Comments on: Report: Race Gap In U.S. Persists

Income, Education, Home Ownership Disparities Remain Between Whites, Blacks, Hispanics

[whatithink-2009]

To RonnieHM,

Maybe I am thick because I have no idea why a white drug dealers earnings would show up as income but a black drug dealers would not???? As I said before, I don't think whites are any less involved in the drug trade than blacks are. Blacks are just primarily at the bottom of the totem pole and are primarily the ones standing visibly on the streets. Most of the ones who are actually bringing the drugs into the country are not black.

[mhernand2]

THIS IS A REAL HIT HOME PROBLEM AND WE ALL GET DIFENSIVE. BUT REMEMBER WE ALL STILL HAVE TO LIVE TOGETHER IN THIS WORLD LETS GET ALONG AND NOT LET PEOPLE MAKE US FEEL LIKE ONE GROUP IS BETTER THAN THE OTHER

[karanjasan]

Furthermore, how convenient it is to ignore the fact that white people have had advantage in this country proffered to them from the beginning, so that when measures to try and somehow give Africans some sort of a push to some kind of a level playing field, it is called handouts. The likes of George Bush went to Yale because of what? Intelligence, high SATs? No! White affirmative action by other names %u2013 privilege %u2013 the fact that daddy went there! And that is common practice. The fact that Africans in this country have never had any inheritance to talk of makes a huge difference. Whites inherited land, money, property as well as family values and child rearing skills. Blacks were reared like cattle in slave quarters, and then all over sudden are expected to have family values and pass them on to their kids? What are we, super men and women? In many ways, we are because we do still have great values, which is why we have survived the constant assaults upon us, but many of us are only human and they lag behind, and it is up to those of us who have had better opportunities to help our fellows. It sure won%u2019t come from the same group that would have us in chains working on their plantations!

[criddle7]

You have to be kidding? The article is an informative article about policies and programs that have contributed to the disparity between the races.
It is illogical to consider this disparity as the actions of the lack of initiative by the whole race; that thought process is uninformed and prejudice.
I think that article simply relates some prior practies and outcomes. One may say that other causes contribute to the wealth disparity, and state their proposition with supporting evidence, but to make a general statement that the disparity exist due to the lax attitude of a entire race is not even worth the bytes it took to express it to the world

[machoward57]

It is knowledge that rules the world, and education is essential for change. Nothing ever stays the same except atitudes that refuse to acknowledge change, and reality. Those atitudes die a slow painful death.

[ronniehm]

"You are mentally ill. Your heart and mind are obviously hardened and unable to change, so I think it is pointless in trying to have a discussion with you."

... and so you will continue ...

"However, I will make one final point. The only difference I see with black/Hispanic drug dealing versus white drug dealing is the normal difference that I see with crime in poor areas versus crime in not so poor areas. One is done in the open and the other is done more covertly. However, they are both wrong and I'm not sure that one balances out the other."

HEY ***! ONE MORE TIME! I AM NOT ARGUING THAT ONE CRIME IS OK AND THE OTHER CRIME IS NOT OK. CAN YOU GET THIS THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD? ONLY ONE OF THOSE CRIMES WOULD NOT SHOW UP IN THE INCOME STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE, AND THAT IS THE ONLY POINT I WAS MAKING. MY GOD, YOU'RE SO FRIGGIN DENSE.

[olebd]

whaithink-

Regarding the Indian neighbors....I'm not sure what their financial situation was when they came over. The point is, they sacrificed (maybe a comfortable life in India) and lived together to make ends meet while they grew their business. I couldn't imagine any of my family members or relatives agreeing to do this.

If we could adopt more of their mentality, maybe situations would change for some(?)

[karanjasan]

The most amazing thing in the US is not that blacks lag behind, but rather, that Africans have come so far, despite racism - historical as well as present. While for Jews, the clear perpetrator is an easily identifiable group known as Nazis, the perpetrators of crimes on African humanity are just normal white people. No different than a child and an abusive parent for example having to somehow co-exist, Africans and our perpetrators have to co-exist. Similar to an abusive parent blaming the child when they then grow up and have problems, so will the whole of the west continue to deny their responsibility for racism. No one race has ever had to endure what Africans have at the hands of Caucasians and no other race has had to come from so far behind. So in many ways, the mere fact that Africans, both in Africa and in the Diaspora have had to learn new ways of doing everything from new languages to systems of government is actually testament to our resilience and ability. The part I agree with Bill Cosby however, is not so much about blame, because, absolutely racism is at fault, and we should not ignore it, nor forget it ever %u2013 we have to acknowledge it, realize that there are reasons why we lag behind, and not what the mainstream would have us believe, which is that we are somehow inferior. However, just like an abused child cannot rely on their abuser to fix them up, we have to take responsibility for our own recovery; because that is the only thing we can have control over.

[ronniehm]

"if you look at the history of economic growth in this country and break it down by race, blacks tend to do better when democrats are in power"

I'm trying to figure this one out. What city run by Democrats has a black community that's prospering? I live in a city run by Republicans and all the black folks I know are filthy rich.

[whatithink-2009]

To RonnieHM,

You are mentally ill. Your heart and mind are obviously hardened and unable to change, so I think it is pointless in trying to have a discussion with you.

However, I will make one final point. The only difference I see with black/Hispanic drug dealing versus white drug dealing is the normal difference that I see with crime in poor areas versus crime in not so poor areas. One is done in the open and the other is done more covertly. However, they are both wrong and I'm not sure that one balances out the other.

[toripkr]

I think it's a shame that many of you resort to stereotyping Blacks as "lazy" or that we are not trying to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps and better our lives. Furthermore, if non-whites bothered to educate themselves to see why Blacks have historically voted for Democrats then maybe you just might understand the plight of Black Americans. Prior to reconstruction, Blacks historically swung to the republican side. Why you ask? Because Lincoln was a republican and Lincoln in case you don't remember freed the slaves. It wasn't until the reconstruction era that blacks began voting for democrats because and if many of you bothered to find out why you'd know it was because the republican party was instrumental in implementing Jim-Crow laws and in spreading their segregationist views. Why you ask is all of this relevant, well, if you look at the history of economic growth in this country and break it down by race, blacks tend to do better when democrats are in power not because the democrats give us freebies or handouts as so many of you imply, but because they try to level the playing field which in turn creates white backlash. Whites in turn perceive the accessibility to financial and educational opportunities given by democrats as "welfare" when in fact it is just opening up opportunities to us that for so long have been closed to us. Bill Cosby was right when he said blacks should take more responsibility for their own plight.

[ronniehm]

What we need is a plan from the Democrats that holds the Asians back so whites and blacks and hispanics can catch up. Let's limit Asian admissions to colleges until the number of students is proportional to society ... or do things like this only apply when it's whitey.

[ronniehm]

"Where is your head, dude? Where is the income from the S&L scandal from the 1980s. That money magically disappeared and the U.S. government is paying still for it. In fact, your great grand children will still be paying via their taxes.

I'd like you to tell the Enron employees (who lost their entire retirement funds) that the money that was stolen by Enron executives is showing up as income, so they are better off than if someone had stolen their wallet with 20 dollars in it."

You're twisting the facts again. Yes, it's theft. Yes, it's theft. Yes, it's theft. YES, THE EXECUTIVES IN QUESTION TOOK IT AS INCOME AND THEREFORE IT DOESN'T APPLY TO THIS PARTICULAR ARGUMENT.

"This is where you and I differ greatly. When it comes to drugs, I blame more the users than the dealers. If nobody wanted the drugs, nobody would be selling them."

Where we differ is that I'm talking about one thing and you're talking about something else. I mean what's your next theory? That Bill Cosby's income should be considered white income because more white people watched his show?

[whatithink-2009]

To Bonicajoseph,

That is my point also about Indians. For the most part, the door has been closed to the poor Chinese and the poor Indians. The only ones that were allowed to come here were the ones that already ambitious in their respective countries. Maybe this is changing, but for a long time when it came to much of Asia, send us your poor was not offered.

[bonicajoseph]

also, concerning chinese, you need to note that the ones who make it to the US are very very atyplical--they are the cream of the crop, the most educated and also those with the most priveleges (these are not rural farmers.)

[whatithink-2009]

To olebd,

One thing you have to remember with our immigration policies for India is that poor Indians were not allowed into this country. Most of the Indians who come here were well-educated before they got here. In India, you will find the same issues that you have here. The Untouchables, for example, do not immigrate to America.

[kemetorigin]

Olebd
VERY GOOD POINT, I worked with an Indian woman and I so admire their dedication to family. Her son and dil live with her and her husband and she says that when they have a child she will stop working to help care for the child. Latin/Mexican Americans have a similar sense of family. You are right, other cultures would balk at the idea of sacrifice and taking time to accomplish success. Also, minorities tend to spend money on depreciating goods (cars, clothes, etc.) Delayed gratification is such an important aspect of true success.

[whatithink-2009]

To RonnieHM,

" I don't give a rat's behind who the users are. We're talking about selling ... you know, income."

- This is where you and I differ greatly. When it comes to drugs, I blame more the users than the dealers. If nobody wanted the drugs, nobody would be selling them.

[whatithink-2009]

To RonnieHM,

Where is your head, dude? Where is the income from the S&L scandal from the 1980s. That money magically disappeared and the U.S. government is paying still for it. In fact, your great grand children will still be paying via their taxes.

I'd like you to tell the Enron employees (who lost their entire retirement funds) that the money that was stolen by Enron executives is showing up as income, so they are better off than if someone had stolen their wallet with 20 dollars in it.

[kemetorigin]

Also, as Chris Rock says, "Why are white people so angry? I don't know a white man who would trade places with a black man, not even Michael Jordan." So, if people of color have all these unlimited opportunities, then why aren't members of the majority willing to trade places?

btw, this is meant to be facetious before someone gets all angry.