Racism SUCKS! I come from a family that is loaded with people from OK, TX, and TN. I went to a huge family reunion and was actually asked if I had any black friends. (put in much worse words) When I said yes I wa then asked if I let them into my home! Ummm yes I replied. Why? Wow the replies I got knocked me for a loop. Unbelieveable bigots. I left the reunion early after much more nasty questions and I have not returned to that area of OK since then. That was in 1994. Lived most of my life with out ever meeting these folks think I will survive without going back for more crap.

Joyce

LOL Catsmeow - well, not really. For me, it's like asking if you have any friends with big noses. Why would you have to answer such a question? Does it matter?

When my sister attended the last family reunions, one of my cousins asked her "Was your sister ever been able to find a white man who could love her?" My sister wanted to have a good time, so she had to swallow her anger over his comment. She simply told him I am now married to a man who treats me like a queen and left it at that.

Hi, Is anyone upset with me or somethin? I was just wondering how they/we decided it. Prettypearl (on the 2nd post) told how it is 'supposed to' be decided.
Greenjeans pretty much says it too.

Lor

I'm not upset at all. I apologize if I've taken your thread off track. Very few people see me in my son - he only has my heart. It's nice to have a little recognition for my contributions once in a while. It's a valid question, and my son's white half thanks you I thank you for asking.

Why do you think someone is upset? I thought it was a well-timed,well-thought out question. If we can't talk about race issues, this country will never over-come them. There will always be stupid people, racist and narrow-minded.

I've also read that whites will be the minority by 2030. The tables will turn one day and we need to come to terms with this issue as a nation. Obama has brought this issue out and is being praised as haveing the political kahoona's to have a speech that will go down in history, like MLK or JFK...world leaders who speak what needs to be spoken at the appropriate time in history.

Others here have shared some inspired stories, as well as some shocking stories.....one step forward in healing this nation of race issues.

If you look for reasons to be racist or to make lists that define all your grievances I'm sure you can find plenty.

However, the oposite end of the coin is always there and I could make a list to counter (in the case of the previously listed '50' reasons) all of them.

There is always some sort of balance...in some ways we get priveleges and in other ways we lose them.

A person has to be confortable in their own skins; it's the only one you have.

Why continue looking for negatives to explain everything?

Look for the possitive and try not to dwell on the negative.

It's not easy, but it is possible.

Really, it is our interiors that count, not our exterior. We all know people who seem successful due to beauty or fortune, but they are not always happy and it is not due to color.

Tootsie

he is a human being and seeing he is able to run for president means he is an american citizen good enough for me.

The other day I saw Barack Obama (I think it was yesterday), I was in the waiting room at Cornell and they had a big tv on. Everybody was watching the View. He came on. What a handsome man. I always thought (and I don't know why), that he reminds me of JFK. I met JFK when he campaigned in my neighborhood in the 60's. Even shook his hand.

So I'm watching the tv along with everybody else in the waiting room, when this girl walks by, gets a load of Barack Obama and says "Oh, isn't he a cutie?" and I laughed. Then she blurts out "And I don't know why they are comparing him to JFK, he doesn't look anything like JFK".

So I wasn't the only one in the USA who thinks this guy is a JFK type.

He comes across as extremely knowledgeable, articulate, he presents himself impeccably (sorry spelling???), he is interesting to listen to.

He impressed the heck out of me, let's just put it that way.

I can see this guy winning. Now everybody promises everything. It's when they go into office is when they have to put up or shut up.

I don't know but I like this guy. And I hate anything to do with politics.

But he came on the show, sat down, started looking people in the eye, spoke brilliantsly (everything that our present guy DOES NOT DO.)

He never fumbles when he speaks. He seems to know what the heck he's doing.

I, for one thing, wish him well. I only hope that no skeletons come out of the closet to destroy HIM AND HIS FAMILY.

We don't need any more of that kind of behavior.

Tootsie

If you are referring to my list of "white privilege," I never said it was an excuse to be racist. It's just what people of color have to live with every day, and most white people are unaware of this aspect of life.

When Chelsea was asked about her mother's growth during a painful moment in her life (Monica), most people agreed neither Chelsea nor Hillary should have to speak of such personal pain. Why, then, is perfectly okay to pick at the generations of pain people of color have had to endure, simply because white people aren't ready to look at the face of a black man?

I'm addressing you directly only because I hear this a LOT. White people don't like to hear about the pain they've caused people of color. They think they can just "start fresh" and equal.

You can't tell a woman who has been raped to buck up and trust men again. You can't tell her to forget about it or that will never happen again. You can't tell her to never speak of it, because she will never heal.

That woman, just like people of color, need to HEAL. The only way to heal from our troubles is to talk about them sincerely and honestly. It is "talk therapy" for the entire nation - white, black, brown, red, yellow - and it shouldn't all be placed on the shoulders of one single presidential candidate. The constant jabs (overt and covert) at his race by the media and competitors only make the pain worse for the people of color in this nation. It only fires up the white supremacy groups here, who have been itching for a race war and arming themselves for a very long time now.

"it shouldn't all be placed on the shoulders of one single presidential candidate. The constant jabs (overt and covert) at his race by the media and competitors only make the pain worse for the people of color in this nation. It only fires up the white supremacy groups here, who have been itching for a race war and arming themselves for a very long time now"

Why not? It's a great start! (LET OBAMA SPEAK!!!)

Frankly, I don't see all the 'jabs' about Obama being black. I agree with Melody, he is very handsome and articulate. I hear whispers about him (slap them!), but in the media....they treat him like all the other candidates. I suppose if you live in the South (?) you may have more trouble with this issue....and hear a lot more than I do in Alaska. The South is notorious for this, not all, but some are still living with this mentality. I understand your anger and desire to protect your child...but I think Obama is proving that American hearts are changing and he COULD BE PRESIDENT!

Just a final thought: Blacks should stop calling each other N. I don't walk around calling other whites cracker! This perpetuates the name calling IMHO.