What is "Black Lives Matter"?

[Kutnupe14]

Yeah, but do you realize that that "hyphen" has only existed as something important for about 60 or 70 years? Yeah, there were Irish-Americans, Polish-Americans, Italian-Americans, et. al. (but, surprisingly, no Jewish-Americans or Muslim-Americans that I can remember) but that was only talking about family descent - they considered themselves "Americans" first. The more strongly we cling to our "hyphens" the less likely we are to find that mythical "acceptance" that we all claim to want in our society. How do you ever get to be "equal" to me (generically speaking) if you insist upon being as different from me as possible?

This ethnic balkanizing is a far cry from what "Negroes" were searching for in the 1950s and 1960s, and it has spread itself to other ethnic groups as well. It's all very well to grasp for political power - everyone does it to some extent - but when you do it with tactics that are polar opposite from what you claim you want, how will you ever be satisfied?

Why did it only exist as something important, for 60 or 70 years? Especially considering you used "Irish, Italian, and Polish-Americans," which I applaud you as those groups are noteworthy and the ones I would've chosen, myself.

 

[KJQ6945]

The only advantage that comes to mind is, there are perks that are available to minorities. Government contracts, scholarships, SBA loans, ETC.

 

[LPMan59]

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/american-society/harvard-study-debunks-police-shootings-myth/

i am interested in any INGO LEOs' experiences have been

 

[KJQ6945]

Does anybody really believe that Elizabeth Warren is an American Indian? Maybe, just maybe, she saw advantages to being a minority.

 

[phylodog]

Oh, well I don't see it as being an advantage. To me it's neutral. Its simply clarification. It indicates the groups particular history... which isn't shared by Jamaican-Americans, Ethiopian-Americans, Cuban-Americans, Nigerian-Americans, Kenyan-Americans, Haitian-Americans etc, etc, etc.... none of the groups which I listed, btw typically identify as being "Black-Americans." So no, you can not simply "look" a person, and automatically assume that they are "Black-Americans," as many in the groups previously mentioned would take offense to that label.

I've never heard anyone, not in six years in the Army, not in 17 years of police work, heard anyone refer to themselves as Jamaican-American, Ethiopian-American, Cuban-American, Nigerian-American, Kenyan-American or Haitian-American.

I don't see Black-American as a neutral term. You obviously don't if it would be offensive to all of these other darker skinned groups, offensive can't be considered neutral.

I see it as divisive, it serves no purpose other than to distance one group from another. I don't care about a person's heritage. I was curious what benefit you saw in declaring it, if there is no benefit there is no reason to use it.

 

[jamil]

I wasn't going to take part in this thread. But...

If I listened to INGO, affirmative action. As for me, I was FLAT OUT told by another officer, that I was a "checkbox." Yep, college educated, Spanish speaking, 6'0 200, academy with honors, former probation officer "checkbox."

Hey, you forgot pretty. You know they hired you to even out the ugly.

I initially thought that there was a reason the "X" was included. Unless he referred to himself as such, there's no denying, IMO, that the "X" is included due to it's similarities to Malcolm X. I think it's on purposeful.

I think that's a red herring. When I saw the X, I assumed it was a middle initial. It's much like any other middle initial except there are fewer possible middle names that begin with X. But I guess if people want to see racism in that, they'll do it.

You're asking something that, in my opinion, can only be achieved in only the most homogeneous societies. In a country like America, it is quite difficult to rise above the hyphen.

It's a lofty goal not to give a **** about that stuff.

 

[1775usmarine]

Well apparently now you don't have to have a trace of a ethnic bloodline to feel like and be a different race.

 

[NyleRN]

<-----------

/thread

 

[Dead Duck]

#Mutt-AmericansMatter

 

[PaulF]

Well apparently now you don't have to have a trace of a ethnic bloodline to feel like and be a different race.

I was born in America, to parents that were both born in America.

All four of my grandparents were born in America.

All eight of my great-grandparents were born in America.

Why am I not a Native American?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

https://www.policeone.com/investiga...ment-about-Black-Lives-Matter/?nlid=197466044

The uncle of a man fatally shot by an off-duty St. Louis County police officer said his nephew had been arguing with the officer on Facebook about Black Lives Matter.
Police said the officer shot Tyler Gebhard, 20, after he threw a 50-pound concrete planter through a window to enter the officer's Lakeshire home.

Brogan said his nephew, a former Affton High School football standout who graduated in 2014, suffered from bi-polar disorder and sometimes didn't take his medicine.
"He had a lot of mental problems the last few months," Brogan said. "A lot of difficulties in life."

Soo, yet again someone mentally ill takes the narrative and bad things happen.

Oh, and Facebook is also once again proven to be the work of the devil.

 

[Dead Duck]

I was born in America, to parents that were both born in America.

All four of my grandparents were born in America.

All eight of my great-grandparents were born in America.

Why am I not a Native American?

#ModsDontMatter

 

[miguel]

I was born in America, to parents that were both born in America.

All four of my grandparents were born in America.

All eight of my great-grandparents were born in America.

Why am I not a Native American?

Reminds me of a quote by Lilly Olay -- Queen of the West! -- from the movie The Great Race. And it's about a CAR RACE, so relax!

"I ain't no native, I was born here!"

 

[BugI02]

I was born in America, to parents that were both born in America.

All four of my grandparents were born in America.

All eight of my great-grandparents were born in America.

Why am I not a Native American?

Because you haven't gone native? Time to embrace your inner T. E. Lawrence

 

[Tombs]

My own personal views may have prevented me from seeing something you think is obvious, but what do you mean? I'm honestly not understanding your point about about dropping the hyphen. Are you saying everybody should, or just blacks, because you can look at them and tell that they obviously are "African-American." Which, for the record is a word I dislike, as it is widely incorrect. I pefer "black-American."

Isn't the entire purpose of the hyphen to declare an ethnicity?

I mean it makes sense in proper context.

I.E. "Lets go to that Italian-American restaurant"

There's a need to elaborate on why it's different. In such case it wouldn't be uniquely Italian, but it's not straight up American either.
We do have many cultures in the US that are not uniquely the same as their foreign counterpart but include a fair portion of both cultures, so it makes sense to identify the mix.

When there's no real need to make the differentiation, the hyphen does not make sense to me. I've never seen it used to declare a race before.

If there is a need to declare, then the overwhelming majority of the midwest would be German-American.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Isn't the entire purpose of the hyphen to declare an ethnicity?

I mean it makes sense in proper context.

I.E. "Lets go to that Italian-American restaurant"

There's a need to elaborate on why it's different. In such case it wouldn't be uniquely Italian, but it's not straight up American either.
We do have many cultures in the US that are not uniquely the same as their foreign counterpart but include a fair portion of both cultures, so it makes sense to identify the mix.

When there's no real need to make the differentiation, the hyphen does not make sense to me. I've never seen it used to declare a race before.

Actually you have... You just haven't realized it yet. Give it s few minutes, and I'll let you amend that last part of your last sentence.

 

[jamil]

Isn't the entire purpose of the hyphen to declare an ethnicity?

I mean it makes sense in proper context.

I.E. "Lets go to that Italian-American restaurant"

There's a need to elaborate on why it's different. In such case it wouldn't be uniquely Italian, but it's not straight up American either.
We do have many cultures in the US that are not uniquely the same as their foreign counterpart but include a fair portion of both cultures, so it makes sense to identify the mix.

When there's no real need to make the differentiation, the hyphen does not make sense to me. I've never seen it used to declare a race before.

I like Italian restaurants. I don't see the point of Italian restaurants who serve American food.

 

[Dead Duck]

I like Italian restaurants. I don't see the point of Italian restaurants who serve American food.

Spaghetti Burgers?

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I like Italian restaurants. I don't see the point of Italian restaurants who serve American food.

If you've ever been to China, you'd quickly come to appreciate Chinese-American restaurants. . That stuff ain't like the stuff you get in American-Chinese restaurants--all bones and gristle.

 

[Tombs]

I like Italian restaurants. I don't see the point of Italian restaurants who serve American food.

Italian-American would be something like Fazoli's or Olive Garden.