Racism in America?

[julie_m]

Today we watched the PBS debates to be Texas' US Senator. The answers were kept short and time was left at the end, so they went into a "wild card" round with a mixed bag of questions from the panel of moderators.

The challenger, Rep. Rick Noriega, D, was asked this question:

"Has it occurred to you, 200 years after Abraham Lincoln's birth, that Barack Obama will be deciding who sleeps in the Lincoln bedroom?"

We were stunned, poor Noriega too. He made a fine enough comment that anyone should be able to stand up for their beliefs, etc etc, but I believe this comment was unabashedly racist and an embarrassment. Others I've asked think the question was dumb, but not necessarily racist.

Does anyone else have an opinion?

[Chilli Dipper]

Today we watched the PBS debates to be Texas' US Senator. The answers were kept short and time was left at the end, so they went into a "wild card" round with a mixed bag of questions from the panel of moderators.

I would have to see video of the exchange to determine what I think of it.

[julie_m]

I would have to see video of the exchange to determine what I think of it.

I looked, I'm not finding one.

I promise it was bland, unemotional, and seemed perfectly civil if you didn't listen to the content.

[GaijinGolfer]

Sounds like a pretty loaded question to me. Id say that racism is alive and well in America.
Whites arent the only guilty ones either, Im white and I can tell you that Ive experienced racism from just about every ethnic group.
I personally dont consider myself to be racist. Im white and I think the USA is the greatest nation on Earth, but I also have a lot of respect for Japan (so much that I learned how to speak Japanese) and I have no problem with Obama as our president. (Id take him over McCain any day)
I try to do what Dr. King dreamed about : juding people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin...

[ganjagolfer]

I try to do what Dr. King dreamed about

i don't even judge people by their character, i'm on a mission to empower everyone to evolve as i let others empower my evolution

[michaeljames92]

Some people will never change. I agree there is a lot of racism and white people cop a lot of flack for bein racist to black people. However, the opposite doesn't happen very often(well in Australia anyway). Always ticked me off that aboriginees could call you whitey, cracker or whatever and never get any flack over it. Racism in sport happens a lot too. The whiteman is so scared of being called racist by the black man and the black man can get away with almost anything. Anyway, these comments are described of the worst people of these two races and for most people(especially on this forum) they are great people and I have many good friends who have ethnic backgrounds

[bradpet]

Me thinks the 'R' word is thrown around a little too freely in many of these discussions threads.

Much more interested in the 'G' word.

[bogeyme]

Today we watched the PBS debates to be Texas' US Senator. The answers were kept short and time was left at the end, so they went into a "wild card" round with a mixed bag of questions from the panel of moderators.

Am I missing something? How do they know Obama will win? Did McCain drop out and I just haven't heard?

I'd have to hear his exact comment to decide but I don't see how his response was racist. Or are you talking about the original question being racist? I'd say the original question is a little on the racist side.

[DDBowdoin]

bogey, I'm just hoping your state pulls for McCain... I wonder how the media would have reacted if McCain was buddies with Bill Ayers?

Oh the double standards go on and on...

[immts007]

DDBowdoin,

Respectfully, Obama is not "buddies" with Bill Ayers and never has been, and nobody has ever been able to show that he was. Please read this:

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2...ill_ayers.html

[julie_m]

I'd have to hear his exact comment to decide but I don't see how his response was racist. Or are you talking about the original question being racist? I'd say the original question is a little on the racist side.

Right, the original question. Not Noriega's answer, that was fine.

Me thinks the 'R' word is thrown around a little too freely in many of these discussions threads.

I'm a little lost...can you spell out these words for me? What's the G word?

[julie_m]

DDBowdoin,

Very interesting, thanks for that - I hadn't seen it yet.

[ganjagolfer]

Some people will never change. I agree there is a lot of racism and white people cop a lot of flack for bein racist to black people. However, the opposite doesn't happen very often(well in Australia anyway). Always ticked me off that aboriginees could call you whitey, cracker or whatever and never get any flack over it. Racism in sport happens a lot too. The whiteman is so scared of being called racist by the black man and the black man can get away with almost anything. Anyway, these comments are described of the worst people of these two races and for most people(especially on this forum) they are great people and I have many good friends who have ethnic backgrounds

except that whites have deprived native people's of their pride, land, culture, livelihood, languages and etceteras. its not just two different races having a distrust but one group has a historical precedent for exploitation. to their credit, australia has given apology for their abuses but i think they should give up all their lands and go back to england.

[DDBowdoin]

the key word being historical...

I am white... have whites persecuted blacks? yes... but did my family own plantations? No, so just because past generations of unrelated whites persecuted a portion of the population means they have the liberty to say whatever they want to me?

Hmm, that doesn't make any sense to me at all... but its the world we live in. God forbid we offend anyone

[Pat007]

oh boy, here we go...another racially loaded thread! Why can't we just not post these treads on this site. It makes me feel like I'm on JerrySpringer.com, not thesandtrap.com

[julie_m]

oh boy, here we go...another racially loaded thread! Why can't we just not post these treads on this site. It makes me feel like I'm on JerrySpringer.com, not thesandtrap.com

Oh wah. I distinctly recall putting in the subject line that it was about racism. If you don't like it, just don't read it.

I happen to think there are smart people on here whose opinions I enjoy and respect so I asked a question. Period, end sentence. Now excuse me, I have to go marry my pig.

[immts007]

Pat007, from one secret agent to another - this is the off-topic forum. Respectful debate and discussion on topics unrelated to golf is what the Grill is primarily for.

Why do you think discussion of important social issues is akin to trash tv talk shows?

[iacas]

Pat007, from one secret agent to another - this is the off-topic forum. Respectful debate and discussion on topics unrelated to golf is what the Grill is primarily for.

What he said.