Replies to post #358536 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[PegnVA]

never did I describe them as my black friends. Other ethnic groups nasty names aren't in my vocabulary. - I hear ya...I am a volunteer in my local hospital and I am constantly taken aback when a patient refers to "my black nurse" but otherwise it's "my nurse" - I have to remind myself this is Virginia and old-timers in VA still have a certain mentality :-(

[fuagf]

None taken. Yes, i've noticed long ago how racism goes both ways and how it's introduced in so many instances where the introduction seemed not to be justified. How race and racism is used and abused by both black and white. And how too often race is used and abused by media and politicians where there was not good evidence that it was involved. Sorry my comment gave the wrong impression re that.

[blackhawks]

The distinction, with a difference, between racist individuals of all races and racism in general is the systemic nature of the latter.

When the power of government is behind denying a race it's civil rights, which was the case for a century after the civil War, that is racism of a far, far, more pervasive and damaging nature than individual racism, which doesn't have the power of government behind it.

You only need to look at every aspect of American life that ended up being desegregated....the military, the police, professional sports, public accommodations, access to the ballot, public schools, higher education and the professions....to see the difference.