrays it, you would think that the vast majority of black people strongly dislike the police. As I said before, I don't understand why the media gives BLM all this coverage, when BLM does not even come close to representing most black people.

Here is the poll:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/184511/bl...es-fairly.aspx


In another poll they ask black people the following question: "Do blacks have as good a chance as whites in your community to get any kind of job for which they are qualified?" 40% say yes. 59% say no. So there are plenty of black people (40%) who don't think there is discrimination in getting jobs.

Then they were asked the following question: "Do black children have as good a chance as white children in your community to get a good education?" The majority say yes. 55% say yes. 44% say no.

Then they were asked, "Do blacks have as good a chance as whites in your community to get any housing they can afford?" The majority say yes. 56% say yes. 43% say no.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/180107/ga...iews-race.aspx

[Danzig]

Thats nice

[Danzig]

Incarceration Trends in America

From 1980 to 2008, the number of people incarcerated in America quadrupled-from roughly 500,000 to 2.3 million people
Today, the US is 5% of the World population and has 25% of world prisoners.
Combining the number of people in prison and jail with those under parole or probation supervision, 1 in every 31 adults, or 3.2 percent of the population is under some form of correctional control
Racial Disparities in Incarceration

African Americans now constitute nearly 1 million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated population
African Americans are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of whites
Together, African American and Hispanics comprised 58% of all prisoners in 2008, even though African Americans and Hispanics make up approximately one quarter of the US population
According to Unlocking America, if African American and Hispanics were incarcerated at the same rates of whites, today's prison and jail populations would decline by approximately 50%
One in six black men had been incarcerated as of 2001. If current trends continue, one in three black males born today can expect to spend time in prison during his lifetime
1 in 100 African American women are in prison
Nationwide, African-Americans represent 26% of juvenile arrests, 44% of youth who are detained, 46% of the youth who are judicially waived to criminal court, and 58% of the youth admitted to state prisons (Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice).
Drug Sentencing Disparities

About 14 million Whites and 2.6 million African Americans report using an illicit drug
5 times as many Whites are using drugs as African Americans, yet African Americans are sent to prison for drug offenses at 10 times the rate of Whites
African Americans represent 12% of the total population of drug users, but 38% of those arrested for drug offenses, and 59% of those in state prison for a drug offense.
African Americans serve virtually as much time in prison for a drug offense (58.7 months) as whites do for a violent offense (61.7 months). (Sentencing Project)
Contributing Factors

Inner city crime prompted by social and economic isolation
Crime/drug arrest rates: African Americans represent 12% of monthly drug users, but comprise 32% of persons arrested for drug possession
"Get tough on crime" and "war on drugs" policies
Mandatory minimum sentencing, especially disparities in sentencing for crack and powder cocaine possession
In 2002, blacks constituted more than 80% of the people sentenced under the federal crack cocaine laws and served substantially more time in prison for drug offenses than did whites, despite that fact that more than 2/3 of crack cocaine users in the U.S. are white or Hispanic
"Three Strikes"/habitual offender policies
Zero Tolerance policies as a result of perceived problems of school violence; adverse affect on black children.
35% of black children grades 7-12 have been suspended or expelled at some point in their school careers compared to 20% of Hispanics and 15% of whites

[Rupert Pupkin]

Originally Posted by Danzig

Thats nice

I'm sure that is all you can say when the evidence contradicts your opinion. That is hilarious. I post research that shows you are totally wrong, and the only response you can come up with is, "That's nice".

With regard to incarceration rates, that doesn't prove anything. If you have one group who is committing a disproportionate amount of crime, that group will obviously make up a disproportionate amount of the people in jail.

With regard to drugs specifically, there is an obvious reason why more people of color are arrested for drugs, and it is not because of the color of their skin. In the inner cities, there are drug dealers selling drugs on the streets and in alleys. You have people doing drugs in the street. You don't have that in nice neighborhoods. For example, if you have some white guy who is doing some drugs at his $5 million mansion in Beverly Hills, how is he going to get caught? It would be almost impossible for him to get caught. On the other hand, if you have some white guy trying to buy drugs on the street in south-central LA, I'm sure he would be just as likely to be arrested as a black guy.

With regard to your comment about meeting people from every demographic, I guarantee that I meet way more people than you from different ethnicities and demographics. Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in the country. Not only do I guarantee that I meet way more people of color than you, I guarantee that I spend way more time talking to them than you. What I am posting is based on my experience, and the research backs up what I say. The people of color that I know do not experience a significant amount of discrimination. And the research shows the same thing. With regard to black people specifically, most black people say that they are not discriminated against when it comes to getting jobs, housing, schools, etc.