Of course it's obvious that Fox is a "right wing" network. That was the whole premise when it launched. The way I see it, that was a deliberate orchestration of social conditioning by the corporate oligopoly. The media isn't either liberal or conservative, it is ALL corporate. It spouts the corporate line and now uses the news media which is supposed to exist independent of the state to promote it's agenda while perpetrating an illusion that there is choice in governance through the implication of the false liberal, Democrat, big government vs. conservative, Republican, pro-business paradigm. The reality is that the whole of the government is run on a big government for big business premise. Neither party represents a legitimate alternative to corporate oligarchy. They're not Obama's stooge, Obama is THEIR stooge, as Bush, Clinton, Bush, Regan, etc. were before them. Just like the Senators and Congressmen that are in constant campaign mode and easily be bought whenever needed. Our government is bought and paid for and supporting any part of it at this point is an exercise in futility.
The wyte man always trying to come up with names for us. First it was (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)s Negros Coloreds Blacks Minorities African Americans And not 'Thugs'. We demand something done.
Could it be because we were not treated as Americans until about 40yrs ago and we have been here since the 1600s.
OK, but today there's a black guy in the white house, in the big chair, and a decent representation of black folks in congress and the various state and municipal levels as well. Do you experience institutionalized racism on any kind of regular basis? I ask that seriously. I personally don't come across many people that are racist, or prejudiced against black people, at least not overtly so.
Well, to that point I can't argue with you. There is plenty of data that shows black people and minorities in general tend to get incarcerated at a higher percentage and for longer sentences. Though, I would also suggest that a good part of that data also points to a bias against people of lesser financial means.
Yeah, because they commit a larger percentage of the crimes. A higher percentage of Blacks commit more crimes than Whites, although when looking at sheer numbers, there are probably more Whites committing crimes than Blacks.
Ok, but do you think that it is a genetic thing that black people are more prone to commit crime? I tend to believe that there are factors beyond race that are the cause to higher percentages of black people being incarcerated. First of all, we know economic condition is the largest motivator of crime. People in desperate situations are more likely to commit crimes of desperation. Also, there seems to be an inherent bias in the judicial system where poorer people are sentenced more harshly and are more likely to do time and serve longer sentences than their wealthier counterparts that commit the same crimes. Partly, that is because of the access to better legal counsel. I don't think an average black guy is any more likely to be a criminal than an average white guy in the same condition.
Can you post anything to back that up, also what are the majority of folks who incarcerated there for?
I would suggest that the breakdown in the family unit is not a phenomenon that only applies to black people. Yes, there are plenty of studies to show that a child raised in a single parent household is more prone to crime, but that is likely related to the odds that any person raised in such a situation is going to experience poverty.
The term "thug" and the various permutations of this term (e.g., thug life, thug rap, etc.) are and have been used by black people for years to describe other black people. Now "thug" is racist?
Wow thats funny most black folks would disagree with you, because I for one have never used the term to describe another black person.
Ok I would be willing to bet you if you ask the youth of America today to name a role model his name would never come up. Secondly isn't he the one that said Hezbollah aren't terrorist they are true freedom fighters? Didn't he say that white people aren't human and haven't evoked yet? Did he not say something about raining destruction on the white race and save those who worship Islam? This is your positive role model? Wow. Did he not say Hilter was a good man?
The truth of it is that the media has long portrayed the image of "thug life" as being associated with gangster rap and gang culture and to a large degree associated black culture with gang culture in the process. It's not racist of people to in some way associate the term "thug" with black people so much as it is a trained response. Most people don't care what color you are, where you come from, what your name is, or who you like to (*)(*)(*)(*). They usually only want to be treated fairly and to likewise treat others fairly. Sherman appeared to be acting in a very brash and confrontational manner and it is not unreasonable nor racist for some people to say that he appeared to be acting like a thug. To claim that saying thug is comparable to saying the n-word, a word which was used to such a foul end that we can't even say the word without potentially offending someone, is way over the top and puts anyone who associates "thug" with gang culture into a defensive position. This is contrived division...when they are dividing us on purpose, what is their goal? Divide and -------...I think it begins with a "c"...
The problem with that assessment is not all black folks listen or are involved with gangsta rap or the gangsta lifestyle. It would be like trying to associate all white folks with Heavy Metal music. I have seen young black men who are A students, don't wear their pants hanging off their butts and don't sell drugs called "thugs". As a matter of fact you don't have to go far just read many of the racist post on this very forum and you will see it clear as day.
"Thug" implies violent and criminal behavior. Trash talking is neither. Therefore anyone who claims "thuggish" behavior here loses.
Of course they aren't, and I am aware of that fact. My point wasn't that black people SHOULD be associated with gangsta rap. My point was that the media presents THAT caricature representation so it is not unreasonable for those ignorant of reality to see it that way. Well, that is not something I have experienced, so I cannot speak to it. As far as racists on this board and in general, yes, there are plenty of them. That doesn't mean that anyone that used the word thug in reaction to Sherman's outburst is a racist or was doing so with a racial intent or undertone.
I agree after the fact that there was nothing "thuggish" about Sherman's behavior. My initial interpretation of the incident, which was from a point of being in the room with the game on but being engaged in something else, was that a violent altercation was taking place. I didn't really know what happened, I was caught off guard by it and couldn't understand what Sherman was saying, and while I did feel at the time he was being an over the top clown, I wasn't quite sure what I'd just witnessed. My point, though, is that this is being used as a deliberate point of division.
I am not so sure its the media, some folks just view all black folks as criminals and thugs. Really, tell me one thing that Sherman did or said that would make someone label him a "thug".
Of course it is not simply "the media", but it's also not simply that there is a bunch of ignorant people that view black folks as criminals. They got that idea from somewhere, if not from the media, then where? I've already said several times in this thread that after getting clarification as to what was going on, Sherman was clearly not doing anything wrong and that the "thug" label was clearly misapplied. I also have said that my personal experience with the situation was to have seen it live, with no explanation and not actually paying attention to what was going on, as I suspect many people who had a negative reaction also saw it. I was watching the game live and had the tv on but was talking with my kids and Sherman's reaction was clearly over the top, he seemed out of control and his screaming incoherently seemed to have a violent overtone. I couldn't understand what he was saying, my attention to it came into the scene out of context, and there was no immediate response from the broadcast team explaining what the hell I'd just seen. I thought he was acting like a jack-ass, which isn't entirely wrong. That's school yard, juvenile garbage to be screaming stuff like that. For him to then turn around, and with the media all too willing to oblige, and try to make the negative reaction about his skin color rather than his clear over-reaction and feigned "disrespect" was in poor taste. There are plenty of instances where clear cases of racial bigotry exist. Richard Sherman is being paid MILLIONS of dollars to play a game. He's in the national spotlight and he had an outburst that was, in my opinion, over the top, unnecessary, and embarrassing for him. He's not being held back because he's a black guy and the whole circus around it is nonsense and detrimental to legitimate issues of racial equality.
