Full Version: America's Birth Defect
In an interview with The Washington Times Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke out about race relations in the US:
Since many posters here think Condoleezza Rice is an Uncle Tom or worse and that she has abandoned her race by aligning herself with the Republicans/Neo Cons I wonder:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
Other posters see Condoleeza Rice (Dr. Rice, Secretary of State Rice) as a beacon of American Values, the American Dream and a sage and sane Statesman (yes I know she's a woman) on the right:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
QUOTE
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that the United States still has trouble dealing with race because of a national "birth defect" that denied black Americans the opportunities given to whites at the country's very founding.
"Black Americans were a founding population," she said. "Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That's not a very pretty reality of our founding."
As a result, Miss Rice told editors and reporters at The Washington Times, "descendants of slaves did not get much of a head start, and I think you continue to see some of the effects of that."
"That particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it, and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today," she said.
"Black Americans were a founding population," she said. "Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That's not a very pretty reality of our founding."
As a result, Miss Rice told editors and reporters at The Washington Times, "descendants of slaves did not get much of a head start, and I think you continue to see some of the effects of that."
"That particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it, and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today," she said.
Since many posters here think Condoleezza Rice is an Uncle Tom or worse and that she has abandoned her race by aligning herself with the Republicans/Neo Cons I wonder:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
Other posters see Condoleeza Rice (Dr. Rice, Secretary of State Rice) as a beacon of American Values, the American Dream and a sage and sane Statesman (yes I know she's a woman) on the right:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
Other than agreeing with her in general terms the first thought I had was, "Uh oh, she's going to kill her veep campaign before it starts". If she is seriously considering being McCain's running mate.
It'll be very interesting to see how the RNC reacts. If they warm up to her I am going to take it as an admission that Republicans don't mind Democrats injecting race into the national dialogue and liberals aren't committed to a Marxist exercise aimed at fake sympathy and votes so much as the discussion of race and racism is "reliable" when it is headed by conservatives.
Other than agreeing with her in general terms the first thought I had was, "Uh oh, she's going to kill her veep campaign before it starts". If she is seriously considering being McCain's running mate.
It'll be very interesting to see how the RNC reacts. If they warm up to her I am going to take it as an admission that Republicans don't mind Democrats injecting race into the national dialogue and liberals aren't committed to a Marxist exercise aimed at fake sympathy and votes so much as the discussion of race and racism is "reliable" when it is headed by conservatives.
QUOTE(BaphometsAdvocate @ Mar 28 2008, 09:35 AM) 
In an interview with The Washington Times Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke out about race relations in the US:
Since many posters here think Condoleezza Rice is an Uncle Tom or worse and that she has abandoned her race by aligning herself with the Republicans/Neo Cons I wonder:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
Other posters see Condoleeza Rice (Dr. Rice, Secretary of State Rice) as a beacon of American Values, the American Dream and a sage and sane Statesman (yes I know she's a woman) on the right:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
QUOTE
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that the United States still has trouble dealing with race because of a national "birth defect" that denied black Americans the opportunities given to whites at the country's very founding.
"Black Americans were a founding population," she said. "Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That's not a very pretty reality of our founding."
As a result, Miss Rice told editors and reporters at The Washington Times, "descendants of slaves did not get much of a head start, and I think you continue to see some of the effects of that."
"That particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it, and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today," she said.
"Black Americans were a founding population," she said. "Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That's not a very pretty reality of our founding."
As a result, Miss Rice told editors and reporters at The Washington Times, "descendants of slaves did not get much of a head start, and I think you continue to see some of the effects of that."
"That particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it, and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today," she said.
Since many posters here think Condoleezza Rice is an Uncle Tom or worse and that she has abandoned her race by aligning herself with the Republicans/Neo Cons I wonder:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
Other posters see Condoleeza Rice (Dr. Rice, Secretary of State Rice) as a beacon of American Values, the American Dream and a sage and sane Statesman (yes I know she's a woman) on the right:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
She isn't saying anything that's not true or hasn't been said before. The statement is true. It is very very hard to have an open honest discussion on race relations. One side is too defensive and the other is to accusatory.
PS I think I'm one of the few African Americans that don't see her as an Uncle Tom (a name that is historically incorrect). I don't agree with her politics; but I can respect her quality of work.
QUOTE(BaphometsAdvocate @ Mar 28 2008, 08:35 AM)
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that the United States still has trouble dealing with race because of a national "birth defect" that denied black Americans the opportunities given to whites at the country's very founding.
I like the use of metaphor because she is right. A country founded on freedom that traffics in the marketing of human beings has a major flaw.
QUOTE
"Black Americans were a founding population," she said. "Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together €” Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That's not a very pretty reality of our founding."
Did you know that African Americans fought in the Revolutionary War, it was a five to one ratio of black who fought for the British. It's simple enough, the British offered them freedom where the American government did not.
QUOTE
As a result, Miss Rice told editors and reporters at The Washington Times, "descendants of slaves did not get much of a head start, and I think you continue to see some of the effects of that."
"That particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it, and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today," she said.
"That particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it, and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today," she said.
The fact that so many blacks were born into poverty and ignorance was one of the key reasons for the rise of the welfare state. It created a bureaucracy that continues to keep people in perpetual poverty. I resent the fact that she speaks to the problem and offers no viable solution. I think that is irresponsible since no one is going to be able to argue with commonly known facts. I tend to agree with what she said but wonder where she thought she was going with this because she left me hanging.
QUOTE
Since many posters here think Condoleezza Rice is an Uncle Tom or worse and that she has abandoned her race by aligning herself with the Republicans/Neo Cons I wonder:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
What she said was true but how does she think this defect can be remitted I wonder. Sure the African Americans were brought over here as slave but there were indentured servants as well. Did that escape her attention and I am intensely curious, does she think this creates a problem with a solution in our day?
QUOTE
Other posters see Condoleeza Rice (Dr. Rice, Secretary of State Rice) as a beacon of American Values, the American Dream and a sage and sane Statesman (yes I know she's a woman) on the right:
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
How do you feel about the statement made by Condoleezza Rice regarding race relations in the US?
I don't think it will improve or damage race relations at all. I think she just spouted off about an historical injustice she offers no viable solution for. Honestly, I agree with the truth of what she said but my reaction can only be an emphatic 'so what?'.
QUOTE(TinFoilLiberal @ Mar 28 2008, 02:01 PM)
PS I think I'm one of the few African Americans.....
As long as we are on the subject of race.... I have always been curious about this term - is it your preference, or do you use it only because it is the prevailing term used these days? Do you feel a real connection to Africa? Some disconnect to America? Dislike the term "black"? Or is it a non-issue?
As a European American, 4 or 5 generations from Germany (I don't even know), I feel zero connection to Germany, Sweden, or anywhere else my great-greats came from. Any hyphenated term would not ring true to me. Maybe one generation in, I would feel differently, but we have all been here a while now.
When should ancestry cease to become relevant?
I say African American because Africa and America is the majority of what is in my blood. Black is a term that covers a group of people that is to wide in my opinion. Black can mean Cuban, Haitian, African, and other parts of the world. If I wanted to be really technical I'd call myself a West Indian American. My Grandmother was born in the West Indes and immigrated to the US. But African American is the most general term that doesn't cause much confusion so its what I use.
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