Cynique

@TroyWe need an outside arbitrator because i think you are guilty of the same things you accuse us of. Objectivity is in short supply here. Also, people don't realize how they come across when expressing themselves in writing. Maybe this communication problem has something to do with attitude which transcends words and settles itself in the spaces between them. i felt like you were talking down to us, "mansplaining" and seeming to shake your head at how silly you found our arguments to be. I also felt that your beef had more to do with your detesting the media than whether or not the condo guy's response was justified. You imply that labeling your position as an "opinion" absolves you from thinking it was "absolutely right". Tell me, who posts an opinion they don't think is absolutely right? When i twice suggested that we agree to disagree, you never went along with this, giving me the impression that you were reluctant to legitimize my argument by calling the debate a "draw". And, of course, this is a subjective conclusion on my part.

This is legitimate news. 10 prominent Democrats and 2 Trump critics have been sent bombs and the sender is engaging in terrorist activity. The Feds have just arrested a person of interest, a convicted felon who appears to be a Trump supporter. His lies are challenged, thanks to the media giving the Democrats a platform.

With Democrats like the Clintons, the Obamas, Joe Biden, Robert DeNiro, Eric Holder, Maxine Waters, the ex-CIA Director along with CNN all being recipients of mailed bombs, Trump has mounted his soap box and blamed the media for these threats to his enemies. He has totally absolved himself from any responsibility for the example he sets with the incendiary comments he posts on Twitter, - with whom he has a symbiotic relationship. All the Liberal pundits are warning that attacking The Press is a classic tactic of fascist dictators but 45 continues to scapegoat the media, all the while using Fox News to spread his unsubstantiated "facts". So, who is to blame for this Catch-22 situation that has polarized the nation? If 45 did not have an outlet for his bigotry, would the country be better off? If Trump supporters didn't have him as their cheer leader, would this make them less hate-filled? Should his vitriolic pep rallies not be aired on TV news programs? Are the masses entitled to see their despicable President in action? America is faced with a dilemma. The latest brouhaha has flared up with a stand taken by white Megan Kelly, 47, who hosts a morning talk show on NBC. She insisted that wearing black face is OK during Halloween because it's part of a costume, and she made matters worse by saying, there was nothing wrong with this when she was growing up. When employed at Fox News, she also stirred controversy by saying that Santa Claus and Jesus were white and should not be represented as anything else. She claims to dislike political correctness, a noteworthy statement in view of how 45's ratings are steadily rising. Now word has just been received that the future of her show is in jeopardy. So here we go again... Everybody is urging people to get out and vote. To me, there's no guarantee this will make things better for the Democrats. Thanks to the game Trump is refereeing, too many eligible voters are growing impatient with the race card always being played, I have said that, little-by-little, Trump will start to touch on issues that his detractors are in agreement with. One morning they're all going to wake up and regret not being careful about what they wished for.

@Troy I am surprised at the the tone of your response to ChevDove's last post. Your dismissal of her argument bristled with indignation over your feeling of being misunderstood. But you have to take responsibility for some of this because you have been so uncompromising in your opinion. We have all conceded that there is some validity in your complaint about this incident being over played, but you haven't given an inch in your obstinate stance that you are absolutely right, a belief based on nothing more than your world view. I am equally surprised at how you overlapped into ad hominem territory. To me, the post below, quoting the man involved in this incident, shows him to be someone who does not fit into the "stupid" category in which you want to put him.

i don't expect you to care about this "particular cry of racism" although you didn't previously make it clear to me that you think the woman is as "stupid" as you think the man is. You seemed more concerned about her losing her job. Anyhow, at this point, i don't care either how others feel about this situation. It's over and done with. Actually i have never personally encountered overt blatant racism. That's why I always remark about my black experience being different from that of other people's. And my reaction to the condo incident is influenced by this because, as a perennial spectator, it strikes me that racism is so ongoing that some people have become desensitized to it and just shrug it off. And of course, other blacks are accused of blaming everything on it. Everybody has a different reaction to racism and all are convinced theirs is the best way, - which is certainly the case with you.

@Troy I have acknowledged that not all white people act on their racism. Liberals and Democrats at least try not to, and are quite cognizant about what Trump is doing to the country. My quarrel is with all of those who are becoming converts to the Republican right wing conservatives who personify racism. I haven't really gone off on the deep end with this incident. it is the topic of this thread so i am expressing my opinion just as you are, totally oblivious to how you are coming across as being an apologists for white people, referring to the black guy who was prevented from entering his condo as being surly, which he wasn't. He kept his cool. But you rush to the defense of the white woman, justifying her decision to call the police, suggesting that we should be grateful the negro wasn't lynched. Of course you don't see it this way. You prefer to accuse us of being petty about racial profiling. Then you dismiss ChevDove's St.Louis experience, overlooking how she admitted that she also met a lot of friendly white people there. I found what she said relevant because it illustrated how polarized this country is, something else that is being discussed on this thread.

@TroyNo, i don't surely admit that there are more significant things that occur on a daily basis! That's your conclusion; not mine. I think that along with all the other news this incident was quite significant because it typifies an attitude that dates back over 50 years ago to the civil rights protests, - an attitude that has not gone away and is still alive and well in this country. If offering proof of what a segment of America's white population is capable of is an example of "spite", it is also confirmation of the black grievances that whites would rather not hear about. Like Kaepernick's taking the knee, it embarrasses them, and deflates the pride they take in a country that falls short of what it purports to be. To me, that's a small victory. . My son's aversion to Islamic Middle-easterners (Arabs) is, admittedly, more about xenophobia than racism. But his sentiment is right in line with Trump's dialogue. (Before Trump came on the political scene, in keeping with my cynicism about religion in general, i rejected Islamic and this included, the Black Muslims, so you can interpret that any way you wish.) You want to bring me around to your side when i have repeatedly suggested that we agree to disagree. You are not changing my mind, and i am not changing yours, so that's how it should stand... @Chevdove Your anecdotes about St. Louis are very relevant. Missouri isn't even the deep south but there are places all over this country, where segregation and racial prejudice still exist in pockets throughout the states where blacks are not welcome or are treated with hostility.

@Troy I do think all white Trump voters were racists, some more than others, and i don't buy the reason you give for those who you say aren't racists, not being racist. Plus , as i previously reminded, racism doesn't have to be toward just blacks. or does one have to be white to be racist toward Hispanics and Arabs or even Asians. Which is the case with my son, who doesn't think Arabs should be allowed to immigrate to this country. This nation was founded on racism as evidenced by how the Constitution regarded slaves to be 3/5 human, and Native Americans to be savages, and Chinese railroad workers to be treated like dirt. White second-generation immigrants assimilated into the American culture and became racists., too, when it came to black, brown and yellow people. Racism doesn't have to be of the "cross-burning" kind; it can be subtle and this is often the most insidious kind. White supremacy is the glue that holds America together and is what reinforces its power to discriminate against minorities. ""Yellow journalism" dates back to the turn of the 20th century, having been originated by William Randoph Hearst, a millionaire publishing tycoon. Have you ever seen the movie "CHICAGO" about how the Roxie Hart murder case was sensationalized back in the 1920s? Scandal is an integral part of the American scene and it is news because it's comparable to "man biting dog". And the way you try to minimize the condo incident escapes me. It rubs the noses of white people in the shit that stains the fabric of this country but , you prefer not to appreciate how holding racial profiling up to ridicule forces America to realize how the more things change, the more they become the same. Yes, this country is polarized because when all is said and done, race still matters. I repeat: We have to agree to disagree.

@Troy I watch the news every night and read a newspaper every day, and all of the things you attribute to them are just a small part of what they include in the news at large. They cover plenty of other stories about current important matters that pertain to the nation and the world. Since you boycott these venues, you wouldn't know this. i have exchanges with Trump supporters on a social media almost every day and one of them is a white old high school classmate of mine. We are friends, but are political opposites. She is what i would call a benign racist. The others are all racists to some degree. Black people are not the only ones they have a problem with. They resent Hispanics and Arabs and Asians. i am also Facebook friends with 2 black Trump Voters whose infatuation with him stems from their disillusionment with Obama for reasons they are not very good at articulating. Once again this is something you can't speak on because you don't frequent social media. You're too busy making excuses for Trump supporters who you think are harmless white people who have no clue about the effect of their white skin entitlement. My youngest son likes Trump yet although he is a conservative he benefits from liberalism, something i remind him of and this frustrates him, so we don't discuss the subject anymore. Incidents like the brother being blocked at his condo entrance by a white woman who called the police on him probably happen everyday somewhere in America. YouTube is what enables videos to go viral, but that's OK because you like YouTube since it provides you with videos that appeal to you. Information about climate change is also regularly reported on the daily news but you can't force people to be concerned about a vague threat that has no immediate impact on them. Yet you blame this on the media because it's your scapegoat. The media is not perfect, but i'd rather have a broad spectrum of news rather than a narrow one. Obviously this is something we have to agree to disagree about.

@Troy You don't give the media any slack, constantly badmouthing it, but you bend over backwards to give Trump voters a pass. You say they were captivated by Trump's narrative. And what was the campaign narrative that got Trump elected? There was nothing uplifting or commendable about anything he said. It was all about bullying and mocking and lying and bragging, all with racist, misogynistic undertones. Those voters you claim are not racist didn't know ahead of time how the economy and employment and the stock market would improve, the things you said were why they voted for Trump, as if these voters were in such dire straits. Trump's across-the-board appeal had to do with him being typical of millions Americans who are the anti-thesis of political correctness, - arrogant, fascistic, bigoted, religious hypocrites. They are his base, Republican conservatives who ALL represent various degrees of racism, running the gamut from benign to malignant. Yes, social media has done as much harm as good. As for the communication media, hyperbole is the price you pay for a free press. The alternative is just as bad. Finally, i obviously have no tolerance for anyone who supports Trump, especially a black person. Or do i don't pretend to be objective about any of this. I am very unpatriotic and full of contempt when it comes to America not being what it brags about being, as evidenced by its unsavory history. I think it has failed at being a paragon of democracy. America's biggest problem? Americans. And the worst of them have the most power. I'm done.

I tried to post the article on this subject a couple of days ago, but couldn't do it. The conclusion it drew was that it was a misconception that poor disenfranchised whites specifically played a big role in electing Trump. They're who Hillary Clinton was criticized for not reaching out to during her campaign. i don't believe any obvious racist votes Democratic. The Republican Party is the official political home for those who resent other ethnics. I think the black individuals who voted for Trump are those who didn't want to be taken for granted by the Democrats, or who were disgruntled Bernie supporters. And in all probability the type who were willing to give America the benefit of the doubt because they were co-existing with racism and doing well for themselves. What i find noteworthy is the large number of whites who recognize the danger of a leader like Trump and see the handwriting on the wall if he is allowed to stay in office. But they are being counteracted by those gradually drifting over to Trump's camp because they are finding points of agreement with him. America now has a split personality and is going crazy.

Well, obviously we see things differently. i think it was racial profiling because i don't believe the alarms would've gone off in the woman's head, had the man trying to enter the building been white. You act as though the black guy set her up so he could entrap her. All of these incidents are symptomatic of a larger problem, the age-old problem of black skin being a catalyst for racist white people, and currently they are coming out of the walls like roaches because Donald Trump has made their bias permissible. That's the whole point. Yet, you consider these things to be trivial incidents that should just be shrugged off as immature behavior. You sound like those who think blacks should not rock the boat and just go along to get along. But Trump has also emboldened black folks and motivated them to call these people out and expose them for these petty prejudices that are gaining momentum and polluting the polarized atmosphere in America. Your attitude harks back to your agreement with those who thought Donald Trump voters were economically-deprived underclass white people who felt threatened and neglected and needed to be reached out to, rather than condemned. A recent survey, however, showed this was not the case, that those who voted for him were average income white people from all walks of life who had one thing in common which was that they all hated Obama and wanted someone who was just the opposite of him for president. These findings are significant when it comes to the question of racism. Maybe everything isn't grounded in it, but the trend is moving back in that direction thanks to Trump's "make America great again" mantra. This battle cry seems to be resonating with more and more of the white population. As far as the woman being fired over the condo incident, she is also a victim of racism; her own. The Media is in competition with the Internet. They both run stories of interest. Everybody isn't on Twitter or FaceBook and they get their news from TV and newspapers. i don't agree that these "phone-in" incidents are given priority over other more important events. They are "human interest" stories.

@TroyThis is 2018. Are you still using your 8-track or have you "upgraded" to CDs. The world has changed and people utilize what enables them to justify their grievances; especially black victims because they are the ones most likely to not be believed. These white bigots need to be put in check. The woman who refused to allow the man to enter his condo was fired by her employer after this video went viral. That's sending a message to these white folk trying to get black folks in trouble,- just because they are black! And this is news.

The point i made was that they are NOT poor by choice but are poor because they are not smart enough to better themselves financially.

If your belief sounded articulate and rational, maybe Troy would accept it. The battle of the sexes does not involve race. The instinct of the male of the species is to dominate the female of the species. Sexism arose from this dynamic that has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with gender. No one is holding them back. What is holding them back is their not being smart enough to take advantage of lucrative opportunities. White skin is a privilege that provides a leg up, but dumbness and ineptitude does not discriminate and it does occur among whites. Mental acuity is what separates the wheat from the chaff when it comes to whites.

The dictionary definition of genius is: exceptional intellectual or creative power or other natural ability. So what more can be said on the subject? Certainly imagination is a major factor in the psyche of a genius. Dreams are subconscious mind activity and the subconscious harbors the imagination. A genius is obviously an extraordinary intuitive or intellectual person. There is no reason to doubt or challenge what Einstein and Mozart say about their inspiration. i think we all have the potential to be geniuses. It's a matter of tapping into a certain area of our brain, the organ which we don't use to its full capacity.

The white woman who accused the black 9 year old of groping her, has gone online and issued an apology after viewing a security video which showed it was the boy's book bag which brushed up against her ass. The guy who fired his rifle at a fleeing black teenager who knocked on his door looking for directions, has been found guilty of attempted murder. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts has ordered several federal judges to investigate ethics complaints brought against Brett Kavanaugh. Harvard University has presented Colin Kaepernick with the WEB DuBois award it gives out every year to an outstanding black person. Donald Trump's approval ratings have risen slightly... You win some, you lose some.

I am certainly not unaware of how many people approve of Trump. He represents a certain type of American that is very wide spread in this country and they are known as Republicans! They are who helped put him in office and their mouth piece is Fox News. Worse yet, they are not going to be that easy to vote out. That's why Liberal and Progressive Democrats are depressed and full of anxiety.

Televising the meeting was an exercise in immediate actuality; live TV at its best, as opposed to edited reporting about it later. How did 45 benefit from this farce? It was an embarrassment for him in that it exposed the insanity of a black person who supports him. Kanye was rambling, not saying anything that would impress Trump's base.

Are black people allowed to become Australian citizens? Didn't Australia used to place restrictions of black people desiring to immigrate to their country? White women in America come in 2 variations. Those who look down on and fear black males and those who don't. The first type are invariably Republican women of the ilk who voted against Hillary Clinton. They are a deplorable group.

There is nothing 'clearly" clear about this sentence but i repeat, Donald Trump is the laughing stock of the world and so is America for electing him POTUS. You may consider this irrelevant, but i don't. My statement has nothing to do with Republicans. But it has something to with "disservice", and my point was that anything that is pictured in a bad light by the media can be considered a disservice by whomever it targets. That doesn't mean that facts are better left unsaid. i don't think what Kanye says is taken seriously enough for detractors to use his words against black people. Everybody knows he's a nut-case.

@TroyWho said Kanye's visit didn't get a lot attention?? i said it deserved a lot of attention. Why should it be repressed because "it does black people a disservice"? Does truth and reality ever enter your frame of thought when you bitch about the media?? After all, one of its tenets is to "shine the light in dark places". The media's constant focus on Donald Trump's every move does Republicans a disservice. So what? In exposing Trump for the fool that he is, the media is doing the Democrats a favor. It all balances out. Put what's going on in the world out there and let people decide for themselves what they think is credible. Isn't that your approach? @Delano Maybe because Kanye's is a lot easier to criticize and dismiss than Kaepernick. Kanye supposedly wanted Kaepernick to come with him to the white house. Apparently Kaepernick refused, perhaps not wanting to be manipulated by either Kanye or Trump. An old, and seemingly out of it, Jim Brown silently sitting there with a cane, witnessing it all, was as pathetic as Kanye.

That's not true. Kanye was just one of the topics of the day both on social media and the talk show circuit. He is, in fact, already yesterday's news, with the general conclusion being that he is a mentally-disturbed disgrace to his race. Did the media make more money by televising Kanye's white house visit? Lots of people, like me, didn't bother to watch it live, but just saw snippets of it on their local evening news. No more than the flawed electoral college sham, which cancelled out the popular vote.

@Troy Why wouldn't the media televise this meeting between the President and a loose cannon Rapper? It is sensational news as well as historic in scope. And just like Trump is Putin's bitch, Kanye is Trump's bitch. I referred to the meme as "ridicule", not "humor". And ridicule is the only weapon left for those without power. Jim Brown, for all of his history of being militant, apparently couldn't resist hobnobbing with a President. A sad commentary on someone who represented himself as the epitome of a strong black man.

Kanye West's performance in the oval room of the white house, just leaves me shaking my head. The oval office has become a platform for an insane buffoon and there's nothing left for me to do but promote ridicule.