Years ago, I was working on a project. I was the project engineer overseeing the building of an abutment, one of many destined to be part of a billion dollar project a few years later. My contractor was a good size local company. I worked closely with the company owner to make sure everything was done right and on schedule.
Anyway, one day, while the guys were working, the company owner, myself, and a couple of foremen were standing there watching the work. We were just out there talking. I asked the company owner a question. I asked him why I see a lot of hispanics and whites in construction, but I hardly ever see any black guys in construction? This was back when I was still a young engineer and naive. He said with a straight face "because they're lazy". Shocked, I asked what was that? He said again "because they're lazy".
My ex is black. We are still friends to this day. We talk regularly. When we were dating, he often told me that people like him have to deal with shit like that all the time. What's even worse is most people won't even acknowledge that it happens.
Just saying.
Most of us have anecdotal life experiences that could be used to back up our thoughts concerning people of other ethnic groups.
1. The first time I saw a male get raped it was a black doing a white, it would be easy for a simplistic lazy mind to stop there and form an opinion. But when my mind tries to think that way I remind myself of that after this event I saw numerous white guys take advantage of the same white.
2. I had a black co-worker/ subordinate threaten me with a knife for asking him to do a task. Well, then how about the white thief that produced a knife when I caught him stealing?
3. I had a mid easterner pull a gun on me, he thought that I was going to rob his store. Well, then, how about the red neck neighbor that pulled a gun just because he was an asshole?
The bottom line is that people are people, many workers are lazy. If we just watch blacks for laziness, it will be there. If we watch all workers it will be there as well. Same goes for thieves, rapists, bullies or bigots. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors (or lack thereof).
Hell, now I have had white leftist liberals accuse me of being racist because I don't apologize for slavery, something that was reprehensible that I had nothing to do with, but, it's guilt by association. I have trouble listening to those who play the victim song all day. The poor me the deck is stacked against me idea will not get a person to the next rung of the ladder. I have had people in my own family say that "things just come to me", I guess it had nothing to do with getting off of my ass and applying myself.
Is there racism?, hell yes, no doubt about it. You can't change others, but you can change your reaction. If an idiot states up front that he dislikes you solely because you are of a different ethnic group, thank them for the warning.
