NationStates Jolt Archive

When reading the news this morning, I came across two articles that just made me shake my head and wonder about the future of the human race. How stupid are we as a species that we're still dealing with this kind of crap?

Here's the first one, from the St. Petersburg Times (http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/02/Tampabay/Racial_profiling_fear.shtml):
GAF has been spending about $50,000 a year on gift cards at the Wal-Mart Supercenter at 11110 Causeway Blvd. in Brandon. For years GAF sent a white, female administrator to buy them without incident. This time, when she was on vacation the day before Thanksgiving, Pitts did the job himself. He phoned in the order for 520 cards, got the accounting department to issue Wal-Mart a $13,600 check and then encountered a royal hassle trying to exchange it for gift cards at the store.

"For a while there I thought I was going to prison," he said. "It was a totally humiliating experience."

For about two hours, store managers stalled on accepting the check for the already-printed gift cards, while Pitts stood waiting by the customer service desk. He had handed over his GAF business card, his driver's license and the toll-free numbers to GAF's bank. His accounting supervisor assured them over the phone that GAF, the nation's biggest roofing systems maker with revenues of $1.6-billion in 2004, was good for the check.

snip

Later, two Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies appeared. One grabbed Pitts by the arm. He objected to the rough handling and asked if he was being arrested.

"We need to talk with you about this forged check that you brought in here," Pitts recalled deputy Bryan Wells saying. Later Wells explained the reason for the firm arm grab: "Well, Wal-Mart called us and reported to us that you committed a felony, and that's the way we approach felons," Pitts recalled.

Within 19 minutes deputies reviewed the evidence, determined there was no grounds for a criminal charge and learned Wal-Mart would not press the issue further. Wells handed the check to Pitts.
So far, the head office has apologized to Pitts, but no one from the store has done so. The company noted that Pitts had given Wal-Mart a handful of phone numbers to call--higher-ups in the company who would verify his identity--but the Wal-Mart management only called the number to the guard shack that was in the telephone book.

One other thing the article noted was that while Pitts was going through all this, several other customers came in with similar size orders and had them handled promptly and efficiently--want to guess what ethnicity they were?

Here's the other, from the Sun-Sentinel (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-cpsuit03dec03,0,716618.story?coll=sfla-news-palm):
Thomas and the seller negotiated a purchase price of $127,000, which Thomas intended to pay in cash. But before the closing could take place, the association president informed the seller's Realtor that he would not have "any black people moving here," according to a federal lawsuit brought last month against the association, its president and vice president.

snip

Jordan is accused of telling the Realtor that "black people usually run day-care centers from their homes" and that he didn't want that to happen in his community, the suit alleges. Jordan prided himself that there were only six Jewish families in the neighborhood and they all moved in prior to his tenure as president, it also claims.

That one just blew my mind.

So what's the story here? I like to think that we've made progress in the world of race relations, but I think it's clear we have a long way to go.

So what's the story here? I like to think that we've made progress in the world of race relations, but I think it's clear we have a long way to go.
What can I say? The world is full of idiots.

Our nation is slowly outgrowing this sort of stupid behavior, but there will always be a few people lagging behind the curve. We just have to make up out minds that our society will no longer tolerate this sort of idiocy.

In the Wal-Mart incident, it would serve them right if Pitts simply let Wal-Mart eat the cost of the order because of this. He should place another order elsewhere, and let Wal-Mart be stuck with $13,600 worth of cards. If the store complains, he can accurately point out that the store refused payment.

:rolleyes:

Racism today? forever? NO WAY!

St. Petersburg Times (http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/02/Tampabay/Racial_profiling_fear.shtml
):



Bad link.

Racism will NEVER go away. It's a sad thing to think about, but any realist will tell you that it is inevitable. You put 5 billion people on a big chunk of rock, and some will hate others for no reason.

What will change is how we deal with these people. We cannot reduce the number of racists to zero, but if we change how we deal with them, we can make them understand that acting upon their racist feelings will mean that they cannot get anywhere in our society.

There will always be groups like the KKK and the Aryans and the Nation of Islam. What there WON'T always be is funding for them. Racism will NEVER go away, but what we CAN get rid of is racists in positions of power.

I live in the small town of Poquoson, Virginia, and trust me there's a lot of racism around. It's just about the dumbest thing I can think of to think that your skin color predisposes you to being smarter or dumber than someone else. The town of Poquoson is much like the second article posted by the Sun-Sentinel... perhaps why their high school is forced to list its black population in the census as 0% and white as 99%. It's not that Virginia is an overwhelmingly white state, particularly not in the Southeast Norfolk Metro, but that black people don't feel comfortable living there. Go figure. When Confederate flags line Main Street (actually... it's called Wythe Creek Road) and the town's history is tied greatly to the KKK, maybe there's a reason to not wanting to live there?

I think that America, collectively, is progressing, but if you guys haven't seen the movie Crash, you should. It poignantly points out both sides of the racism issue and what I refer to as "counter-racism" (people purposely excluding themselves from society to claim 'oppression'). Watch the movie! It's good like woah.

It's good like woah.
I love that song! ( I'll bet your neighbors don't though! ;) )

Racism will NEVER go away.

You think? I reckon that, as you say, "You put 5 billion people on a big chunk of rock, and some will hate others for no reason", but I don't think that hatred need always necessarily be tied to race. Economics, religion, sex, gender, expression of some recessive allele that renders the user immune to AIDS/alien ray guns, whatever - 1 given group is always going to have problems with some 'other' group(s), but I think we can mitigate it, attuate it, quite a lot. Racism, in particular, might be a hate that can be ameliorated in some future society :)

Elgesh'] Racism, in particular, might be a hate that can be ameliorated in some future society :)
Racism will only go away when and if we are all one race of people. As Metallica would say, it's "Sad but True"

Racism will only go away when and if we are all one race of people. As Metallica would say, it's "Sad but True"

Reckon? Oh well... give it 1000 years rather than the couple hundred I was thinking of, then, I guess! :p

What can I say? The world is full of idiots.

Our nation is slowly outgrowing this sort of stupid behavior, but there will always be a few people lagging behind the curve. We just have to make up out minds that our society will no longer tolerate this sort of idiocy.
Is that what's happening though? The last 5-10 years, all I've noticed is that racism & general prejudice against minorities is getting more & more accepted. Both in europe & America.

If you see something different happening, then please enlighten me.

Elgesh']Reckon? Oh well... give it 1000 years rather than the couple hundred I was thinking of, then, I guess! :p
Yeah, I do see your point that SOMEDAY it could be gone. I just don't tend to look beyond my own lifespan when discussing things of this nature, and I see it as 100% immposible that I will ever see it happen.

Is that what's happening though? The last 5-10 years, all I've noticed is that racism & general prejudice against minorities is getting more & more accepted. Both in europe & America.

If you see something different happening, then please enlighten me.

The end of the cold war and the start of the current terrorism mileu have taken away the _need_ for unity at a national level. Some sort of conflict was inevitable as the 'nastiness' that was supressed during the cold war broke out when the almost implicit supression was removed - one of the forms that nastiness has taken is a spike in racism, exactly as you said.

Yeah, I do see your point that SOMEDAY it could be gone. I just don't tend to look beyond my own lifespan when discussing things of this nature, and I see it as 100% immposible that I will ever see it happen.

OOOH, shit, right, sorry! No, I agree with you then - _we'll_ never see an end to racism, and it's unlikely our children/grandchildren will either. But give it time and action, and it'll attenuate away :)

Human racism will never go away until space aliens show up. Then most of them will switch to Alien racism.

Racism will NEVER go away, but what we CAN get rid of is racists in positions of power.

AMEN!:)

Human racism will never go away until space aliens show up. Then most of them will switch to Alien racism.
"The Day After The Day The Martians Came" by Frederick Pohl.

Racism is soooo yesterday, now that we entered the 20th century, being prejudiced at a person's religion is in, not there skin color

Them damn Pig F***** Muslims all ought die (yep sad truth N***** just isn't in it anymore)



*sarcasm off*

*sarcasm on*


Racism is soooo yesterday, now that we entered the 20th century, being prejudiced at a person's religion is in, not there skin color

Them damn Pig F***** Muslims all ought die (yep sad truth N***** just isn't in it anymore)



*sarcasm off*

Elgesh']The end of the cold war and the start of the current terrorism mileu have taken away the _need_ for unity at a national level. Some sort of conflict was inevitable as the 'nastiness' that was supressed during the cold war broke out when the almost implicit supression was removed - one of the forms that nastiness has taken is a spike in racism, exactly as you said.
I didn't actually mean to turn it to a discussion about the cause, but.. While I don't disagree with your conclusion, I disagree with how big a factor you seem to believe these two things are.

It appears to me that the increasing social inequality, coupled with our failure to integrate forigners into our societies, are the primary causes of the increase in discrimination (whether it's racism or something else). At least, judging by the things people justify the discrimination with, these two things seems to be the major causes.
I agree that terrorism is probably also a major cause, but generally speaking, it's such a new thing that it's hard to really say for sure.

In any case, I'd find it much more interesting to discuss what can be done to counter the increasing discrimination in the western world. Any brilliant ideas?

[QUOTE=Cybach] now that we entered the 20th century, QUOTE]



:D :D :D :D :D

Any brilliant ideas?

Love your next?

:D Not a new one, but it might do - and I like the idea :fluffle: ;)

you think you so right well what about reverse discrimination but ponder on how life just still isnt fair for the black man when he can say whatever he damn well please without any chance of jail time or loss of job

In the second story, my cynical nature makes me wonder if Thomas isn't trying the old "Jesse Jackson" shakedown. That is, cry racism until someone throws money at you in an out of court settlement.

Love your next?

:D Not a new one, but it might do - and I like the idea :fluffle: ;)
Careful. Last guy who suggested that got nailed to some wood.

you think you so right well what about reverse discrimination but ponder on how life just still isnt fair for the black man when he can say whatever he damn well please without any chance of jail time or loss of job
Because it's only discrimination when it's not aimed at middleclass caucasian males...

Bugger... Where in this thread did you see anyone promoting any sort of racism or discrimination? Or did you just think it was really damn important to mention every single instance of discrimination? If so, you forgot to mention the staggeringly huge problem our societies have with discrimination against Swedish midgits in bikinis. Do you think it's fair to discriminate against those? Well? Do you?

Bleh..

Bad link.
Thanks, I fixed it. Amazing what a space in the wrong spot will do, huh?

In the second story, my cynical nature makes me wonder if Thomas isn't trying the old "Jesse Jackson" shakedown. That is, cry racism until someone throws money at you in an out of court settlement.
Just out of curiosity, where are you getting that from, because I don't see it.

Any brilliant ideas?

Punishment beatings?

I would say that, in the first story, the cops didn't do anything bad in the way they handled the situation. If they got a call that a felony was being committed, then they acted somewhat appropriately.

I would say that, in the first story, the cops didn't do anything bad in the way they handled the situation. If they got a call that a felony was being committed, then they acted somewhat appropriately.
I agree completely--especially since it took them all of 19 minutes to discover that there wasn't even enough for them to write a report about. The local Wal-Mart management, however, they got some 'splaining to do.

Just out of curiosity, where are you getting that from, because I don't see it.
No particular reason, except that I'm naturally cynical about things like that. As a small-time landlord, even I know that I can't do things like that. And if I were to try, I certainly wouldn't use color as a reason to stall.

As long as people thing racism even exists...THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE! Well unless you include the New York Marathon...there will always be hatred. So stop using the word racist when it is not correct. Hatred is hatred, you don't have to give it a special name.

Anyway, it's Wal Mart...what do you expect? They can now add this to their resume that includes killing a man.

Because it's only discrimination when it's not aimed at middleclass caucasian males...

The last time middleclass caucausian males openly suffered discrimination was in a John Travolta movie called White Man's Burden.

Good thing we can generalize that RACISM is ALIVE AND WELL from a couple of incidents reported in the news. And that we can generalize from that that all middle class white males are racists.

And good thing that there are never any stories about good things happenning, like some people not being racists. Actually being close friends and neighbors, lovers and spouses, mothers and fathers.

Good thing we can generalize that RACISM is ALIVE AND WELL from a couple of incidents reported in the news. And that we can generalize from that that all middle class white males are racists.

And good thing that there are never any stories about good things happenning, like some people not being racists. Actually being close friends and neighbors, lovers and spouses, mothers and fathers.
Oh sweet fucking christ, get off your high horse. I noted in the original post that I think race relations have come a long way in this country--examples like these two, and they are far from the only ones that happen regularly, are just proof that we still have a long way to go. Just because the majority of people in this country aren't virulent racists doesn't mean it's not still a problem. :rolleyes:

Oh sweet fucking christ, get off your high horse. I noted in the original post that I think race relations have come a long way in this country--examples like these two, and they are far from the only ones that happen regularly, are just proof that we still have a long way to go. Just because the majority of people in this country aren't virulent racists doesn't mean it's not still a problem. :rolleyes:

Find ONE story in today's media where they are showing that people get along.

Just one.

Good thing we can generalize that RACISM is ALIVE AND WELL from a couple of incidents reported in the news. And that we can generalize from that that all middle class white males are racists.
I don't know where you're from, but racism is alive & well all across europe.

What that has to do with middle class white males, I can't guess. In my experience, idiocy knows neither income, gender or skincolour.
And good thing that there are never any stories about good things happenning, like some people not being racists. Actually being close friends and neighbors, lovers and spouses, mothers and fathers.
What would you call this thread then? Is it a bad thing that a whole bunch of strangers from all over the planet, are all outraged over stories of blatant racism?

Find ONE story in today's media where they are showing that people get along.

Just one.
That didn't take long. (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-heat04.1dec04,0,2036096.story?coll=sfla-sports-front)

you think you so right well what about reverse discrimination but ponder on how life just still isnt fair for the black man when he can say whatever he damn well please without any chance of jail time or loss of job


huh? Far as i know, in free speech countries, anyone can say whatever he damn well pleases without a chance of jail time or job loss. In countries that are less free, saying the wrong thing will get you put in jail whether you are black, white, or green.

This post smacks of racism, some young white male thinking the world owes him something, and who points at the blacks and blames them for everything he hasn't done with his life.

huh? Far as i know, in free speech countries, anyone can say whatever he damn well pleases without a chance of jail time or job loss. In countries that are less free, saying the wrong thing will get you put in jail whether you are black, white, or green.

This post smacks of racism, some young white male thinking the world owes him something, and who points at the blacks and blames them for everything he hasn't done with his life.
The fact that his nation name is "German america reich 2" probably doens't help disabuse anyone of that judgment either.

Despicable.:(