Michael,
I want to thank you for making your points and explaining your reasoning. As you can see, the responses aren't serious, because they have no data to combat what you say. Therefore, their defense mechanism is simply to make a mockery of your comments, when in reality, they are quite real issues that aren't being tackled.
Now, to your comments to me earlier, we may have some disagreements, but I'll simply provide my thoughts ....
but black people ARE people of color.
we had to ban together to overcome slavery,
No, you didn't. Your ancestors did. I am interested in discussing issues in the year 2009, with Blacks. I am not that interested in discussing a time period that neither you, your parents, or myself, or my parents lived through.
I could go on and on about how my ancestors had to fight for Independence from the British, but I don't. Different place. Different time.
Again, no you didn't. Your parents, but mostly Grandparents fought for civil rights.
and institutionalized racism (which still occurs today).
This is still an issue in today's culture. However, I don't believe it is to the same extent that many Blacks try to make it out to be. But I agree, it is a lingering issue that is most prominent in the South and Bible Belt of the country.
I'm just curious because I honestly don't know without doing some research. But what laws have been passed within the past 5 years, that were only made possible as a result of the efforts of the Black Community as a whole?
if being an individual means that we have to give up our heritage, ignore our past and abandon our community then i'm not interested, and it'd be difficult to find a black person that would be.
It's difficult, I agree. But I am convinced that it is for the good of each of our Races.
I would like to envision a colorless society-- where we don't have the typical Whites hanging out with Whites and Blacks simply hanging out with Blacks. I want to see an integrated culture, and from my time in California, I was beginning to see that vision take shape. I saw Blacks regularly walking down the streets with Whites.
I want to see all Races fully interacting with each other, where Color is made a thing of the past. However, as long as it is made an issue by the Black Community, I see it being an obstacle to progress.
What does a White person think of when they hear the words "Black Community"? What I think when I hear the words "Black Community" is a group of people that would prefer to segregate themselves from the rest of society and simply keep to themselves in their own community.
Do you hear Whites refer to themselves as the "White Community"? No. We're individuals and we take pride in our diversity. We share the same skin color, but we do not view ourselves as a "community".
What I want to see is all Blacks smoothly intermixed into society with Whites.
Now, I know you mention your heritage and that it's important to you. However, at the same time, do you see how it may be construed as a hindrance with relationship building amongst Whites? By constantly bringing up things that happened two centuries ago, in which you and your parents and most likely grandparents didn't even live through, this does nothing but keep the fire going amongst our two cultures.
Whites today do not feel responsible for what took place back then, and nor should they be. And it is wrong to demand apologies from today's Whites, because of that. However, nonetheless it is still made an issue and talked about to this day, to the point where a formal apology from the Government was issued.
I think your heritage is also another thing that perhaps unjustly fuels hatred of Whites within the Black Community. And a lot of this hatred I believe is passed down from parents from one generation to the next. I think you will find that many Whites simply want to move on from those times, however Blacks holding a chip on their shoulder against today's Whites, when today's Whites were absolutely not responsible for anything that took place in those times, or even in the times of the Black Civil Rights movement, is simply unjustified.
There are Blacks that will hate Whites simply because of their skin color. There are Whites who will hate Blacks simply because of their skin color. However, I also think there are Whites who feel upset at Blacks because many Blacks are holding a chip on their shoulder against the wrong people in the wrong time period.
And again, labeling yourself as a "Community", does nothing but further that divide between us. I want you to pretend like you are a White person, for a moment. Whites have Churches. But how would you feel as a White person when you see "Black Churches"? Do you see how that gives Whites the impression "Well, I guess they don't want anything to do with us? I guess they would rather have their own Churches." Because that is the impression we're given.
Everything I say, I say with the best interests of seeing our two cultures integrate. However, I truly believe that holding on to one's heritage, and passing that heritage (and anger) down from one generation to the next, and to the next ... is keeping the hostilities going. That may be something to really, really think about.
If you want to talk about the Issues that Blacks face today, then let's talk about them and what we can do to improve those issues ... as opposed to constantly harping on the past, and having Blacks hold the wrong people accountable for those actions.
Blacks vary in their opinions just as much as whites. the media only portrays one aspect of the black community and the sheer fact that we are a minority makes us more vulnerable to stereotypes.
Again, I think actually labeling yourselves as a "Community" is helping contribute to that stereotype. That implies that you are "all-together" and "in unison".
in conclusion, being a part of a greater community has NOTHING to do with why blacks don't support gay rights, so i'm not sure why you keep bringing it up. it seems to me that you think that blacks should just stop "acting so black" and be an "individual." again i'm going to ask do you equate being an individual with assimilating into white culture/mainstream society and not identifying with a minority group? if so, that's unrealistic, unnecessary and not on topic.
Actually, I think it is very much on topic. We are talking about why Blacks aren't supporting Gay Rights. And we seem to be coming to the conclusion that it is primarily because of the Church. Others have mentioned that perhaps lack of Education among many Blacks is still an issue, as well. Therefore, these issues are related because the Church then serves as that "Education". Church, however, is a very large part of the Black Community, as a whole, and this also contributes to yet another stereotype because so many Blacks are religious. So, I feel all of these things are related and tied in with one another.
Now, I am not proposing this, but I am simply throwing out a hypothetical situation. Let's say that in the interests of merging our two cultures, that we eliminate all references to Slavery from our History Books and we don't teach it. Blacks don't learn anything at all about it. But neither do Whites. Instead, we invent some nice story about how an African Christopher Columbus arrives to the United States with fellow Africans, and they live in peace with the other Whites in the country. Would our two cultures be more likely or less likely to join together, without each side holding grudges from the past against one another?
Again, the crux of the matter is .... is Culture and this "holding onto the past" keeping our two cultures further apart from each other? Is it doing more harm then good? Then, how do you envision our two cultures coming together and integrating with labels like "Black Community"?