Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 13 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 24 years, 4 months ago by
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When will we in this country stop this in-fighting among ourselves? This great country of ours is made up of millions of people from different cultures and backgrounds. Instead of embracing all of them, we want to separate ourselves from them. Why? Because they are different?
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Name : Tony C., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), City : Vista, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student/teacher's aide, Education level : 2 Years of College,Every person in this country believes that their culture is the best. The sad part is that they are all correct. They all fit into the puzzle somehow. The question is, which parts go where? The more we band together as a nation, the more we lose our own customs and traditions. Sometimes that’s a good thing, other times it is bad. The trick is to embrace other cultures without losing our own identities, and that is a very difficult thing.
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Name : Stuart-W, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 32, City : Cheyenne, State : WY, Country : United States, Occupation : Pawnbroker, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Although it would be wonderful if everyone in this country, and indeed world, simultaneously began to look at all people as equals, it is not very likely. However, there are individuals and organizations today that are working to bring about a true brotherhood/sisterhood in humankind. This battle won’t be easily won; each individual has to change, and we know that many people are resistant to change. But we should not be discouraged. The more people communicate with each other, the more they understand one another. This increased understanding, along with forgiveness, tolerance and love, is the major tool needed in eradicating the prejudice and racism that plague today’s society.
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Name : Chris J., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Age : 30, City : Mobile, State : AL, Country : United States, Occupation : Programmer/Analyst, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,There is a great deal of anger and distrust between many of the ethnic and racial groups in this country. The worst thing about it all is that when you get past the differences, you will find that people are alike in many ways. An Hispanic mother has many of the same concerns about her children’s welfare as a Caucasian mother or an African-America mother. Individual circumstances (such as living in a ‘bad’ neighborhood) can influence those concerns, but the basic concerns are the same. If people can get past their differences and see their commonalities, the country (and the world) would be a better place.
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Name : M-Kemper22539, City : Tampa, State : FL, Country : United States,The answer is so simple that it eludes you. America is engaged in a war of culture. As long as different cultures are manifested among the different races, and as long as these different races and cultures are forced to exist within the same political entities, there will be no unity. I, for one, have no intention of embracing any other culture but my own until the day I die. Don’t fool yourself. Whoever ultimately pulls the political strings wants it that way. Multicultural societies are full of civil discord. The string-pullers know this and hope we’ll be too busy fighting amongst ourselves to notice which strings they’re pulling. Stop preaching multiculturalism and start wondering what’s wrong with homogeneity.
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Name : Ben-Cameron, City : Any 'ole place, State : NA, Country : United States,I think many have stopped the infighting and treasure their friendships with people of different backrounds. What is needed is a conscious effort to go beyond fear of differences. It was beneficial to stay within our tribe long ago in our evolutionary history. We now know there is one human tribe on earth and we are all in it. Eventually people will become less ignorant and accept reality.
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Name : Daniel, Gender : M, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 23, City : Fort Lauderdale, State : FL, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Tony, Actually, the number of people in the U.S. who feel very strongly about someone’s race is probably quite small. There’s a very tiny minority of people who belong to hate groups and those people make a lot of noise. Don’t let them fool you into thinking they represent the majority of Americans. But most people are little prejudiced. These prejudices started a long time ago and we grow up hearing that other races are different than we are. For most people, though, those differences are not so great that they refuse to make friends with someone of another race. Where there’s friendship, there’s hope. In reality, Tony, there’s only one human race. We have different amounts of melanin in our skin which makes us lighter or darker but that has nothing to do with intelligence or anything else. Genetically, a short Black person would probably have more in common with a short White person than with a tall Black person! What you can do to help is just what you’re doing — ask the right questions! And when you see people who as so misguided that they really don’t like other races, just remember that your heart is in the right place and you have science to back you up!
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Name : William, Gender : M, Age : 39, City : Raleigh, State : NC, Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,In my opinion, the main reason Americans of all backgrounds don’t seem to get along is a lack of awareness and understanding of the similarities within the diversity. Our educational system does not adequately address issues of unfair bias and stereotyping of entire cultures, due primarily to the ethnocentric point of view of historians and other ‘educators’ in America. Compounding the problem is increasing fear of others and an obsession with privacy which is fed constantly by media images portraying a world in which it is just not safe to trust ANYONE, let alone anyone who already appears strange to us. There are a great many people working to counteract this destructive trend. I, personally, work with a group here in Rochester called EDUCATION FOR PEACE which is trying to establish new teaching methods and programs to teach children about themselves and others, foster high self-esteem and conflict resolution skills, and educate the community at large about PEACE! It is ironic that a majority of people would say that they wish/pray/hope for peace, but very few will state confidently that they believe it is possible. More of us need to say it outloud! PEACE IS POSSIBLE AND WE CAN CREATE IT! The most important thing is to start with yourself and what you can do to make the world better. Then get out there and do something! It is amazing what can happen when enough of us get up and start to change the world! If anyone is interested in more information about EDUCATION FOR PEACE or other national and international programs, I would be happy to help! Contact me at ed4peace@excite.com! Peace!
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Name : Sara H., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 27, City : Rochester, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : student/activist, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,Indeed we should be celebrating the human spirit and embrace each other’s culture with facination and interest! The key is RESPECT. That is something that most of the human race has neglected to nurture. We need to look at our fellow earth-brothers and sisters and acknowledge their divine humanity, regardless of their color, religion, age or sex. If we can find ways to get past the *mine-is-better-than-yours* attitude, we then have an opportunity to instead share each other’s cultures and in child-like wonder can proceed to learn more about each other without prejudice hindering the process. But again, I think it has to do with respect. If we could, as a whole-planet, develop our thought patterns to respect all people, the doorway would open and peace could begin to walk through the many rooms of our Earth. ~In peace… cher
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Name : ~cher, Gender : Female, Religion : na, Age : 36, City : Norfolk, State : VA, Country : United States, Occupation : na, Social class : Middle class,There’s reference to what is termed the ‘New Being’ by the New Agers. Being is whatever is believed, which is what we “have accepted” (up-bring etc.) and hold on to. By releasing these held belief and evolving in understanding we may begin to see: All ‘Mortal Beings’ have an internal flaw: that one knows all. Of course a know it all can’t be in a state of Learning (Love, All is Love) or evolving. This flaw is the 666 in the writing of the Bible. This supports Hierarchy, the Great Whore (“Sells” Clarity/ Christ/Spirit of mind to “Learn” by exchanging the Now for the past/bottomless pit) as your question points out. The Mind/man is symbolized as beast because its purpose is to gather all things of the past place in proper perspective and build from there: Evolve. As Chris said, each individual has to change.
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Name : Jerome, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 57, City : Albion, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : maintence, Education level : Technical School,It seems to me that there are systems in place, some intentionally and some not, that ensure that differences are always played up. It only makes sense that any system of government/economics wants to protect itself, and to do so there must be certain things in place. If people are not concerned with ‘in your face’ problems like race, class, religious and other issues, they might have the time and energy to see that the people in power are just as crooked and cruel as anyone else, and that they will do anything, right or wrong, to keep themselves in a position of power and wealth. This has happened throughout history, in most cultures, and unless greed and selfishness are suddenly wiped out of humankind’s cache of emotions, I don’t think it will ever stop.
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Name : marj, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 45, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Human Resources, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,I need your help spreading the word about a tragedy that continues today. In Hampton, Virginia, Medic/Firefighters are deliberately withholding and delaying care to minority patients who call 911, causing serious injury and death. They have also been caught molesting white unconscious female patients in the back of the ambulances. I am calling for an independent investigation into these activities. Please view the below site and see the evidence for your self. When you see the ‘picture this’ on the site, that is the testimony I gave to Hampton Police investigators. Please also sign my petition for an independent investigation. Thank you so much. PLEASE VISIT MY PAGE AND SIGN THE PETITION FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION. VIEW http://members.spree.com/health/fastsquad/home.htm
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Name : JOHN J, City : HAMPTON, State : VA, Country : United States,It’s basically because people are stupid and can’t get it through their thick skulls that just about everything they’re fighting over doesn’t amount to jack squat in the grand scheme of things. As far as the United States goes, I think most of it has to do with the fact that Americans let themselves get so caught up in a false sense of purpose that they don’t realize what morons they’re being. I mean, you’ve got black people who think that whites still owe them for the whole slavery deal 130 some odd years ago, which means that some dumb rednecks out there are gonna get pissed off when they lose a job to a minority, not because of affirmative action, but because they’re too busy amassing stockpiles of weapons in their cabin in Montana to go to work. Then you’ve got illegal aliens jumping the border and and taking jobs, which nobody else really wants anyway, but it’s pissing somebody off nonetheless. Throw in the fact that the government is run by a bunch of upper-crust, self-serving politicians who care more about straw polls than their constituents, and basically you’ve got yourself a giant island full of really, really pissed-off individuals. So if you want to live someplace where everyone gets along, you’d better find yourself a nice, quiet South Pacific island and get used to being alone.
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Name : Big-Ern, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Episcopalian, Age : 24, City : Dyke, State : VA, Country : United States, Occupation : Lawyer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,When are you leaving for the South Pacific? Please take your attitude with you.
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Name : Beth, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 34, City : Jacksonville, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : Freelance writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
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