How sad. Oh my God. My heart breaks for this little boy, my girls are 5 I can't even begin to imagine them being left at a store then not being claimed. Omg This is wicked sad, how does this even happen? I mean wtf this poor boy. I wish I hadnt read it
I had the great privilege of representing America around the world. I was so proud to share our example, our diversity, our openness, our devotion to human rights and freedom. These qualities have drawn generations of immigrants to our shores, and they inspire people still. I have seen it with my own eyes.
And yet, bodies are once again being carried out of a Black church.
Once again, racist rhetoric has metastasized into racist violence.
Now, it’s tempting, it is tempting to dismiss a tragedy like this as an isolated incident, to believe that in today’s America, bigotry is largely behind us, that institutionalized racism no longer exists.
But despite our best efforts and our highest hopes, America’s long struggle with race is far from finished.
I know this is a difficult topic to talk about. I know that so many of us hoped by electing our first Black president, we had turned the page on this chapter in our history.
I know there are truths we don’t like to say out loud or discuss with our children. But we have to. That’s the only way we can possibly move forward together.
Race remains a deep fault line in America. Millions of people of color still experience racism in their everyday lives. Here are some facts.
In America today, Blacks are nearly three times as likely as whites to be denied a mortgage.
In 2013, the median wealth of Black families was around $11,000. For white families, it was more than $134,000.
Nearly half of all Black families have lived in poor neighborhoods for at least two generations, compared to just 7 percent of white families.
African American men are far more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes, and sentenced to longer prison terms than white men, 10 percent longer for the same crimes in the federal system.
In America today, our schools are more segregated than they were in the 1960s.
How can any of that be true? How can it be true that Black children are 500 percent more likely to die from asthma than white kids? Five hundred percent!
More than a half century after Dr. King marched and Rosa Parks sat and John Lewis bled, after the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act and so much else, how can any of these things be true? But they are.
And our problem is not all kooks and Klansman. It’s also in the cruel joke that goes unchallenged. It’s in the off-hand comments about not wanting “those people” in the neighborhood.
Let’s be honest: For a lot of well-meaning, open-minded white people, the sight of a young Black man in a hoodie still evokes a twinge of fear. And news reports about poverty and crime and discrimination evoke sympathy, even empathy, but too rarely do they spur us to action or prompt us to question our own assumptions and privilege.
We can’t hide from any of these hard truths about race and justice in America. We have to name them and own them and then change them.
HRC has my vote 100%. I hope if she is elected she has some ideas for what to do
My DD is 5. A friend at her preschool told her she couldn't marry one of the boys because she has light skin and he has dark skin. Another kid told her he didn't like her dark skin. I told one of her teachers this (pre-k) and each time she responded with "but her skin is not even that dark". I didn't say anything either time because I didn't want to ruffle feathers, but I was pissed And my husband was beyond pissed at this being her response. I will not be quiet any longer. I wish I knew what else I could do.
But it's still "dark enough" it seems. I think this is an issue that should be addressed with the teacher and/or her supervisor, including what *she* said and how it would be taken by your daughter and others, as "less than" or "different." And then hopefully the next time, and the next after that, the teacher will address it appropriately and in a timely fashion.
I agree. It was upsetting that a 5 year old said this to another 5 year old but my husband and I were both much more upset with her teacher's response.
My DD is 5. A friend at her preschool told her she couldn't marry one of the boys because she has light skin and he has dark skin. Another kid told her he didn't like her dark skin. I told one of her teachers this (pre-k) and each time she responded with "but her skin is not even that dark". I didn't say anything either time because I didn't want to ruffle feathers, but I was pissed And my husband was beyond pissed at this being her response. I will not be quiet any longer. I wish I knew what else I could do.
So the GOP nominees won't call this racism? Is that right? I saw Jeb! wouldn't and msnbc says other candidates refused to say it was racism. Are they refusing to say it's racism because they are afraid of jeopardizing their base? I don't get it. I also apologize if this has been discussed elsewhere
ETA: I see the wsj post now I'm assuming this post of mine has already been covered there. Off to read
I live in a rural community and had to run to the store last night. As I was leaving around 8pm I saw a white male follow me and I had the thought "does this man want to shoot me? Will he?"
It was only a millisecond if that but damn that the first time I've had such a feeling in my town.
I'm so sorry. No one should have to live like thisb
Question-what responsibilities would fall to the director of reporting and analytics? Coming from medical regulatory policy, I can't begin to imagine and am just curious
It depends on the industry, I imagine. I work in tech currently, and will be moving (if I accept this offer) to a software company that works with a lot of hollywood studios. I will be managing the data and reporting team that reports on the metrics of our software and products, and I will be likely the one frequently meeting on site with execs to discuss how the product is interfacing with their materials. (Trying to be vague here because it's a small world, lol.)
Totally over my head. Sounds really interesting being entertainment related . Thanks for answering and good luck!
Question-what responsibilities would fall to the director of reporting and analytics? Coming from medical regulatory policy, I can't begin to imagine and am just curious
I had no idea they displayed the confederate flag in an official capacity anymore. I thought it was more of a tshirt, bumper sticker, wall hanging type thing. It's on a flag pole outside a government building?
And yeah, flying higher than the American flag? That's fucked up.
Nine states celebrate a version of Confederate Memorial Day. State employees are actually off on these days. The flag seems small when there is a day that black folks have to sit back and watch a bunch of white folks feel all nostalgic about owning them.
I know the flag is a more portable expression, and I do understand its weight. It just disappointing all around.
Every year we go to Hilton head on vacation. Love it there-good memories and beautiful but I think that might have to change
Re: the confederate flag. You should all know that I think the ONLY good thing about that flag is that it clearly demonstrates who to stay far, far away from. BUT. It is not an official flag of any current nation or state. In terms of social intimidation it is powerful, but in political terms it is nothing. So asking the SC statehouse to lower it today would essentially be the same as asking them to lower a pirate flag.
I mean, this band of yahoos in state government thinks it's appropriate to fly all the time anyway, so why would they think today would be different?
It might not be official but it flies at the state house and that makes it official, IMO
I can't comment on the estrogen, but I really sympathize with you. I had two losses before my pregnancy with DS and the beta wait and worry was so torturous.
While the U.S. and South Carolina state flags that fly above the South Carolina state house were lowered to half-mast today in mourning for the nine victims of last night’s shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, the Confederate flag on display outside the building is still flying high and proud. Why? Because the bizarre display of racist symbolism is so closely protected that it would be impossible to move it without a legislative vote.
According to Raycom Media reporter Will Whitson, the continued display is something of a technical issue: it’s affixed to the top of the flagpole, not on a pulley, meaning that it would be difficult if not impossible to lower it halfway without taking it down altogether—a proposition that presents its own set of problems. State law demands that the government “ensure that the flags authorized above shall be placed at all times as directed in this section and shall replace the flags at appropriate intervals as may be necessary due to wear,” writes Schuyler Kropf at the Post and Courier. In other words, the flag can’t be pulled down until it’s voted on.
The state of South Carolina so reveres the memory of its armed defense of American slavery that lowering the Confederate Battle Flag that flies at full staff outside of its state house would require an official act of government—even after a racist murderer killed a state lawmaker and eight other residents in cold blood.
Ook, bear with me here, because I'm not exactly sure how to word my thoughts.
as the day goes on, I'm saddened by the lack of commentary from my FB friends. I keep thinking back on the other mass shootings, and the reactions. And I wonder if the lack of commentary comes because they can't relate. And I'm not accusing, but I'm not excusing it, either.
Shoot up a movie theater...that could've been me. Shoot up a school...that could of been me. Shoot people at. Church because they're black...that wouldn't of been me. That difference is what stuns and horrifies me. It couldn't have happened to me, simply because of the color I was born. So I'm left to wonder if that's why there is silence. Because the very thing that stuns me leaves my friends feeling unaffected. And if that's true, how do you change that?
there's also radio silence on my local NJ board-2 responses to a post and one is mine. Maybe people just don't know what to say. I personally did not make a post b/c there are some racist assholes on that board* and I knew it would turn into a fight that I'm not mentally prepared battle today. That being said, there was a lot of outrage on our board in relation to a few posters related to baltimore.
As evidenced by the use of terms like thug, animals, those people, and in the # of responses to 2 cops being shot in NY a few months ago vs. 2 responses for this. T
To say this is about religion is beyond ignorant. You are ignorant, at best, if you say that out loud.
Furthermore, the worst part is that this is about a lot of things, racism, guns, possibly mental illness, but our country has no inclination to talk about ANY of them, regardless of which you would give priority to. All 3 of these issues involve acknowledgement, tough discussions and possibly require some amount of money to address, but we're not going to do that because we can't even agree on Step 1 for any of these issues. We won't even come together to admit any of these are a problem. We sort of allow mental illness to enter the discussion but no one actually addresses mental illness and certainly haven't proposed any real changes or research or funding of anything different than what we currently aren't doing.
We need to all get really really angry at all of it and hold our officials feet to the fire on what needs to change. I really feel like it needs to be more than writing ting blog posts and letters to our reps. We have to stop letting pundits and politicians talk circles around issues and leave the room for the.next talking point. I really feel like we, the people, are letting this ish get outta hand.
I just have no idea what I can do. I feel like writing to reps is bs b/c they only care about getting re-elected