Revival of Middle Class Black Posters

<p>Plainsman, there are many many Black students who don't live in theme dorms. There are dorms for all kinds of groups, not just those based on race. I don't think that a person's desire to be with people like themselves is necessarily a bad thing. As someone has pointed out long ago on this thread, people of all groups get together out of familiarity and by choice. I went to the University of ILlinois, Champaign-Urbana for graduate school in the 1970s and I recall there was a televison news story on the local news about how Black students segregated themselves in the dining halls - but it was never pointed out that white students, Asian students also sat together. Also, according to this news story, it was just "Black" students sitting together. In reality, Black students from Chicago sat together, Black students who had gone to HBCUs as undergraduates sat together, Black athletes sat together, etc. - its wasn't just that we were simpy Black students indiscriminatly sitting with one another. Different kinds of black students sat together as I'm sure was the case with these other groups. It's so easy to lump students together. We went to class with white students and had primarily white students as roommates. Black students were in various majors and degree programs and actually, meal time was the only time that had an opportunity to talk with other Black students. Plus it was an exaggeration that Blacks only ate with one another. We often ate with all kinds of students. Considering that the U of I had the largest Greek system in higher education with white fraternity and sorority houses throughout the campus (the ultimate White theme houses!) it was with great irony and arrogance that Black students were made to feel apologetic for having dinner together. When more than two black students sat together, it created fear and concern on the part of white administrators. My daughter doesn't live in the Black theme house and doesn't desire to. However, she has a Black roommate this year and I'm sure they'll probably room together for the rest of the time that they're at Amherst. My daughter had seven of her friends come out to the west coast for Spring Break - 3 Black, one friend from Turkey, one from Bulgaria, one Latina, one Guyanese Indian. It was a truly diverse group. She's going to Istanbul, Turkey with her friend from Turkey for 2 1/2 weeks over Christmas break. My daughter is very comfortable being Black and doesn't feel she has to shun people of her own race . She truly enjoys people from all backgrounds and has always had many international friends based on summer programs that she's participated in throughout her life. All of our kids have had mostly integrated experiences but they have Black parents and relatives. We set the tone for their lives. We can help them affirm or reject who they are.</p>

<p>Dbate, its just too late for me to write a lengthy response to you. My question as to why you're on the thread has nothing to do with politics but more to the fact that you feel so detached from being Black that why would you want to engage any conversation with people who are self-identified as Blacks. I'm sure that once you get on a college campus, take a few classes, read some books and experience life, you'll no doubt form different opinions. You're too young to be so narrow and rigid.</p>

<p>Dbate, I find you an interesting character purely based on your posts. I understand your "fear". But surely you must understand that is has always been liberals in the private sector who have supported and fought for programs that we and you have benefited from. The government doesn't provide for everything. There is a long history of liberal groups that have started programs and organizations that are non political. A very famous liberal, Bill Clinton has started such an organization. I will post the link if you care to look at it. He is just one of the many.
About</a> The Clinton Foundation | William J. Clinton Foundation</p>

<p>But morally and ethically, as a society we, have an obligation to help those not as fortunate. Whether it is scholarships for those that need help with school costs, milk for babies, daycare services for children of working parents. As far as government is concerned, I think there should be restraint and initiatives for self sufficiency. I love when conservatives look only at the individual and not the collective whole, it is in my mind a narrow and selfish view. JMHO. You are entitled to whatever view you wish, but as things turn out, the majority will rule regardless of ideology.</p>

<p>Plainsman, There was a WSJ article in late April or early May that addressed your concerns. It was titled, * “Race on Campus: Beyond Obama, The Unity Stops -After Campaign Rallies, Black, White Students Go Their Separate Ways”. * I started a thread about this article <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/505854-race-relations-college-campuses.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/505854-race-relations-college-campuses.html&lt;/a> .

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"Both communities tend to be very judgmental," "There is pressure to be black. The black community can be harsh. People will say there are 600 blacks on campus but only two-thirds are 'black' because you can't count blacks who hang out with white people."

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It mainly discussed Duke but there were quotes from AA students at Northwestern as well. I was surprised when reading this article. I went to DePaul U in the mid seventies – a nursing major. The nursing students, irrespective of color, sat together, occasionally we would further segregated by age or specialty. Those of us who were already RNs hung out together. The ER, ICU, OR nurses/student nurses tended to group together. The psych nurses were truly a different breed. :D :D There was never a table of Black nurses/student nurses and a different table for White nurses.</p>

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There was never a table of Black nurses/student nurses and a different table for White nurses.

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<p>This was my mom's experience as a nursing student in St. Louis, Missouri and a nurse in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All the nurses interacted with one another.</p>

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"you feel so detached from being Black that why would you want to engage any conversation with people who are self-identified as Blacks."

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<p>I am not detached from being black, I am black everyday and constantly reminded. You do not know me so spar me the false pschoanalysis. I am very much black, because being black does not mean you have to have certain beliefs, or support a certain candidate. Being black is simply an excess of melonoma in your skin. Black people are people and have different views and opinions.</p>

<p>Could you ever imagine telling a white person that they are detached from being "white", the very notino that someone can somehow not be something they are born is racist. It builds on the notion that blacks have one thought process, support only one cadidate, heck next are you going to tell me I am not black because I do not like watermelon.</p>

<p>The entire concept of marginalizing and reducing entire groups into one concept is what sterotyping is.</p>

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"I'm sure that once you get on a college campus, take a few classes, read some books and experience life, you'll no doubt form different opinions. You're too young to be so narrow and rigid."

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<p>Spare me the liberal dribble. I have my beliefs and political opinions intact firmly. Heck I go to competitions on the weekends where I give politicl speeches, I watch C-Span (even the boring parts), have been to the capital in the House, and have so much experience with politics that few others have a more working knowledge than I do.</p>

<p>I am a FOX news, GOD, marriage, morality loving republican because I believe in those things. It may be hard for some to fathom that a young black boy could be consider being Republican, but MLK did not fight that black people could have rights to freedom so we can all have one opinion. </p>

<p>
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"I understand your "fear". But surely you must understand that is has always been liberals in the private sector who have supported and fought for programs "

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<p>Be that as it may, Barack Obama is promising a very government run style of socialism that takes us toward a place our fear our country going. </p>

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"But morally and ethically, as a society we, have an obligation to help those not as fortunate."

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<p>We most certainly do, but I believe the private individual should make that choice through such things as the Bill Clinton Foundation, or Ronald McDonald. All those things are capitalism because they are privately owned, but the government providing those things is what would be the problem.</p>

<p>
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"I love when conservatives look only at the individual and not the collective whole"

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<p>I have not read Burke (the historical consrevative writer) but I believe that is the difference between liberalsim and conservatism in a nut shell. As a conservative I believe that it is my respobsibility to take care of myself and make decisions as to how my money will be spent. But liberalism would prescribe that my money is not my own, but rather a part of a whole that should be used for the greater good. </p>

<p>I find the latter troubling because then when we are taking care of the collective then our society begins to lag. America for instance is the most competitive nation in the world and as such we are also the wealthiest. France on the other hand is not competitive because the government will take care of people, what then is the incentive for hard work? Nothing. So ultimately people will stop working hard and eventually our society will begin to fail.</p>

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I believe that it is my respobsibility to take care of myself and make decisions as to how my money will be spent

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<p>I agree wholeheartedly. I was raised in an AA household that lived that and at a time when this country was more racially divided. There were no expectations to be given anything. Many of the men in my family served in the military, they were in seperated troops only for "colored". Very demoralizing, and they were registered republicans. But they served this great country. My cousin died in Viet Nam. My mother who would have been 78, had to sit in a 'Colored only' section of the movie theater. Those liberals fought hard to have government treat all fairly. This country needs them because it helps to keep government accountable. My views are more moderate. I don't believe all of BO policies, he is more liberal than I, but our current Republican administration for the past 8 yeasr has made government bigger. I personally don't know how BO is going to fund all of his platforms. But it will be interesting to see what will prevail.</p>

<p>^^^That is another reason why I support John McCain. I think most economist agree that you have to raise taxes no matter who gets elected. But the difference is that McCain wants to reduce government spending.
If Obama gets his policies implemented then it will mean huge amounts of spending which our country simply cannot afford.
McCain promises not to raise taxes, but I think he will. He was against the Bush tax cuts before he was against them. So if our country goes through four years of more taxes and less government spending, we will be in a good situation.
But I fear that Obama is too idealistic and will actually push for things like universal healthcare.</p>

<p>Also though Bush may be socially conservative, his policies are not fiscally conservative.</p>

<p>"America for instance is the most competitive nation in the world and as such we are also the wealthiest."</p>

<p>You might want to check out the example of Japan, which underwent some of the most extraordinary economic growth in human history between 1945 and 1985. How come (real) universal health care didn't slow them down?</p>

<p>^^No we are the most competitive:</p>

<p>
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"Most Economicially Competitive Countries</p>

<p>Top 20 Competitive Nations (in order)</p>

<p>US
Switzerland
Denmark
Sweden
Germany
Finland
Singapore
Japan
Uk
Netherlands
Korea
Hong Kong
Canada
Taiwan
Austria
Norway
Israel
France
Australia
Belgium</p>

<p>MOBILEPOINTVIEW.COM
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<p>Japans growth was fueled by divestment from military resources into other areas of the economy. History tells us that Japan had one of the most powerful militaries in the world, so that money was then diverted to spend on other endeavors. It had nothing to do with universal healthcare.</p>

<p>If you look to the other countries who have universal healthcare you will see:</p>

<p>
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"
Rank Nation Gross Domestic Product(in millions of US dollars)</p>

<p>1 United States 13,843,825
2 Japan 4,383,762
3 Germany 3,322,147
4 China (PRC) 3,250,827
5 United Kingdom 2,772,570
6 France 2,560,255
7 Italy 2,104,666
8 Spain 1,438,959
9 Canada 1,432,140
10 Brazil 1,313,590</p>

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<p>Using Japan you see there is a 9 trillion dollar drop off from the US to Japan. Looking at universal healthcare, is it worth 9 trillion dollars?</p>

<p>In a nutshell. Dbate seems rather pompous and I'd rather my daughter look elsewhere. You are not a wonderful catch for any female. You flatter yourself way too much.</p>

<p>Just let me say this, you get upset about being identified as a URM, but in every single chance post, you identify yourself as such.</p>

<p>^^^I have no idea who you are, so I really don't care what you think.</p>

<p>Don't you think it's relevant to the GDP comparison that the U.S. has a population more than double that of Japan, and that our entire national infrastructure wasn't flattened in the middle of the 20th century? Were you even going to consider those factors? This is a waste of time.</p>

<p>This is not a waste of time. The population thing doesn't matter as China has a much larger population.</p>

<p>And the flattening you mention is the exact same time period that you had listed in an ealier post for economic growth for Japan:</p>

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" Japan, which underwent some of the most extraordinary economic growth in human history between 1945 and 1985."

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<p>It only became a waste of time when you were shown to be wrong.</p>

<p>Tutu; I can't get my "hands" on the article. The original link and google don't work. How else might I find it? BTW; My D (at Duke) does not allude to much in the way of "self-segregation", but she is fairly strong willed about what she is and isn't okay with. Race is a distant second or third behind her "values".</p>

<p>Oh to Hanna, that last line of my post was harsh. I apologize.</p>

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Being black is simply an excess of melonoma in your skin.

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<p>I suppose it's nice to live in a time when one can so easily assert, with all sincerity, such a benign definition of what it means to be Black. </p>

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...heck next are you going to tell me I am not black because I do not like watermelon.

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<p>Hmmm...well...now that you mention it... (j/k)</p>

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But the difference is that McCain wants to reduce government spending.

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<p>Yeah, if he does even half as well as his predecessor we should be in really great shape... oh wait! um, nevermind :)</p>

<p>Actually a melanoma is not benign at all! I think he means melanin...</p>

<p>D finally hooked up with the gospel choir, something she has longed for, for a very long time. She said it was wonderful and she was close to tears (of joy!).</p>

<p>Haha I missed that. Now I'm really amused. Thanks for pointing that out.</p>

<p>Shrinkrap, H gets the WSJ at his office. I will try and set-up an online account and see if I can obtain a copy of the article. If so I’ll PM you and send you a copy via email.</p>