[Emily]

This reminds me of my mother’s comments to me when I asked why there was a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day, but no Kid’s Day. Her response: every day is kid’s day. African Americans have cable channels because most every other station is white-TV. Networks want to appeal to the largest number, which often means catering to the tastes of the majority. There are hundreds of shows with white characters, white writers, white producers. What’s wrong with catering to another audience? We have stations for people interested in food, sports or history. Why not channels dedicated to interests of minority groups? As for months of remembrance, what shocks me about ‘Black History month’ and the like is not that we honor people during a particular month, but that we don’t honor them always. History books often fail to point out the histories of non-white people. American History often ignores the thousands of years of history before Columbus. Studies of Greek and Roman civilization often ignore the foundations in Egypt. And European history isn’t the only valid history. Other civilizations were complex and do, in fact, have an impact on our society because we are not just a European-influenced culture. If we ignore other influences, we lose out.

User Detail :  

Name : Emily, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 24, City : Portland, State : OR, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Emily]

Your comment that ‘their own lack of manners and verbal skills’ leaves me confused. Do you mean white American manners? Do you mean white American English? Many people agree with the premise that other countries have different languages and different social norms. In our country, dialects and norms vary in different parts of the country (e.g., in the Pacific Northwest, we dress more casually and talk with a slightly different accent.) Why is it not OK for African Americans to have their own culture within our country? Why is it not valid for them to have a unique language/dialect (such as Ebonics) or different social expectations? Why does everyone have to fit the white American definition of language and manners? It seems to me there are other acceptable and valid definitions.

User Detail :  

Name : Emily, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 24, City : Portland, State : OR, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

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