[David S.]

Try living in South Carolina. Of course, lately we have brought most of this negative publicity on ourselves. To answer your question, though, I believe this is a matter of perception influenced by proximity. I have lived in the South my entire life and have traveled this country extensively. I really haven't heard anyone ridiculing Kentucky any more than any other Southern state. You may be more sensitive to the jibes because you are from Kentucky. The South gets a bad rap in general - and truthfully, some of it is probably deserved, but largely I think it is because people outside the South don't understand the culture and relate to the South only in terms of the stereotypes portrayed in the media, i.e. Deliverance, The Dukes of Hazard, any Billy Bob Thornton film, etc. This can become a vicious cycle of misinformation. Don't worry about what others say about where you live, worry about what they say about you.

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Name : David S., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[David S.]

About two years ago I was hosting a representative from a large manufacturer in India. We got to be pretty close friends, and I felt comfortable enough to ask him this same basic question - only, I asked why so many 'Patels' seem to own and operate small hotels(Motel 6, Super 8 etc) in the United States. He acknowledged that this was indeed more than a coincidence and had to do with the Indian Caste System. The Patel Caste (if I am calling that by the wrong name, no disrespect intended) are small hotel and shop owners (and presumably other small businesses). When they come to the United States, they do what they know. According to my Indian friend, the older generations can sometimes tend to live within their Caste System, even when living abroad, in presumed freedom. Their children, however, quite often adapt to the freedoms in the United States and take advantage of the opportunities afforded them outside their traditional caste 'definition,' going on to be doctors, lawyers, managers, teachers, etc.

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Name : David S., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[David S.]

...that is probably the best answer I have ever seen given on this topic. Very nice.

User Detail :  

Name : David S., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[David S.]

I think some are missing the point of Steve's question. What he is asking(correct if I am wrong) is how could someone not have ever heard of The Rolling Stones or Van Halen --the institutions? I don't think the fact that his friend listens to rap, plays into the equation that much. We are talking about being oblivious to a societal institution that virtually everyone is guaranteed of coming in contact with at some point in their life -- assuming no cave dwelling is involved. It's akin to not having ever heard of James Dean or Martin Luther King. They are icons. It's not like Steve couldn't understand why his friend didn't know the name of Superchunk's last album.

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Name : David S., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[David S.]

Your friend should lock her doors whenever she feels unsafe or unsure of her surroundings. Damned be those who take offense. Race should not necessarily figure into the equation.

If you have been victimized in the past by certain members of a particular race, it is perfectly natural to be wary when in the presence of other members of said race - after all, you may have no way of knowing anything about these new 'other' people. This 'cautious' response has been conditioned by past experiences and may or may not have anything to do with pure racial hatred or bias. Just as if you had been bitten by a Doberman, you may be uneasy around other Dobermans, regardless of how friendly they may be. I wouldn't call that a 'hatred' of Dobermans.

For the record, I have been broken into or robbed three times in my life - every time by white people. Should I make any extrapolations about the integrity of the entire white race based on these experiences? Am I more wary of white people? In some cases, but it has nothing to do with any inbred hatred or bias toward whites.

User Detail :  

Name : David S., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[David S.]

To deny that differences (physical and cultural) exist between the various races is to hide one's head in the sand. The large majority of questions posed about physical differences between the races have answers grounded in scientific fact (regardless of whether these facts make it onto this forum or not). I see no offense in asking such questions. Likewise, most of the cultural questions posed have answers grounded in historical fact, and these questions, in my opinion, are no less reasonable. Perspective, I believe, plays a role in your animosity. What if those questions had been asked by Asian females or by an African-American curious about his/her own physical characteristics? Would you be any less offended? Does your theory of "standards" still apply? Or is it merely the fact that they were asked by Caucasians? If the latter is the case, then I don't think the real problem is with the questions being asked but with the reason offense was taken. This is a forum about differences, and as long as the questions asked are asked in an intelligent manner devoid of malicious intent, they should be allowed. The only way any of us will ever truly "get along" is to understand and embrace these differences and quit persecuting those who notice the differences - which is virtually everyone with a fully functioning set of senses.

User Detail :  

Name : David S., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[David S.]

I was going to say that each is equally detrimental, and then changed my mind. Institutionalized racism is like a cancer that grows from within and is extremely difficult to eradicate. This eradication can typically only be accomplished via a complete disruption, and in some cases destruction, to the system. Societal chemotherapy, if you will. Blatant racism is a simpler battle. This is not meant to imply that this form of racism is not as damaging as institutionalized racism. It is just not a systemwide corruption. Its roots do not penetrate through and attach themselves to the basic principles and psyche of society's machinations. To correct blatant racism, you deal with individuals or small groups as opposed to attempting to adjust the gears, and unfortunately in some cases the foundations, of certain facets of our government and society.

User Detail :  

Name : David S., Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

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