Pioneer1

Del On January 28th you said: "@Pioneer1 in about two weeks the 26 days will expire. I wold say his approval will be between - 26 - 31% plus or minus 7. " This is April 22 How is a prediction you made nearly 3 months ago for mid-February relevant for today?

Joe Madison is a smart man and he's usually up on a lot of the issues so he's probably doing it for STRATEGIC purposes. As much as I think all this mess about him being beat up because he was Asian (although I do think it was wrong for him to have been beaten) is a bunch of horse manure, I don't think it would be good for Blacks to publicly dismiss this incident. We already have our hands full dealing with White racism and the peripheral racism from other people who come here and try to cozy up to Whites at our expense, so we don't need a head on collision with the Asian community by out right dismissing this incident or making light of it or trying to "one up" it by claiming how much worse we have it. Actually it could be used to help build some bridges and bridge some gaps between ourselves and other groups by illustrating the abusive nature of so many in law enforcement. So if I had a radio program I would use it to that effect...but only sparsely. Tariq Nasheed said that it's time for these other non-White races to start "holding their own nuts" when it comes to fighting White supremacy in America. We've been fighting it for decades while many of them sat back playing dumb wondering what we were complaining about....now they see.

Cynique Instead, you offer simplistic solutions for complicated problems. Well...... Atleast I OFFER solutions....lol. You articulate the problems quite well but leave the reader with a morbid hopelessness. After telling them how bad shit is going to get, sometimes you even taunt the poor reader by claiming atleast you won't be around to see the all hell they're going to catch in the future...lol.

To say that people are more effective when they share resources and work together is like saying society is better when people don't lie or steal from eachother. Meaning...the statement is just as impractical and unrealistic as it is obvious. Since when or in what society have people EVER worked together in harmony and shared resources? Even before slavery and colonialism and before Africans or Native Americans came into contact with Europeans.....Africans and Natives had their own despots, dictators, and blood thirsty strong-men who ruled over their tribes and kingdoms with violent absolutism. I'm not saying this was the case with all or even most African and Native American leaders.....but many. You always had men who were smarter than others and saw a way to "take advantage" of the other. Even under communism and socialism...... In THEORY everyone lives together equally with the same resources all working according to his/her ability. But in PRACTICE of just about every communist nation you have the masses of the people living poorly with just a very basics guranteed to them in the form of food, clothing, and shelter while the members of the communist party of that nation living large and dividing any wealth produced among themselves. Atleast in Capitalist America, England, Nigeria, or Brazil you have a handful of super rich people...a large number of poor....and a pretty decent size (but shrinking) middle class who own various degrees of wealth. When China and Russia were straight up purely communist EVERYONE was poor and living in the projects.....even those who were highly educated. While only a couple thousand people who were members of the government got to enjoy the finer thing of modern society like thier own house, cars, and fine dining....and even wearing a suit. It was actually nothing but an extreme form of Capitalism that eliminated the middle-class! I'm not coming from a right-wing conservative Republican point of view. But after having lived all over the United States, traveled to other countries, and spoken to people from all over the world about what they've experienced where they were ...it's lead me to my current beliefs that Capitalism in practice....although not perfect....is much better than Communism or even socialism. The desire for wealth and women isn't generated or create by society..... These traits are inborn. MOST men have the natural desire to not only procreate and spread his genes but also accumulate the resources to protect and care for himself and his progeny. Also, most men by nature want to CONTROL and OWN resources and property....not share them or have them taken away from him and distributed to others. I agree with you that most people aren't benefiting by this current system, which is why it needs to either be reformed or replaced. But the biggest problem with the system isn't that it's not working, but that it's just not working for most of OUR people. In other words....... In a Capitalist system that demands some people must assume the role of wealthy owners while the masses must assume the role of poor workers; Perhaps Black people should take a lesson from the Asians and other immigrants in this nation and start trying to audition for the role of WEALTHY OWNERS instead of constantly begging for a role a poor worker....who doesn't even WORK half the time!

Perhaps the lack of sympathy for Black males was by design and in the making for a long time. Like the Irritated Genie said in a recent interview, before you get ready to wipe out a particular people you must first remove all of the public's sense of empathy for them to the point that if they are slaughtered there won't be any outcry. To the point we discussed in another thread over how Black men can be routinely shot down by the police and few outside of our community will even raise an eyebrow over it, but one Asian man is beat up on a plane by the police and there's an international uproar! Although I'm not very religious, I personally have a STRONG FAITH in God. That strong faith has not only gotten me through a lot of things but has prevented me from doing a lot of things that may have otherwise been considered harmful. A distant second is my linear form of thinking. I always liked the "direct approach" to solving problems so while a lot of my friends would get drunk, high, or even fight in order to release thier frustrations or forget about their problems.....I'd actually drive way out into the deep suburbs among the trees or go to some very secluded neighborhood and sit there and ponder over my options....even as a teenager. Because I wasn't the smartest person in the world I didn't alway come up with the best solutions for my problems but the good thing is I never developed the habit of getting drunk or high as a means of escapism and it's saved me a lot of money. However I recognize that many if not most Black men DON'T have this type of belief and many either believe in a religion that doesn't actually help them or teach them how to solve their day to day problem OR they don't have any type of belief system at all and live life by the moment and react impulsively to each situation they face. This isn't their fault. They have been "let down" by a society that teaches children half-truthes and gives them false narratives in school and on television and unless you were blessed to have GOOD PARENTS who were wise and caring enough to tell you how the world really works and what to do to get ahead.....many times you're just shit out of luck. You're probably not going to like this because it gets into "racial" differences but I sincerely believe that Black men and especially AfroAmerican men.....because of our unique experience and history in America....have a unique psychological make up and we need SPECIAL or UNIQUE help when it comes to dealing with life's issues. The tools used to help other people deal with thier problems can't be applied to us and expected to work anymore than the unique tools WE NEED to help us deal with our issues can be applied to others. I've seen so many Black men and women walking around the downtowns of major cities not just in Michigan but all over America these past 5 or 6 years just talking to themselves and looking tattered and tore up! I remember 25 and 30 years ago you NEVER saw a Black person walking around talking to themselves! Oh you had your bums and wineheads, but they could atleast hold a conversation while begging for some change; but now....... I wish I could organize Black psychologists, sociologists, and psychiatrists and hold a series of major conventions in order to map out some sort of broad based strategy to address the problems of the Black American community.

Although I'm not a pure Capitalist and prefer a mixed economy with the best elements of both socialism and capitalism....I lean more toward Capitalism and the so-called Free Market system as the best economic system for not only Black people but human beings in general. Booker T. Washington said the same thing and this was one of the reasons he and Dubouis didn't get along. Capitalism isn't perfect, but it's more in tune with human nature as it provides motives and incentives for most people...especially people with ambition...to aspire to. It inspires you to be creative and bold and take risks for rewards. While I think SOME things should be socialized and used for the good of the public....like healthcare and police protection.....socialism in and of itself isn't very practical for our people. To keep it real..... Too many of our people are LAZY, and if they know they can get taken care of in the way of food, clothing, and shelter while not having to work than many of them will take advantage of such system and pretty soon society will collapse from so many people not working. What we need is Capitalism with a strong social safteynet. But most people in general, and especially our young men need a strong INCENTIVE to work and be ambitious. The promise of getting rich, getting plenty of women, having nice things, and owning property is that incentive to make sure people keep the society operating.

I guess the manhunt for the "Cleveland Killer" or "Facebook Killer" has been called off and the situation resolved. After mercilessly killing a 74 year old innocent man on live social media and bragging (and probably lying) about having murdered over a dozen other people, the suspect ended up killing himself after being tracked down and surrounded by police in Pennsylvania. Besides themselves, few people really know what really goes on in the minds of people who "snap" and feel the urge to go on a killing spree, but part of me really believes that this situation could have been prevented. Which is why when people do things like this, I'm the type of person who likes to dig into the background to TRY and understand why or what may have led to it. When you look at his previous videos he not only blames his girlfriend ultimately, but he also blames his friends, his own mother, and society in general for not paying attention to his calls for help. Many people have called this a weak pitiful excuse by a deranged monster who just trying to justify his own evil. But I've heard this time and time again from other Black men. I hope people don't take this the wrong way or think it sounds "soft" but but I really feel sorry for Black men in this society. We don't have many places to turn to when WE need help dealing with problems whether it be legal, financial, or even relationship. -White people don't care. -Black women have their own concerns that are just as if not more dire -Often times we don't have money for the therapists what wealthy Whites have traditionally used as a "shoulder to cry on" -Unless you have a serious mental illness requiring medical attention, even a hospital won't really help you -And probably worst of all OTHER BLACK MEN tend to brush eachother off and even belittle eachother as weak and "bitch assed" for even complaining about their problems. I find it ironic that Black men who know FIRST HAND what other Black men are faced with and how other Black men are treated in this society are often times that hardest and coldest on eachother when it comes to financial and societal hardships. After being born in poverty, going in and out of jail, and straight catching hell for 30 years a Black man who hits the lottery or finds a rich girlfriend to take care of him will turn right around and look at another who is in the SAME CONDITION he was in just 2 or 3 years ago and with bitter contempt say: "Man, f*** that sorry ass nigga ! I made it....why the f**** can't he ?" I actually believe Black men not being able to "grieve" or "lament" their problems is one of the reasons the homicide rate is so high in many urban communities where Black men explode from a lifetime up pent up frustration. I'm not saying this is an excuse for murdering innocent people nor am I attempting in any way to justify his monsterous behavior, however with so many people in the media and even people in real life chanting the same lines over and over again that he should have sought help before he did what he did...... My question is, where should this Black man have gone to seek this "help"? Who feels sorry enough for Black men in THIS society to actually sit down and listen to them crying and complaining about how hard it can be trying to survive in a society designed by and for White males?

The older I get the more sense things make...... After thinking about it I've recognized that the outrage over this incident isn't necessarily coming from "everyone" but from a relative minority of Whites and East Asians. But because they tend to be more technologically savvy not to mention having more media resources at thier disposal they are able to make a bigger fuss over a minor issue than Black people are over major issues of police brutality. That's one of the priveledges of power. The same can be said about most issues in America. White people with money and power have the ability to focus the media on whichever direction they like. Historically speaking, Black people's concerns only got attention when a few of those Whites with money and power happen to feel sorry enough for our cause to give it a little attention.

You bring up a great point. Actually I WAS going to mention that but forgot about it. I think this is actually a testimony to the social power and status that Asians have achieved in this society. Black people have been murder by eachother AND the police in Chicago for years....decades.....and you didn't get the type of national outcry you got after one Asian man....a doctor....gets a busted nose from security on an airplane. The way the media portrays it..... And the way most people who follow this see it.... Him not complying with police orders takes second place to his being mistreated as a human being. And that's the way it SHOULD be, but the problem is when it comes to Black victims they dig up as much dirt as they can to justify the mistreatment. Although I personally believe that him being Asian had NOTHING to do with him being asked to leave or beaten up, I STILL applaud the Asian community for making a fuss over this. They'd doing what they're SUPPOSED to do, which is jump on incidents like this with ferocity and nip acts of racism and abuse of their own people in the bud before it gets out of hand.

Troy you have not changed a bit. Black don't crack Maybe he didn't spend his early years guzzling down 40s....lol. 　 I hear what you're saying cousin..... And actually I used to say the same thing. I said I'd rather someone let me know straight up where they're coming from, than smile in my face and hide their rage. I used to live on the West Coast where people aren't as straight forward and direct as they are back East. You could hang out with a person all day and night laughing and joking and wouldn't know they had a problem with you UNTIL you heard if from another friend the next day. "Ah man....so-n-so don't like yo ass! You ain't pick up on that????" I grew up with people letting you know when it was time for you to get up out their house....lol. They'd yawn and say, "Let me get around here and get some rest I gotta get up in the morning" or even a straight up: "Yall niggaz need to go home I'm about to turn in" ....with a SMILE ofcourse....lol. Instead, out West people would just start staring straight ahead like they weren't participating in the conversation anymore or they'd start playing with their phone HOPING you'd get the message.....lol. So being TOO polite and smiley ain't good. But on the other hand there's something to be said about a "polite" society. When people tend to be civil and respectful of one another and TRY to tolerate differences it cuts down on the hostility and violence. I mean, look at the Trump rallies and how some people behave when they have just a LITTLE taste of freedom to step away from being politically correct and like the real "them" come out! So although I don't care too much for the sneaky racists who smile in your face but then turn around and plot all types of mischief behind your back. ....I've been called a "nigger" to my face before by a few White people who let me KNOW where they stood and I almost ended up seriously injuring them in return. That's when I changed my tune and said that if were going to get along in this society without bloodshed, it's best to politely keep some of our views to ourselves.

Cynique I think you're totally misreading....or purposely misconstruing....what I'm saying. I didn't say only crazy criminal negroes were victims of racism in America. I'm saying their lack of willingness to unite, organize, and fight back INVITES victimization from racists who sense weakness and take advantage of it. I can't totally blame our people for the mistreatment they endured in the past because they were in a truely oppressive and repressed condition with very little power to fight back and get themselves out of it. But that's not the case today. When I said stop playing victim I mean start STANDING UP and TAKING CHARGE of your life and your community. Again, we have Black police officers.......why aren't they challenging the White ones or better yet organizing to patrol their own communities? The Nation of Islam used to patrol very violent housing projects and other urban communities and actually turned them around to be relatively safe places. So it CAN be done when you have the DESIRE to get up and do it. But if you'd rather sit back and let White men do it and then you can't complain too much about how they treat you because beggars can't be choosers. As far as other acts of racism so many of our people face around this nation. Many of them could be solved by us owning our own businesses and strengthening our own communities instead of begging for acceptance and assistance from those outside of the community. For the past few weeks I've seen videos of Black women being beat up by Asian beauty supply owners. Black customers standing around looking stupid or video taping the assault instead of actually coming to the aid of the victim. Others continue to patronize the store and support them. Again, not only playing the victim but being a willing victim.....then crying about their condition. As far as Obama goes........ Yes he was publicly disrespected on a number of occassions but I believe politics at the White House level is a big game. Rather than having his "noble goals" thwarted by racist White men who couldn't stand having a negro-in-chief....I believe he accomplished most if not all of what he WANTED to do. The problem is what he REALLY wanted to do differs considerably from what most people....especially Black people....THOUGHT he wanted to do and voted him in there for. The same goes for Trump and his followers. 　 　 And how do you know why Puerto Ricans and other ethic hispanics call themselves what they do? You are pontificating. IMO they take pride in their heritage and refer to it when identifying themselves, the same as European "Americans" do. I know why they do it because I ASK them and TALK to them instead of merely conjecturing. And again, unless they were born in Puerto Rico or any of the other Latin American nations then their heritage IS the United States. But when you constantly see yourself as an outsider and always play "victim" and "slave" like a lot of Black and Brown people do in the United States then ofcourse you don't see yourself as an American. Hell, you barely see yourself as a human being. Do you know that most of the Mexicans and thier children in the United States today wouldn't be welcomed IN Mexico? Why not? Because of the racism there that keeps the White and very light Mexican on top and the darker more indigenous Mexicans on the bottom and in poverty. This is the main reason they left and came here! And when they come they turn right around and play the victim HERE like overthere by taking on menial jobs and keeping the wages down all the while refusing to organize and develop strategies to fight the racism and economic injustices of thier beloved "home" nations.

now I'm beginning to see it as perhaps the beginning of our final decline as a nation... I'm not sure about the nation, but the beginning of the CURRENT (because there's been others as Delano allude to) Black financial decline actually started back in 2007/2008 with the stock market tumble and following Great Recession. Black people were the hardest hit and many of them lost their homes and other properties that they have yet to recover. I've met teachers with Master's degrees who ended up homeless after that 2008 fiasco. Infact, I saw a SURGE of Black homelessness that started right after 2008 2009/ There are some who've argued that as bad as some people have it, if the economy were to tank then it would just make things that much worse and they'd sink even further into the abyss. However with so many on the street with no source of income, no health care, and no prospects......besides DEATH....how much worse can it get for them financially? If there's a national economic crisis, perhaps bringing almost EVERYONE down to the level of poverty may "even things out" so to speak.

You see Cynique..... This is what I mean about Black people INVITING victimization and playing the role of a slave! We have thousands of Black police officers in this nation. How many of them are organizing to pose a challenge to the culture of racism in law enforcement? How many Black cops are willing to check a White cop on the scene and take the side of the victim? Infact....... How many Black cops are shooting unarmed White people? How many Black cops are arresting and beating up White people? You can't continue to complain about how someone is not doing you right when you don't exercise the little bit of authority you DO have to correct the problem. I'm not blaming the Black individuals who were victimized in these incidents but I AM blaming the Black community collectively for not not stepping up and maintaining law and order in our own communities if we don't like the way White law enforcement is treating us. BTW Harry...... I don't believe North Korea is "testing" anyone. I believe they are serious and not to be played with. There was an episode of the Twilight Zone (the later one with Forrest Whittaker) where the world came to an end from North Korea launching a nuclear war. Does anyone remember that one?

Troy The main reason was the way you presented it as if it were factual, definitive, and indisputable, none of which it was of course, but I could see some kid coming here reading what you wrote and putting it in a school report of something, a lot of the site's traffic comes from schools. What you wrote belongs in Wikipedia Well I said at the beginning that the presentation wasn't very scientific, I'm not an anthropologist. But I know what I've seen and I trust my own powers of reasoning. So I hope this thread DOES have a positively powerful effect on any young students who may come across it. It's better for their minds than that "rainbow" garbage they're being indoctrinated with in school right now. Atleast when kids were told they were Black and knew they were Black they had a sense of unity and would collectively fight discrimination and injustice. They saw themselves as a separate group of people who were being preyed upon and recognized the need to "get ahead" as a group....like the Asians and Latinos do. So you had BLACK banks, BLACK grocery stores, BLACK funeral homes, BLACK hotels. Once Black children were told that everyone was the same and race no longer makes a difference....or doesn't even exist...THAT'S when the problems began. Many children born past 1970 figured racism no longer existed, so they began to let their guard down and get rid of the "Black business" mentality and settle for jobs working for White corporations. We saw how long that lasted.....especially with Black males. BTW.... Ofcourse I'm not above owning up to my mistakes just like you aren't with yours.....lol. My only demand is that when someone tells me I'm wrong they must bring PROOF (like you did in this particular case) before expecting me to change my position. 　 　 Cynique Those events you cited above were acts of racial hostility, which youc a find in almost every nation. It wasn't about citizenship nor did it call into question the nationality of the victims. You know.... I'm beginning to realize that much of the problem.....I didn't say most or even half....but much of the problem with the way Black people have been treated in America today and even through out much of history actually rests with BLACK PEOPLE. If you walk around acting like a fool, you're gonna be TREATED like a fool. If you act like a slave, you're gonna be TREATED like a slave. If you act like you're not a real America or like you don't belong here, then you'll be TREATED like you don't belong here. There are Asians who've only been in the United States for ONE generation and already speak better English than many AfroAmericans, and even have well ran businesses and have accumulated more wealth. I can say the same about a lot of East Indians and Arabs and even most Black Africans. Sometimes when you walk around acting live a victim you INVITE victimization. 　 Troy and Cynique The U.S. Constitution makes it clear that anyone born inside of the United States IS INDEED an American. She may indeed practice a Puerto Rican culture but unless SHE HERSELF was actually born on that island then she is no more Puerto Rican than I am. I know many people who's parents are from Jamaica, Haiti, Nigeria and other nations OUTSIDE of America but since they were born and raised here and look like me they are called BLACK. They don't get some special priviledge to just make up a race or nationality for themselves. Many so-called "Puerto Ricans" claim that as a race and nationality simply because they are confused about what to call themselves OR don't want to be categorized as Black or mixed raced. J-Lo isn't a Puerto Rican....she's a Mixed Raced American ....that's written.

I picked, "A race/ethnicity not identified," because my race is Sapien. What if you were meeting a stranger in public and had to describe yourself? Would you tell them you were "human looking".....lol 　 I usually don't bash political correctness because it's far better to have a society that is too polite than one that is ruthlessly vulgar and offensive, but...... This is political correctness gone too far. Actually when it comes to gender..like sex....there should only be 4 categories at the most: -Male -Female -Androgynous (having characteristics of both) -(and a word that denotes one who has the characteristics of neither) That fact that you noticed that there were more categories for gender than for race/ethnicity indicates that the strategy used by racists of not only equating homosexuality with race but even attempting to "over take" the race issue in America and turn the public's attention away from it and towards gender or sexuality issues is having a degree of success. For years I've been watching this "fake outrage" of young White people who don't feel they have an identity or anything to be angry about like "the Blacks".....so they spend a lot of their time trying to make up something. Some use environmental issues to "get angry" about.... Others use LBGT issues to "get angry" about......... Some conservatives make Christian rights their thing to get angry over.... Yet others go back to using ethnic heritage like being Irish or Italian to jump up and down over and claim how oppressed and discriminated they have been..... So this is just one more strategy from a list of them that they have used to try and drown out the race issue and focus the public's attention elsewhere.

A few quick points: 1. Yes Judaism is a religion. However the definition of a "Jew" has expanded far beyond just a member of that religion. It's now a ethnic group. You even have atheist Jews like Karl Marx and Woody Allen 2. There is more than just one race (human race) living in Africa today. You have millions of Caucasians living in both the North (as Arabs and Berbers) as well as the South (as Afrikaners) 3. Jennifer Lopez is NOT Puerto Rican. She was born in the Bronx....U.S.A....thus she is AMERICAN regardless as to what she calls herself. Infact, since America basically owns Puerto Rico now I'm not sure if Puerto Rican should even still be considered a nationality. The same goes for Hawaiian. 4. I must admit that you got me on the "nationality" issue. You're right and I thought about the fact that different nations have different methods of establishing nationality before I posted. I understand that you're not really consider a French citizen regardless of whether either you OR your parents were born there and this has led to a lot of hostility between France and the children of French born immigrants. I think you're not considered British unless your White too....but I may be mistaken. However because of the complicated and often nonsensical legislation of many nations I decided to make it a little more simple so that folks can understand the differences between a person's RACE (how they look) and a person's NATIONALITY (where they were born). But you're right....technically nationality is actually based on legislative rules of the respective nations. What do you mean those opinions don't reflect AALBC? Man...... Instead of distancing yourself from this knowledge you should EMBRACE it and take it to your class and TEACH it to your students! Lol....pass the torch!

RACE....ETHNICITY....NATIONALITY....what's the difference? The entire RACE/ETHNICITY concept really isn't that complicated. The problem is people have been so miseducated about race, ethnicity, and nationality not only in the United States but around the world that it's hard for them to abandon the false concepts and ideas told to them by their teachers, parents, and other authority figures and decide to think for themselves so they hold on to falsehood and this leads to increased confusion. Well I decided to think for myself and do my OWN classifying based on my own observations and reasoning and this is what I came up with. It's not very scientific, but I consider it quite logical and straight forward. Race This classifies people based on their physical characteristics as well as their distant ancestral origins. It's genetic and is based on how they LOOK. There are 5 distinct races: African: Also called "Black". The native peoples originally from the continent of Africa with dark skin and/or kinky hair but doesn't include the very light skinned Arabs and Berbers of Northern Africa. Dravidian: Also called "Indian". The dark skinned people originally from southern India but doesn't include the White or light skinned descendants of the Aryans who primarily live in the north. Caucasians: Usually called White. Not just Europeans but many Arabs and Latinos are also Caucasian racially speaking Mongol: Usually called "Asian" or "East Asian". The yellow skinned people occupying most of Eastern Asia like the Chinese, Koreans, Thai, ect.... Native American: Also called "Indian". The brown skinned original inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, many of whom are called "Latinos" today. In truth this DOES NOT include many White people with long hair who CALL themselves "Native American" based on small percentages of Native Ancestry. Everyone on this planet belongs to either ONE or those races or is a mixture/combination of those race to various degrees. Ethnicity This is the most complex classification system. It's not necessarily based on how someone looks....although people of the same ethnic group usually DO look similar to eachother. Ethnicity is primarily based on CULTURE. People living in the same region, sharing the same language, sharing the same religion, eating the same types of food, ect...... There are too many ethnic groups to mention. But some examples would be: Arabs: The original Arabs were Caucasian but as they went around the region conquering people and intermixing they included a lot of Dravidians and Africans in their population so their spotted up now. Latinos: Like Arabs, the original Latinos were White Spaniard but after intermingling with the Africans and Native Americans they are of different colors. AfroAmerican: People of AFrican descent in the United States. We aren't one single race but are an ethnic group made up PRIMARILY of the African race (hense the name Afro) but have heavy concentrations of Caucasian and Native American in us. Some of our people are actually MORE Caucasian than African, but because ethnic groups aren't soley based on race....they are still in our group even though they are actually Caucasian. Jewish: Jewish isn't just a religion, it's also an ethic group. There are Jews who don't even believe in Judaism but they come from a culture of Judaism. Most Jews are Caucasian but there are many Black Jews and converts of other races. Nationality Nationality is relatively simple........ Whatever NATION you are born in, that's your nationality. IF you were born in Mexico...you're Mexican. If you were born in Nigeria....you're Nigerian. If you were born in Russia.....you're Russian. It doesn't matter what color you are, your religion, your race, your gender, ect.... If you were born in that NATION...then that's your NATIONALITY. There are too many nationalities to mention all of them. But some examples would be: American Russian Chinese Nigerian Brazilian No one can be "half Chinese and half Filipino".....they are Mongolian or "East Asian" by race. When you meet a White man from America who says he's "Italian" or "Irish Catholic"....recognize that he's confused as hell. You're only Irish or Italian if you were born in Ireland or Italy. If someone says Jennifer Lopez is a Puerto Rican, THEY don't know what they're talking about. She's not Puerto Rican, she's American because she was born in the United States. But she IS Latina because she is of that particular ethnic group.

Troy I checked it out, and I don't agree with our brother. Especially on the "not being American" part that he starts off with. Who gets to decide who is an American? The U.S. Constitution does.....and it makes it CLEAR that we ARE Americans. Now if someone is silly enough to sit up and let someone else steal their identity and birthright and claim it for themselves while they crawl off in some corner, fold their arms, and mumble cuss words to themselves out of frustration......... That's no one's fault but their own own. That person gave up and gave in. And what was THIS statement all about?? "And also, African-American has no cultural value. Unlike Italian-American, Asian-American, Native American, Blacks have no heritage or motherland to connect to to display pride and unification throughout the world. Blacks, in general, are the newest breed of humans on the planet. " I HOPE the brother was just being sarcastic with that statement! Anyway............... On one hand you say those who are not Bernie Mac black are simply mixed like Obama and myself. Then you introduce some people Chinese looking people from southern Africa and say they are "racially black!" Either you're purposely twisting my words, OR not taking time to read and comprehend them clearly. I said skin color is an important factor in determining race but not the ONLY factor. Furthermore I said you don't have to be 100% of a particular race just to be considered part of it. Almost ALL AfroAmericans have some non-Black ancestry to various degrees but most are still considered Black racially speaking because their Black genes dominate. The fact that all your reasoning is based on 18th century science does not help your position either. As I said a million times there is only one race and it is human. Lol...... That's like saying there's only one sex....the HUMAN SEX. Or there's only one language...the HUMAN LANGUAGE. Another point of confusion is the term "Black" used for a racial classification. I've been using it on this site because most of the people here use it and most people I know use it.....but it's not very accurate in describing our race because as you pointed out there ARE plenty of pure Africans who are considered "Black" but their skin is naturally light without admixture. The more accurate term and the term I actually use the most is "African race". Just like I usually don't say "White" but "Caucasian" because it's more accurate. I think I'll start a thread with you in mind to try and clarify people on my concepts of race and ethnicity.

Brother.....we ARE Americans....and don't let anyone tell you different. American is simply a nationality, not a race and the American nationality includes people of ALL races. Many of our people just fail to CLAIM their legal and social rights as Americans and ALLOW them to be trampled. Racially speaking I'm Black (or African to be more precise), but I personally choose the term AFROAMERICAN to describe myself and the ethnic group I belong to. That term embraces all of my people whether they are Black, mixed, or nearly White in color. But what we call ourselves isn't as important as how we THINK of ourselves and how we exercise our rights and natural God given authority not just in this country but all over this planet. If you're a fool....you're a fool...and will end up catching hell REGARDLESS of what you call yourself.

Troy Don't you see that the rise of a Donald Trump is a direct consequence of technology fueled manipulation, fake news, and filter bubbles? Technology, in addition to manipulating us, is also concentrating wealth into the hands of a few. these are the things that have created an environment that has allowed 45 come to power. In fact it was the same thing that brought the inexperienced Barack Obama into office as well but that's another story... I think the flooding of the youth with all types of social media gadgets to keep them "engaged" and self absorbed.....totally oblivious to their surroundings....makes a fertile place for a DICTATOR to arise and take control. It's usually the youth who have the energy and anger to fight back and stave off tyranny. Now if they're too socially out of touch with the REAL WORLD....they wouldn't be able to mobilize effectively enough to put up a resistance. .....nor would many even desire to do so.

Troy You are equating Black primarily with skin color, with no real relationship to culture. Exactly Still, it is not clear given your definition why Obama is not Black. He is basically the same complexion as I am; am I not Black? I've seen only limited pictures of you but you don't look Obama's complexion to me. Obama is a light brown complexion and you seem to be medium brown. Also, his features are different than yours. His lips are thinner and his head is more "angular"....larger dome with a smaller jaw line...like most Europeans. Like most AfroAmericans I'm sure you're mixed with White and Native American ancestry from way back, but since your African features dominate I consider you Black. You don't have to be 100% just to be of a certain race, just be predominant in those traits. But Obama's African features don't "dominate".....he's pretty even between both races phenotypically speaking. Look Troy, the thing we must keep in mind is the fact that while Obama is DIRECTLY mixed....meaing one of his parents is actually White....many so-called "Black" people in the United States are INDIRECTLY mixed. Meaning they have a lot of White (and Native American) ancestry and it comes out in their complexion and facial features just like his does. So when you point to another AfroAmericans and say: "Well THEY are Black and Obama looks like THEM so Obama must be Black too!" Really, all you're doing is comparing 2 mixed raced people! NEITHER ONE is truly "Black" racially speaking but the only difference is one has an immediate White parent and the other has Whites ancestors further back. Which leads me to my NEXT response.................... My mother and sister are much lighter than Obama, are they also not Black? Let me know I don't know, I would have to look at them to make that judgment. As I said before, although complexion/skin color is one of the BIGGEST factors in determining race, it's not the ONLY one....other features go into it. There are groups of Africans in southern Africa known as San and Khoi people who are YELLOW in complexion with slanted eyes but are still "Black" racially speaking. Speaking of southern Africa......... If you're sitting back shaking your head and laughing at what I'm saying - Just remember that in South Africa you have millions of people just like us here in the United States but unlike us they all don't consider themselves "Black". One group calls themselves Black and the other call themselves "Colored". Now the Coloreds look just like many AfroAmericans, light skinned with curly hair and some European features but they don't consider themselves Black! So don't trip or think it's so ridiculous at my suggesting that many fellow AfroAmericans like Beyonce or Al B Sure or even Prince shouldn't be considered "Black", if this were any other nation besides the United States....trust me they probably wouldn't consider THEMSELVES Black either!

Troy so you are asserting that l Blackness is solely about skin color. And because of his complexion, Obama is Black. Do I understand you correctly Blackness isn't only about skin color, but it IS one of the biggest factors. We have Black albinos whose skin is whiter than most White people's so you can JUST use skin color; you also have to look at their ancestry, facial structure, and hair structure. It's not just ONE feature that determines a person's race but a multitude of factors. Obama...in my opinion.....isn't Black. (Unless you're talking about Michelle...lol) Like Cynique said, he's actually a true MIXED RACED human being having both Black and White phenotypical traits. He IS an AfroAmerican.....but he's not Black. There's a difference between AfroAmerican (ethnic group) and Black (race). 　 Are you also saying culture as nothing to do with what is means to be "Black" in America? Technically....no. There are hundreds of thousands if not millions of Black people in America who don't share "AfroAmerican" culture. You have many Africans.....Blacker than you and I....who don't share our culture. You have thousands of Black Hispanics who don't share our culture but practice Latino culture. You have thousands of East Indians.....Blacker than you and I....who don't share our culture and really don't even see themselves as Black.

　 Just to be clear I neither want to define what is Black Is blackness color culture or some combination of the two. 　 ????? 　 Blackness is a COLOR made up of 2 races. And within those 2 races you'll find thousands of completely different cultures. Black people who grew up in the United States usually find this out the hard way by interacting....or TRYING to interact.....with Black people from India, or African and Carribean countries. A lot of Africans who come here find it easier to get along with White Americans than AfroAmericans because the way we talk and behave is often so completely different from the way they were trained in preparing themselves for America. Because most of the Americans who go abroad and teach or perform missionary work are White Americans, these people learn White American customs. I live near a university and see quite a few African students; it's always interesting to watch their metamorphosis ! In the fall when school is just starting you see them walking around in dockers that are too short, choppy hair cuts, ashy hands and arms, and saying "morning" to you with a dry smile as they walk past you in a hurry..... About 6 or 7 months later after observing OTHER Black folk (some "real niggaz"..lol) they stroll past you in some baggy Girbaud jeans with either a bald head or fade nodding back at you or maybe saying "whaddup" if he feels like it......lol.

Troy 　 Pioneer, you realize of course that Obama could have come out looking as white as the Jesus you envision. It was just the roll of the genetic dice that resulted in his physical appearance. The Jesus I "envision" wouldn't have a color....because he probably wouldn't exist to have one...lol. If Obama was born looking like his mother and could pass for what you define as "white," you would be calling him white--and there would be no difference in his ancestry. This is true....because he WOULD be White. Remember, race isn't JUST genetics but also phenotype or how they actually LOOK. So even if a person has a Black parent, if they come out LOOKING White then they ARE White. We can't make people Black just because they may have had Black parents......ALL races of human beings originally came from Black parents. What I'm saying probably doesn't make sense to you because you probably define Black the same erroneous way MOST people in the United States does. .....going by that old crazy ass "one drop" rule that doesn't make any sense and isn't grounded in reality. The only reason they came up with that "one drop makes you Black" nonsense was in a vain and silly attempt to keep the White race what they called "pure". Go to Italy or Spain or France and you'll see thousands of people who CLEARLY have more than a drop of Black ancestry and they're still called Italian, Spanish, or French and would be classified as White. Pioneer define "sex." THE definition of SEX (not just Pioneer's) according to those who are qualified to define is: "either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in many species and that are distinguished respectively as female or male especially on the basis of their reproductive organs and structures" https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sex Sex is PHYSICAL/GENETIC. Gender is SOCIAL/ROLE PLAYING However just like culture is often rooted in the genetics of race, gender is often rooted in the genetics of sex. Cynique Once again what you call yourself and how people see you could very well not coincide because Society has discriminating eyes! A woman could tell a friend that her daughter is dating an American and when the friend met the daughter's boyfriend, the first thing she would say to the mother was was why didn't you tell me your daughter's boyfriend was black, if he was black. What is the point of putting humans all in the same category and expecting everybody to just overlook their distinctive traits??? Why should people not identify with a group who they share a similar appearance and culture with? What is wrong with hyphenated ethnicity? As for Obama, his mother's white genes didn't prevail because he simply looks like a light-skinned black person with hair that isn't straight and a broad nose. He is a perfect mixture of his parentage. I totally agree and I'm not sure if I could have stated the above more clearly. When it comes to explaining the concept of "race" to Troy, I think I'm gonna just let Cynique do the talking......lol. 　

Troy what you described with the young lady on the elevator sounds like a typical NYC interaction.....lol. Even BEFORE cell phones and social media became so popular people were ignoring eachother and not making any eye contact in places like New York and Philly so that shouldn't have suprised you much. But I understand exactly what you're saying because I'm seeing the same thing from a lot of younger people. The seem to be computer and technology savvy but not very socially intelligent. It's as if people are using thier cell phones as comfort/security blankets or pacifiers. They can't sit alone with their own thoughts for 5 minutes, they have to either get on social media or listen to music or do SOMETHING to occupy the empty few minutes they may have. I've seen this for years among White and Asian youth but now I'm starting to see it among a lot of Black youth. I've seen one young Black woman after another as soon as she's somewhere by herself instead of talking to the people around her she'll whip out a cell phone and start calling up random people begging them for a conversation about nothing. She'll go through 10 differnt numbers being peaced-out and hung up on until she finds someone to engage her. I can't remember the last time I saw a young Black man go up to a Black woman he didn't know and try to strike up a conversation like we used to do when we were kids. From what I'm hearing from a lot of women, many of these young brothers don't even know HOW to talk to women they don't know or how to "break the ice" so to speak. All of this social media seems to be making the current generation psychologically weak and vulnerable to the point they began to lose thier perceptiveness and social instincts.