Black people in prison/death row

[isoFlux]

The_Punisher Wrote:There are so many programs in the US to give blacks and even poor and misfortunate people a leg up. This isn\'t just something that started this year either. Many of these programs are starting to get in their 30\'s.

But the fact that many people CHOOSE to move into places with high crime has nothing to do with Slavery at all. Or even what happened 20 years ago.

Societies don\'t change on a dime. 30 years of half-endorsed social programs isn\'t going to change a few hundred years of some the most brutally enforced racial oppression seen in a so-called \"democratic\" world power.

joeb Wrote:Iso, I take it you mean education instead of IQ?

No. I do not have a source, but I will find one, or will revoke it. Yes, what I said may have sounded crazy, unrealistic, and downright racist, but I\'m 100% positive I have heard from multiple, independent sources that the average IQ of the black race is lags behind other cultures in the US. I\'m not sure on the details (how much, etc), but I wouldn\'t be surprised to find it to be true.
EDIT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_intelligence . Interesting read.
Also, take note: I am not arguing for the effects of racial genetics on IQ, they are nearly non-existant. Rather, the social and cultural affects on intelligence, which are based on race(ism).

dr.moe Wrote:i guess the reason that the asian population is doing badly scholastics etc. because they were enslaved to make the railroads and work in the mines?

Many races and cultures have been the target of descrimination and descriminatory legislation throughout US history. None of them compare to the enslavement of Africans. All other descriminatory phases have been just that: fads and phases. The enslavment and oppression of the black culture is deeply rooted in our nation both in terms of legislation and social norms. If you want to get specific with the Asian cultures: one of the main focus of their collectivist culture is Academia. It is not only regarded as one of the most important, but many times the ONLY important measure or aspect of success (coupled with the job attained from education). This is simply a difference in priorities within social rulesets.

dr.moe Wrote:but the point is that slavery sucked and now its done. the best reason to learn about it is to keep such craziness from repeating. but that is the extent to its effect on modern day society.

I beg to differ. The affects of slavery linger today in a major way. One example: the language and slang of the black community, including both old and young (pop-culture). Why are the black dialects so poor in terms of conjucation and grammar? I submit that it is a direct decendent of black people being kept from literacy until the middle of the 20th century. What about black people not being able to seriously vote until the mid-50s/early-60s? Was that because they chose to live in areas of poverty? Or was it because of white-skin-priviledge still trying to bludgeon its way into the US democratic system?

dr.moe Wrote:now saying that the reason a black man is more likely to commit a felony because a white dude enslaved his great-great-grandad implies that black people have the exclusive possesion of something hitherto only alluded to in science fiction called a "racial memory."

What about \"social memory\"? It isn\'t an affect on individuals. Its about an entire culture, society, and government oppressing and enslaving a minority for over 200 years. Is that going to go away in 10 years? 20? 50? 100? No. We\'re talking billions of people (you, me, my parents, your parents, their parents), not just one black dude and his grandfather.

Perspective: my generation (probably most of us) is the first to be brought up with the idea of racial and cultural equality. My parents (children of the baby-boom) grew up in schools and societies where segregation was not only the social norm, but legally enforced. It wasn\'t until they were in highschool or college that people started to conceptualize and accept the idea of racial equality enough to push for TRUE equal rights, not just pseudo-equality.

The social clock isn\'t measured in years, or decades. Things are getting better, but we are still feeling the affects of slavery in many, many aspects of our society. Give it another 50 to 100 years, then we\'ll see every black man getting the same pay as the white man, black people committing as many crimes as white men, and educational institutions providing equal education to both races. Of course, that\'s not to say it\'s going to happen on its own: the reason it will change is because of the effort of everybody, not just the minority.