white guilt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why an entire ethnic group should feel guilt for the actions of previous generations. I do my part to help those less fortunate through volunteer work and charitable donations. But I certainly don't feel guilty about what someone in the 1860's or 1960's did before I was even born. That's ridiculous. I can't help that I was born white and my white skin does not make me a racist, much as black skin does not make someone lazy or irresponsible.

Of course we are not responsible for the past. But we are responsible for leveling the playing field in the present. Just because one smart guy was able to get a great education - against the odds - doesn't mean it's time for us to wash our hands of the current inequities in our society.

[Anonymous]

As a white person, I don't feel guilty about the inequities in our society. But I am amazed at them and amazed at all the benefits I get just by walking into the room and being white, well-educated, and upper-middle-class. It's not right that it should be so much easier for some people just by accident of birth and I think we should work to change that.

I used to do research on interracial dialogue in Virginia. Occasionally I would meet a white person whose family had benefited from slavery and they felt pretty guilty about it. But I descended from people who were abolitionists and ran the Underground Railroad in their town. Does that mean I get a free pass when it comes to racism today? I think not. PP is right -- we're all responsible for leveling the playing field today.

That's where some critics get it wrong. It's better for the country if we reduce inequality and better for us and our kids. Guilt has nothing to do with it. Like John McCain said, "Country first!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Bill Raspberry's op-ed piece in today's WaPo was great. We'd all do better to read him than Tom Adkins, I think. I've missed his voice since he retired from The Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/10/AR2008111001544.html

I enjoyed this piece and I think there is a lot of truth in it. It is my hope that the election of Obama will empower the AA community to take ownership and responsibility in raising the quality of schools, strengthening families and inspiring hope in children. There is no doubt that racism still exists; I think the author made some great points about taking personal responsibility instead of always falling back on racism as the reason for all ills.

I also think that the author of the original post made a somewhat valid point in stating that the great majority of black Americans voted for Obama singularly because of his race. Is this not racist in its own way?

OMG. Do you know any black people? Even just one? It is clear that you don't or else you wouldn't make these ridiculous statements. You have just stated that black people do not take ownership and responsibility for their lives and families. You are beyond pathetic and ignorant. What I hope is that the election of Obama will somehow empower people like you to get out of their own tiny insular worlds and not make racist generalizations regarding people and issues they know nothing about. But I'm not holding my breath.

You must not have listened to Barrack Obama's Father's day speech.

The fact of the matter is this: Statistically, there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support in the U.S. So for those of you who feel the need to attack a minority group (key word - minority), first look to yourselves. Furthermore, as a representative, why shouldn't Obama feel free to address a group who's been disenfranchised since this country was in its infancy? How is his motivational speech any different from the inspirational poems of Sandra Cisneros, for example? Isn't she, as a representative, also speaking to a minority group as a way to bring about change?

btw - Here is a link to Obama's speech:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/15/obamas-fathers-day-speech_n_107220.html
Obama's fathers' day speech




Would you please share your source for the statistics about child support? I'm interested in if you are talking about raw numbers versus percentages. Thank-you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You must not have listened to Barrack Obama's Father's day speech.

The fact of the matter is this: Statistically, there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support in the U.S. So for those of you who feel the need to attack a minority group (key word - minority), first look to yourselves. Furthermore, as a representative, why shouldn't Obama feel free to address a group who's been disenfranchised since this country was in its infancy? How is his motivational speech any different from the inspirational poems of Sandra Cisneros, for example? Isn't she, as a representative, also speaking to a minority group as a way to bring about change?

btw - Here is a link to Obama's speech:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/15/obamas-fathers-day-speech_n_107220.html
Obama's fathers' day speech




Would you please share your source for the statistics about child support? I'm interested in if you are talking about raw numbers versus percentages. Thank-you.


http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/childsupport.html
main

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/reports.html
reports link

[Anonymous]

On election night coverage David Gergen made a good point on the racial issue. One pundit was saying how voters were colorblind and he responded that bias is not gone but that many voters worked past their racial bias to make their decision to vote for who they thought would do the best job and that in itself was significant progress. I think this is a very accurate statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


The fact of the matter is this: Statistically, there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support in the U.S.

Would you please share your source for the statistics about child support? I'm interested in if you are talking about raw numbers versus percentages. Thank-you.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/childsupport.html
main

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/reports.html
reports link

Thanks for the link. So 49.1% of white custodial parents receive their full child support, and 39.4% of black custodial parents receive full child support. Horrible numbers both. 20.5% of white custodial parents receive NO child support, and 30.8% of black custodial parents receive NO support (note the statistics break out race by custodial parent, and note that 90% + of custodial parents are mothers.)

This will mean, because of population demographics (there are more whites than blacks) that in raw numbers there are more deadbeat white parents, but as a percentage there are more deadbeat black parents.

See, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. Having the raw numbers was very helpful to clarify the PPs assertion that "there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support " - it is true as raw numbers but not true as a percentage of child support orders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the link. So 49.1% of white custodial parents receive their full child support, and 39.4% of black custodial parents receive full child support. Horrible numbers both. 20.5% of white custodial parents receive NO child support, and 30.8% of black custodial parents receive NO support (note the statistics break out race by custodial parent, and note that 90% + of custodial parents are mothers.)

This will mean, because of population demographics (there are more whites than blacks) that in raw numbers there are more deadbeat white parents, but as a percentage there are more deadbeat black parents.

See, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. Having the raw numbers was very helpful to clarify the PPs assertion that "there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support " - it is true as raw numbers but not true as a percentage of child support orders.

In addition to lies and damn lies, there are choices and pernicious choices. For example, whoever gathered the statistics chose to distinguish by race, rather than the income level of the paying parent. Does anyone doubt that similar statistics would "prove" that AAs "choose" to live in inferior housing and to send their kids to inferior schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Bill Raspberry's op-ed piece in today's WaPo was great. We'd all do better to read him than Tom Adkins, I think. I've missed his voice since he retired from The Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/10/AR2008111001544.html

I enjoyed this piece and I think there is a lot of truth in it. It is my hope that the election of Obama will empower the AA community to take ownership and responsibility in raising the quality of schools, strengthening families and inspiring hope in children. There is no doubt that racism still exists; I think the author made some great points about taking personal responsibility instead of always falling back on racism as the reason for all ills.

I also think that the author of the original post made a somewhat valid point in stating that the great majority of black Americans voted for Obama singularly because of his race. Is this not racist in its own way?

OMG. Do you know any black people? Even just one? It is clear that you don't or else you wouldn't make these ridiculous statements. You have just stated that black people do not take ownership and responsibility for their lives and families. You are beyond pathetic and ignorant. What I hope is that the election of Obama will somehow empower people like you to get out of their own tiny insular worlds and not make racist generalizations regarding people and issues they know nothing about. But I'm not holding my breath.

You must not have listened to Barrack Obama's Father's day speech.

The fact of the matter is this: Statistically, there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support in the U.S. So for those of you who feel the need to attack a minority group (key word - minority), first look to yourselves. Furthermore, as a representative, why shouldn't Obama feel free to address a group who's been disenfranchised since this country was in its infancy? How is his motivational speech any different from the inspirational poems of Sandra Cisneros, for example? Isn't she, as a representative, also speaking to a minority group as a way to bring about change?

btw - Here is a link to Obama's speech:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/15/obamas-fathers-day-speech_n_107220.html
Obama's fathers' day speech




Would you please share your source for the statistics about child support? I'm interested in if you are talking about raw numbers versus percentages. Thank-you.

You have to know who the daddy is to get child support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have to know who the daddy is to get child support.

Yes, goodness knows white women never had a pregnancy where they didn't know who the father was.

Now we have DNA tests, woo-hoo. That is, if you can afford one/know about them/have a doctor or other advocate who tells you about them..... on YOUR level of the playing field.

[maynie]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have to know who the daddy is to get child support.

Yes, goodness knows white women never had a pregnancy where they didn't know who the father was.

Now we have DNA tests, woo-hoo. That is, if you can afford one/know about them/have a doctor or other advocate who tells you about them..... on YOUR level of the playing field.

Two words: Maury Povich

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You have to know who the daddy is to get child support.

Yes, goodness knows white women never had a pregnancy where they didn't know who the father was.

Now we have DNA tests, woo-hoo. That is, if you can afford one/know about them/have a doctor or other advocate who tells you about them..... on YOUR level of the playing field.

If you can not afford, do not have knowledge of DNA testing, or any other advocate who can tell you, maybe your too young to be having sex...but I guess that is a white persons fault because this is about "white guilt". I feel so guilty for all the bastards out there. White and black, I just don't know many whites but after living in the big city of "brotherly love", philadelphia, I sure know plenty of blacks who do not know the father of their child/ren. Lot's of love in that city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


The fact of the matter is this: Statistically, there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support in the U.S.

Would you please share your source for the statistics about child support? I'm interested in if you are talking about raw numbers versus percentages. Thank-you.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/childsupport.html
main

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/reports.html
reports link

Thanks for the link. So 49.1% of white custodial parents receive their full child support, and 39.4% of black custodial parents receive full child support. Horrible numbers both. 20.5% of white custodial parents receive NO child support, and 30.8% of black custodial parents receive NO support (note the statistics break out race by custodial parent, and note that 90% + of custodial parents are mothers.)

This will mean, because of population demographics (there are more whites than blacks) that in raw numbers there are more deadbeat white parents, but as a percentage there are more deadbeat black parents.

See, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. Having the raw numbers was very helpful to clarify the PPs assertion that "there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support " - it is true as raw numbers but not true as a percentage of child support orders.

Is this really a matter of being "deadbeat", or that African Americans face higher unemployment and lower wages and therefore the noncustodial support is lower?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


The fact of the matter is this: Statistically, there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support in the U.S.

Would you please share your source for the statistics about child support? I'm interested in if you are talking about raw numbers versus percentages. Thank-you.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/childsupport.html
main

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/childsupport/reports.html
reports link

Thanks for the link. So 49.1% of white custodial parents receive their full child support, and 39.4% of black custodial parents receive full child support. Horrible numbers both. 20.5% of white custodial parents receive NO child support, and 30.8% of black custodial parents receive NO support (note the statistics break out race by custodial parent, and note that 90% + of custodial parents are mothers.)

This will mean, because of population demographics (there are more whites than blacks) that in raw numbers there are more deadbeat white parents, but as a percentage there are more deadbeat black parents.

See, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics. Having the raw numbers was very helpful to clarify the PPs assertion that "there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support " - it is true as raw numbers but not true as a percentage of child support orders.

Is this really a matter of being "deadbeat", or that African Americans face higher unemployment and lower wages and therefore the noncustodial support is lower?

I don't think the rebuttal was intended to have any judgments; simply to correct the OP above's representation that Statistically, there are more whites than African Americans in contempt of child support in the U.S. to show that actually, in whole numbers this is correct - whites are the largest racial group in the country - but as a percentage of child support orders, this is not true.

Why a higher number of non-custodial African American parents don't pay child support is a subject for another thread, and there are probably a ton of opposing view points

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why a higher number of non-custodial African American parents don't pay child support is a subject for another thread, and there are probably a ton of opposing view points

I think I alluded to this in an earlier posting: Separating by race without correcting for economic status is misleading. A parallel situation would be to cite statistics showing that women contribute less money to the upbringing of their children than men. To one who does not know employment patterns, that might sound like an indictment of mothers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:does it really matter that he spelled something wrong? He is trying to make a point. Either you get the point or you don't.

Or perhaps the poster has no valid point? Bill Maher so aptly stated something to the effect of: Stop telling me that we've put an end to racism because we have elected a very smart, very qualified black man as our President. In order to achieve true equality, we'd have to elect a dumb, incompetent black man.