Pioneer1

Cynique is probably an element of truth in what you say in regard to lead and toxins having an adverse effect on blacks. But why does this only affect certain ones? Not all black males in the ghettos embrace the thug life and some do escape their dire circumstance and go on to lead rewarding lives. For the same reason that we KNOW smoking cigarettes causes lung cancer but not all people who smoke cigarettes will get lung cancer nor can all cases of lung cancer traced to cigarette smoking...... Some people have a stronger constitution than others and can be exposed to the same levels of toxins and they not have an adverse effect on them. We KNOW lead causes aggression and low IQ levels....we KNOW this. There is no doubt about it. We know that the lead contamination levels in the United States are highest in the inner cities where the oldest pipes are. If you look at the lead levels found in the water supply of urban areas of the United States there is almost a direct link between it and the levels of violent crime. We need to also look at the VACCINES being administered to so many children now a days and how that is also affecting their behavior. Numerous studies have linked certain vaccinations to autism and other behavioral problems in children born after 1970.....especially in Black boys. Now I'm not saying these are the ONLY causes of the violence in the ghetto but I believe they are the MAIN causes. At the very lease there can no acceptable solution to the violence in America that doesn't include removing the old lead pipes from not only the water systems but every household's plumbing as well as all of the old paint from buildings similar to what was done with asbestos. And forget about the police solving this problem. Chicago's police aren't commited to lowering the crime and violence rate in Chicago's Black neighborhoods...they're just committed to CONTAINING it and keeping it in the ghetto and away from downtown where it can affect business and tourism. Typical third world style policing. Troy We should be used to White people not caring about Black lives by now. But the problem is a lot of BLACK PEOPLE don't even seem to care about their own lives and the lives of their friend and loved ones anymore. As the example you pointed out about drugs being brought into the Black community. This has been well known since the 90s yet you have so many Black folks who STILL use and sell drugs not seeming to care that it's part of a plan to destroy them. And the same can be said of gangsta rap and other negatives that have been introduced to the community. People are even getting shot and killed at PEACE RALLIES that were put on to end the violence.....damn! Besides the lead poisoning and other toxins in urban environments such as the vaccines that have been linked to violence and aggression, we should also look at the lack of strong POSITIVE Black men that exist in most urban neighborhoods today and how their absents is causing things to spiral out of control. Back before the 80s, when most poor and lower middle class Black people were forced to live in the same neighborhoods you had a lot of decent working Black folks who wouldn't allow certain things to take place. That old Black woman who sat on her porch all day wouldn't let children cuss on her block and would spank them or call their parents if she saw them doing something wrong. Hard working Black men with rough hands would be quick to organize and beat the hell out of a man who went around the neighborhod breaking into houses or messing with young girls. Now that many middle and working class Black folks have moved out to the suburbs, the inner cities have become an oasis of crime and moral decay. Even among criminals and hustlers, if you look at the 70s and further back many of the stronger more dominant criminals kept order in the ghetto and wouldn't allow certain things like rape and harming children to take place. But they got locked up. Now you got a new group of hustlers and criminals with no moral code and anything goes. Remember back in the old days when people who drank liquor didn't do drugs, and those who did drugs didn't drink? Even among substance abusers there was a code. Not anymore.....now they're doing EVERYTHING....lol. I believe I mentioned this several times before. I don't believe the violence is going to end until POSITIVE Black men stand up and organize a group to go into the urban areas of this nation and secure it themselves. We can forget about traditional law enforcement doing it. The most they'll do is CONTAIN the violence and try to keep it in the poorer areas....a tactic usually practiced in most third world nations.

One of the first thing lawyers learn in their practice is it's not about justice, it's about WINNING YOUR CASE. When you understand and accept this, you go far in the legal system. If you don't and the procedures irritate your conscience.....it's time to look for another profession. As far as our brother Troy...... For years, I've considered him the "Berry Gordy" and AALBC the "Motown Records" of Black writers, especially Black novelists. I'm just glad he still has his own website instead of moving everything over to Facebook like so many other independant Black outlets.

VL I'm not sure what to say because in a way you're right, I..and many other men.....love feeling strong and needed. Because of the testosterone factor that generates feelings of pride, ego, aggression, and competition (in line with the original theme of this thread)...men generally a stronger desire to feel needed, to feel like they're in charge, that they are the strong ones. This is one of the reasons most men are reluctant to ask for help when looking for a particular item in a store or ask for directions while driving while most women see no problem with it. Men desiring to feel strong is just, nothing can be done about it unless nature itself changes. No amount of social engineering or conversation will be able to "change" most men. As Cynique pointed out, a wise woman knows how to stroke her man's ego and make him feel needed and loved instead of trying to change him. And in turn, like you said men make a woman feel needed and loved by giving her attention, sincere compliments, massages, and just showing her over all love and affection. Thus both know how to play thier part in the game of love and live in harmony with eachother. Cynique I agree with you that an ego CAN be a man's downfall. But more often than not, a man's ego is one of the building blocks for his success in life.. It's far better for a man to have pride and ego than not. And from personal experience, despite what they may SAY....most of the women I've been with found egotistical men FAR more attractive then men with no sense of pride or respect for themselves. Oh they may make funny faces and talk about how proud and arrogant and egotistical a man may be among themselves; but they they'll still find him fascinating, interesting, manly, and show him a measure of SEXUAL respect.....as opposed to the man who has no pride or ego but is a good "friend" who will always stay in the "friend" or "nice guy" zone...lol. A man's ego is the foundation from which his ambitions are built upon. Take away his ego, and you take away his ambition....his drive to accomplish things in life.

I said it before....... Most of this violence and aggression can be traced directly back to the lead content in the water along with other chemicals in urban environments that are affecting the minds of the people and making them hyper aggressive. Also, the media isn't helping the way they've been constantly GLORIFYING (for lack of a better term) the violence of Chicago for the past few years. Shootings WERE going down in Chicago until the media started focusing on every singly homicide there and reporting it nationwide as if it was the only city with suffering from violence. Then movies like Chiraq came out further glorifying and dramatizing the situation there. Now the youth of Chicago have a reputation they feel they must live up to. Ignorance is a bad state to be in. When people don't understand mental health and how chemicals can affect their brain and their behavior, they'll constantly be plagued with problems like crime, violence, poor academic performance, dysfunctional families, and other forms of community breakdown. I'll tell you......it's hard to feel sorry for people when you try to sit them down and explain to them what their problems are and they either make light of it or ignore you. I know things happen to innocent people and I know little babies die and children get killed. But the older I get, the more I understand how FAIR life really is and why a lot of people have the problems that they have. The older I get the more I realize why so many White people are in the positions they are in and why so many Black people are in the positions THEY are in. White people recognized and understood the issues of lead and other environmental toxins and they made a fuss about it until much of it was cleaned up in their communities. Too many Black folks simply don't care. They don't care about the environment. They don't care about how many jobs are available....as long as they PERSONALLY have one. They don't care about crime....unless they PERSONALLY are victims. I've been all over the United States from coast to coast and quite frankly there is too much apathy, indifference, and down right IGNORANCE in the Black community. Even when they are told what their problems are too many are too indifferent to actively solve them. I just with that righteous, sane, rational minded Black people could be rescued from the chaos and foolishness so many of them live around so that they could help build new, strong, progressive communities and save the future generations and prevent the negative element from spreading.

When I was younger I wanted to be a lawyer because I loved debating (and arguing) with people over issues. But as I got older and really studied history, I began to realize the hypocrisy that exists in so much of the legal system. On one hand you have the U.S. Constitution....which is supposed to protect and ensure our freedoms of speech, assembly, and expression. But on the other hand you have federal, state, and local laws that basically TAKE AWAY that freedom and tell you what you are and aren't allowed to say or print. Then again, I suppose if I were a writer or designer I would be mad enough to kill someone who took my creative work without my knowing and got rich off of it. So perhaps these laws were designed to establish a sort of "justice" and prevent bloodshed. But I'm a sort of "literalist" in that we shouldn't claim to have FREEDOM of speech and expression and at the same time have actual laws that punish those who exercise it even if they do it by lying and plagerizing.

Well Trump is FROM New York, so it wouldn't be suprising that he'd do better there than the average Republican regardless as to how controversial he is around the rest of the nation. But what the Democrats really have to be careful of....... -and Republican operatives have been pulling this stunt all over the nation since atleast 2000- ....is voter intimidation. Every election season right before the election what you see is an attempt by the local Republicans to "purge" the voting registration of Blacks and Latino voters by using criminal records and lack of identification as an excuse. Thousands of Black and Latino votes are dismisses because of this, and they wait right up until the last few days before the election before doing this so that the voters can't go through the proper channels quickly enough to vote and have thier votes counted. And now Republicans and especially the right wing fringe groups are talking about Clinton trying to "steal" the election, no doubt as part of some scheme to force the hand of election officials. But they've been doing this in EVERY national election since 2000 and I haven't seen or heard the Democratic leadership seriously address this issue.

The brother makes a good Barack, but that sista looks nothing like Michelle....lol. Michelle is the most beautiful woman in the world, but I always thought she had a bangin' body. One of the reasons I wanted Obama to become president was so I could check out Michelle for 4 or 8 years. You'd think that after so many people complained about a Latina playing Nina Simone in the movies earlier this year Hollywood....especially Black Hollywood..would have learned a lesson. Now you see them doing the same shit; finding actresses who look nothing like the famous Black women they're attempting to portray. Then again..... The brother who played Eazy E in "Straight Outta Compton" looked nothing like the real Eazy either.

I have to admit that I don't particularly find strong women attractive. Whether she is physically strong or just has a strong personality. This is not the case each and every time because every now and then I find a woman who is very athletic or has a strong personality that I'm attracted to, but for the most part I have a desire for a woman to NEED me for something. I don't care how attractive a woman is physically, if she's strong and can defend herself or doesn't have a desire to call on me for emotional support from time to time (not ALL the time) it lowers my level or attraction for her. On the other hand, women that I didn't find particularly attractive, when something happened in their life and I saw them crying or acting a little vulnerable....it made me attracted to them and it built up a desire for me to rush to their aid or give them a shoulder to cry on. I know a few other men who feel similarly. Women need to understand that not all men are looking for "strong" women.

　 Trump is supposed to go to a Black mega church in Detroit on Saturday. If it's the one I'm thinking about, I remember going there years to go to see Mase (the rapper) when he first left Bad Boy Entertainment and started preaching....lol. What I find stranger than Trump going to a church in the ghetto, is his not planning to speak at all during his time there...lol. Troy When you compare New York and Florida...... Are you comparing Florida with New York City....or the state of New York? I ask, because there seems to be quite a few conservative and outright racist regions in upstate New York or just outside of the NYC or Buffalo areas in general. Didn't a Black fireman's house get burned down in some small town in upstate? Like Chicago and Philadelphia....a lot of White working class New York police officers and firemen are racist as hell and are probably voting for Trump despite their financial interests because of the implied racism in his theme. People often confuse Democrat with liberal. But as you said, there are plenty of racist Democrats. Many people are in the Democrat party because it's pro environment or pro abortion rights, but hate the hell out of Black and Hispanic people. So even in heavily Democratic New York, don't be suprised if the turn out for Trump is heavy. 　 　

Ya know....... I'd really....really.....REALLY....like this issue to go away. I do not want Leslie to be the spokeswoman or poster child for Black women and their frustrations. I really don't. All of the beautiful, feminine, absolutely professional Black women out there who have a story to tell.....let us focus on THEM. I'd rather Gabby Douglas or some other sister having a hard time with social media right now get the attention. Not to beat up on Leslie because she certainly doesn't deserve to be harassed or called an ape, but there are far more Black women out there who are not only better representations of Black womanhood but also have sadder stories to tell about social media harassment and racism than Leslie and what's going on with her.

Unlike many if not most "conscious" Black people in the United States, I consider myself an American. Many claim we are not real Americans because of how we are treated or say that we are just Africans IN America and love to use the analogy Malcolm X made about kittens in an oven. I disagree and say we are just as American if not MORE American than even the average White American because our roots go back much deeper in this nation. Not only are we American constitutionally speaking.....but by virtue of being born on this land, having dozens of generations of ancestry in this land, and most of us having some Native American ancestry. I don't think it was a good move for Kaepernick to protest the American flag because not only does it NOT solve the racial problems in America, it actually exacerbates them and angers a lot of non-White and non-Black people around the world as well as inside of the U.S. who see him as ungrateful for the opportunities this nation has given him. Many of these people know that if he would do that in THEIR country he would be imprisoned or even worse. I totally understand where he's coming from and I respect his right to do what he did, but you have to really sit down and think about what you're doing, why you're doing it, and most importantly what results you're trying to achieve. If he intended to piss off a lot of White people....he achieved that. But if he intended to bring attention to the race problem in America.....that wasn't necessary because everyone KNOWS there is a race problem in America. If his intention was to help Black people in some way.....how? Again, not beating up on the brother for what he did because he didn't hurt anyone and he exercised his right.....but how does THIS help in any way? Black people have always known there was a race problem in America so doing this isn't making them more aware than they already are. As far as his Egyptian girlfriend goes......... I'm looking at her and looking at him. He may be mixed but he certainly doesn't look Black, he looks like an Arab. I'm willing to be that she doesn't even see him as a Black man so she probably is dating him because he looks like the Arab Egyptian men she's used to being around. Racism exists in Egypt as intensley as it does in the United States between the native Black Egyptians (Nubians) and the Arabs, Persians, and other Caucasians who invaded that land centuries ago. I wonder does SHE protest her own nation's race problem the way Kaepernick protests his own.....or does she do like most Arabs and deny the anti-Black racism that exists in the Middle East?

CD I didn't say there was anything "wrong" with women being strong. But seeing as how physical strength is primarily a MASCULINE trait among humans, it only makes sense that it wouldn't be a desirable trait for most women to have. It's what women look for in men, but not necessarily what men look for in women. Most men who are looking for "strong women" are looking for someone to take care of them... LOL. But I'm not going to qualify or disqualify it from a moral point of view. It's no more "wrong" for a woman to be masculine than it is for someone to be lazy, obese, or stupid..... These are generally undesirable characteristics that often put people at odds with their social surroundings, but I'm not the one to say whether or not they are "wrong". As far as Black women being oversexed. I don't think Black women are actually promoted ENOUGH sexually, especially in a positive light. And there ARE positive and negative sexualities. White women's bodies are show far more often than Black women. Almost every movie has them getting naked showing their breasts, butt, and even pubic hair. Their sexuality is promoted far more than Black women. But it's usually done in a posivite light that promotes and glorifies them, while Black women are often portrayed in slutty prostitutish ways that make them look vulgar and desparate or like trifling gold diggers.

Cynique I seriously think it's a meme. I think social engineers get together from time to time and put out new words and phrases just to see how much influence they have over people. They start showing movies or producing television shows where people are told to talk a certain way and then they sit back and wait to see how quickly it influences the public and people actually begin to talk that way. I also agree that Obama has a Black vibe or swag. He has a lot of "coolness" about himself and tremendous confidence that comes with being as brilliant as he is intellectually. The coolness and brilliance work together to generate powerful charisma. You can see how he struts when he walks as well as how he gives men "bro hugs" shaking one hand while embracing with the other that Black men started and others are just now catching up to. No other president would have even ATTEMPTED this:

EMM Can you prove your a so-called African-American? No. Nor did I call myself an African-American...so-called or otherwise. Can you prove the so-called Jewish are Jews? No more than you can prove they aren't. Do you question the identity of the so-called Jewish people or Israeli? I used to, when it was important to me. Not any more. You never awaken asking Who I Am? If someone in 2016 is still using English so broken as "who I am"....maybe they need to go BACK to sleep....lol. What's your nationality? American. Anyone born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen. Israel means one who fights with God? It does according to the Bible you quote from...... Genesis ch.32: 22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 27 The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. 28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome." According to these scriptures, he struggled with God AND other humans. According to the scriptures the nation of Israel went around from kingdom to kingdom slaughtering men, women, and children and taking land from people who did absolutely NOTHING to them.....claiming "God" sent them to do it. And THAT'S the people you want to identify yourself with? As far as the rest of your statements concerning the suffering the descendants of slaves are going through and the lack of self knowledge...... Can you show me the descendants of slave who have RECEIVED this knowledge and are now HEALTHY, RICH, with NICE HOMES, and are TECHNOLOGICALLY MORE ADVANCED than the other descendants of slaves? If not, how do we know this particular knowledge that you're promoting is the solution unless it puts you in a superior condition to those who lack it?

Cynique When I say a "white-girl vibe" it's not about using proper grammar or presenting oneself in a wholesome way. It's a very subtle thing. Simone is perky, and the cadence and timbre of her speech is in the white teen age girl vernacular. I'd be willing to bet that she is also a Taylor Swift fan. Just an observation on my part and I'm sure she couldn't care less about my assessment. Obviously, with her fame and fortune she can act anyway she wants. I know what you meant. It's that overly cheerful almost "fake" type of peppiness that White Americans are world renown for. Also making declarative statements with a QUESTIONING inflexion on the end of it is clearly a post modern White youth thing along with beginning statements with "So...". People are often a product of their environment and being so close to her White teammates.... Whether she actually "dug"...I mean was spiritually moved....by Taylor Swift or Black Keys or any other type of music listened to by a predominately White American audience, matters less than the fact that she has to know something about these artists and other important aspects of middle class White American culture just to get along with her fellow teammates as well as the various circles she has to move in. What I like about her is the cheerful and seemingly positive disposition regardless of the cultural/ethnic package it's presented in. If she spoke in Ebonics and did her performance routines to rap music I'd be just as proud of her as long as she had that million dollar smile and upbeat attitude because I know that type of positivity is sorely needed in the Black community. I'm not saying Black people should walk around with a fake grin on their faces all day or pretend to feel other than they do. But even among eachother if we would be kinder, smile more, get rid of the "hardness" and the walls of defense we often put up around eachother and act more cheerful and dare I say "gentle" around eachother, I think there would be a lot more peace in our communities. Back when I thought it was wise to "stay" with women, what used to get me was how the woman I met at work who was all smiles, peppy, with a high feminine voice could change so quickly once she got home, and turns into a loud, cussing, hoarse voiced, ghetto diva.

Cynique If she was a feminine looking hermaphrodite who wanted to compete with men in a track and field event like high jumping or pole vaulting, would the men feel resentful? They'd probably see it as a joke. Certainly they wouldn't resent it because the lower testosterone levels of a hermaphrodite would pose less of a serious challenge to their competition. So some of them would probably WELCOME him/her. Caster easily won that race with those women beccause he/she probably ISN'T a woman. Troy No. But the question is moot, because "she" would not be competitive with male athletes--certainly not world class athletes. Excellent answer. Men obviously have more testosterone than women which gives them a natural edge in strength and endurance....which is why they are generally not allowed to compete together. Now if Caster is indeed a male or even a hermaphrodite....it would be unfair for him/her to compete with other women because of that obvious physical advantages of testosterone production. Which is why it doesn't make any sense to me why if you KNOW an individual is producing more testosterone than they naturally should....why haven't you just BANNED them....instead of putting them on some sort of hormone suppressing medication? That's like letting a heavy weight boxer fight a light weight but making him lighten up on his punching power and be sure not to use his body mass to wear down his opponent. Hell, if he's gotta do all of that just for it to be "fair"...they have no business fighting in the first place. Find another lightweight....or put him with a heavyweight. CD I don't think Black women are being masculinated. I think that may be one of the most reaching discussion points I've seen. Leslie is an anomaly, and I still don't consider her behavior masculine... it's a role. Honestly, I don't think anyone can show me the promotion of masculine women anywhere. I think women are actually depicted as oversexed objects most of the time. I literally can't think of one woman that is promoted in mainstream media that looks masculine. Not one. Ok, let's start with the oft repeated term for the past 50 years, "Strong Black woman". How many women of other races have you heard repeatedly described as "strong"??? Then we get into how the media makes a big deal over Michelle Obama's arms and how toned and muscular they are. The media constantly promotes and glorifies the muscularity of Serena Williams. And just look at this photo of our beloved Simone Biles and her teamates in bikinis: All they could do was talk about how "nice" and muscular those girl's abs are. Surely there are those IN the main stream who are promoting the masculinization of women in general and especially the Black woman. Let me be clear....... I think a woman should be allowed to dress however she wishes to dress and a man should be allowed to do the same. If a woman wants to imitate a man and vice versa.....it should be allowed. But that doesn't mean I have to ignore it or not be supicious of the reasoning BEHIND the promotion of such confusion.

Sara Even if you don't like her......lol @ "if"... Aren't you amazed that an 83 year old woman is still sharp enough to keep up on the internet and social media and even engage in back and forth battles with those younger than she?

Troy and Sara You guys make my point. There ARE tests that can easily determine what sex a person is, but they either AREN'T doing them on Caster or they HAVE done them and aren't making the results known. Something is very suspicious about why they are keeping this controversy going because it's not that hard to prove whether or not a person is real woman. Hell, they only have 3 choices: Male Female Hermaprodite And even if Caster is shown to be a true hermaphrodite with both sets of genitals and an even balance of hormonal chemistry then he/she should be disqualified from competing with the women....period. They're keeping this going....I believe...as a slight insult to Black women. It's also a way of attempting to "normalize" the masculine image of Black women in the public eye while keeping the image of the White woman feminine. And Sara..... What you're seeing is the "sister" AFTER he/she was given hormonal treatment to suppress the large amount of testosterone he/she was producing that kept him/her from competing! They didn't do any decisive tests that would have put to rest any doubts about his/her sex, but the little testing they DID do had clearly determined that his/her testosterone levels were that of a MAN! So in order to compete he/she had to take medication to suppress it and bring it down to withing the "normal" range for females. So that photo is AFTER the treatment. There's no telling WHAT he/she looked like before the treatments. This entire thing is a farse and insult as far as I'm concerned. I'm in no way blaming Caster Semenya (even his/her NAME has "semen" in it) for being born how he/she is. He/she can't help it and there are indeed people who are hermaphrodites. My problem is with the sports media who is exploiting his/her condition and using it for a negative agenda.

Troy　 I don't know about other's, but when I think of the South side of Chicago I don't necessarily think of ghetto or something negative. I just think of a lot of Black people in houses and Black businesses. Remember though, Barack's pre-presidential image was more decorated by his community organizing creditials that he earned (or atleast acquired) while active in Chicago's Black communities....more so than his academic, legislative, or even familial background. But you know how Americans (of ALL races) love "rags to riches" stories! They love the underdog success tales. They like hearing stories about average people or atleast people from average or below average backgrounds finding success in life whether it's in romance or finance. If they had promoted the movie as 2 Black professionals of above average intelligence living in an upscale neighborhood who ended up meeting eachother at their good well paying jobs....do you think it would attract much of an audience? Much of their targeted audience consists of working class Black folks and those from the lower end of their professions who are struggling to pay the rent and hold down the jobs they got. They wanna dream a little....lol. I'm still angry about the "8 Mile" movie which lied all the way through the film portraying Eminem as a struggling White rapper who came from a trailer park in Detroit. For one thing there are no trailer parks in Detroit, and 2nd and most important Eminem isn't even from Detroit....he's from Kansas. Hollywood does what it wants to do and relies on the ignorance of the public for assistance. But you know how Hollywood likes to manipulate the facts and embellish stories for the psychological effect of making the average person watching it fantasize themselves being in that very situation and making it big like the people they admire. 　 　 Cynique I can't argue with you over the basketball team and their behavior, I really didn't see it. Unless you're talking about a particular incident....I think that Usain is actually just being his very charismatic self. He's a tall good looking (can I say that as man?) brother who puts on a show for the crowd and they love it and can't get enough. Which is again, why I can't figure out why I don't hear about more of these olympic women talking about having a crush on HIM instead of some "Zach Ephron" character. I've heard it before in the past said by older men, but now I'm starting to really believe there is some sort of attempt to brainwash our young women into finding femininity and "boyishness" more attractive than raw masculinity. They say it started with Elvis and how the media promoted this "pretty" looks and hair over the more masculine John Wayne. About that "white girl" vibe........ Perhaps you're right. But I think it's kind of a shame that it's gotten to the point in our community today that when you see a Black girl who's clean, wholesome, and healthy with a wonderful smile and wonderful attitude....we associate it with White girls. I'm not saying YOU'RE doing this. But I'm saying, I see it in society where being "Black" in America often means being sloppy, careless, and lazy in speech and behavior. Too often when Black people want to improve themselves they have to leave the Black neighborhood and their Black friends and get with the "white folks"....lol. You wanna eat right? Leave the ghetto and hang out at the Whole Foods market in the wealthy White suburbs. Wanna get in shape? Leave them sistaz alone and get with them White womenz and start doing yoga...in a few days you'll be carrying around a rolled up yoga mat tucked under your arms and acting White...lol Again, this is even more a reason why we need to develop our own cultural norms and standards so that when we succeed we won't be accused of acting or being White "out of character" for our race, but just another example of Black exemplary achievement.

Sara Sounds like a plan to me. Just tell me when to stop! Only thing is.... When we're finished, you're going to have to give me a few minutes before I can start peeing again.

Peace and love to you Cynique Congradulations for gracing us another year with your presence! I'm no prophet or soothsayer but something is telling me that with the way things are going on this planet right now....within another 5 or 6 years there may be some events coming up that we'd all be eternally grateful to have lived long enough to witness.

Troy I'm not sure if you were joking a bit with your question, but perhaps they didn't feel the public would be familiar with Chicago's neighborhoods enough to know what or where Hyde Park was. Plus there's something to be said about the psychological effect of the wording of the title. You know the term "South Side" like "Harlem" or "Watts" evokes all types of images and perceptions of Blackness and Black culture. If you're just meeting me and I told you I came from Chicago's SOUTH SIDE you're going to assume certain things and look at me in a certain way that you wouldn't have if I told you I came from...say...Chicago's Roger's Park. Sara More to your point about Black people having been such great swimmers in the past. My father was from the deep South and used to tell me that almost all the Black boys growing up down south in the rural areas could swim. It wasn't until he came up North that he found so many Black folks who couldn't swim....lol. As you probably know, they've been systematically REMOVING swimming pools from many innercity schools (and removing the schools themselves in many cases) and no longer teaching Black children how to swim. Like they've been removing music, art, and other activities that contribute to a more well rounded education. All they're focusing on in many urban schools both public and charter are STATE TESTS....that's it. So while they're learning swimming, diving, lacrosse, fencing, and all sorts of other activities out in the suburban schools......the inner city schools don't even have swimming pools anymore. 　 Speaking of the success of our sistas at the olympics............. That Simone Biles is one fine little lady! Deceptively fine.....because I know she's probably as strong as a lion and could probably rip the average boy her age to pieces. A friend of mine gets at me telling me that I shouldn't talk like that about her because she's young enough to be my daughter. I tell her.....yeah....but she AIN'T. I'm trying to figure out what's up with her and her "crush" on Zac Ephron. All those muscular fit brothers running and doing gymnastics and she's jumping up and down over some cat named "Zac"??? Although it hasn't been talked about in the media, I'm almost sure that Biles' success as well as her looks and popularity is making Gabby feel some sort of "way". 　

When I was in my 20s I was convinced that there was NOTHING about the "old way" or older eras of America that should be brought back. I thought it was all slavery, lynching, and oppression. Older Black people used to tell me that things were better back in the 40s and 50s for Black people (atleast in Detroit) than in the 90s and I didn't believe them. I thought they were confused or something. But after having lived through atleast 2 generations and seeing the difference between society today and society 30 years ago, I can agree somewhat that overall a lot of things have deteriorated. Older Black people told me about all the businesses Black folks used to have and I wasn't around to see it in the 30s or 40s but I DO remember parts of the 70s and 80s where there were more Black businesses that were more successfully ran back then than there are today. I do believe we can walk a fine line between bringing back some of the good of the "good ole days" of America while leaving the worse behind. -More good paying blue collar jobs. -More intact Black communities where the poor and middle class lived next door. -Good music without the lyrics the promote violence and mayhem -Easier relationships between males and females and stronger families Just simpler times in general where people of average intelligence could navigate easily through society with no legal, financial, or social problems. I think society has gotten far too complicated. Troy How do we know that the Willie Lynch letter was a "lie"? We know slavery and the management of slaves weren't an isolated event, the slavers HAD to have conspired together to not only import slaves but maintain a system to keep them under control. I'm not saying that I know the letter is true, I have no proof one way or the other....but what proof is there that it was false?

Understanding the Controversy Over Caster Semenya http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/sports/caster-semenya-800-meters.html?_r=0 This is another stronger example of the original point I was making in reference to the behavior of Leslie Jones and how Western society has a long and documented history of not only trying to emasculate the image of Black men, but on the flip side masculate the image of Black women. Here you have a "female" who obviously looks like a male....a fully matured young male. I understand that some people are born hermaphrodites and of both sexes. It's relatively rare, but it happens. I'm also aware of the fact that no one is 100% male or 100% female, we all carry a balance of both natures at various points on the spectrum. However this is an artificially contrived "controversy" because it could easily be solved and put to rest....but it's not. They keep wondering whether or not Caster is a "real woman" or a man pretending. Yet they refuse to do the obvious tests of checking the genitals and other basic tests that will determine what sex Caster is. They've already found that Caster's testosterone levels are as high as a man's and was forced to take testosterone suppressing medication before competing in the Olympics. This is where critical thinking comes into play. The real purpose of this story isn't the interest it peaks in a public who is desparate to figure out what sex Caster is, but the REAL purpose of keeping this story going is to humiliate Black women and have the public subconsciously question their femininity.

Cynique Your perception isn't being manipulated so much as it's being SKEWED. I can't say you're perception is being manipulated because you are arriving at YOUR OWN conclusions about the conditions of Black people in society based on the places YOU have gone. However I can say that your perceptions are a little skewed because the places you've gone to are limited to that of the typical public. So ofcourse you're going to find the majority of Black people in those environments "normal" and pretty well adjusted. Or atleast behaving normal enough to function within them, lol. But did you go down to the Cook County Jail? Did you go to the various hospitals in the Chicago area? The AIDS wards? The psychiatric units? Did you visit the juvenile dentention centers? This will give you a more comprehensive view of the OVER ALL condition of Black people in your community rather than the sanitized "rated PG" public view most see on a daily basis.