Why is everyone in modern culture so quick to play the race card? Has political correctness gone too far?

Question

Even on this board everyone is so quick to say: "OMG UR SO RACISTS (insert race here) R PEOPLRS TWO" just because they don't agree with someone on an issue such as immigration, war in the middle east (generally Israel/Palestine) ect.. But whenever someone says something derogatory/stereotypical about caucasians, they see no problem with it. And then you got old Kanye on the television saying "GEOORGE BOOSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE." Also Affirmative action, didn't MLK preach about how he wanted equality for all? Why should minorities have a better chance of gaining entrance to a university based on the color of their skin?

Answer 1

My only question is, If affirmative action is in fact justified based on past wrongs done to blacks, at what point has enough "reverse discrimination" been committed to equal the playing field. The way it seems to me as that the answer from minorities is "As long as it takes", meaning indefinately. It's like to those who benefit from it, the debt will never be paid. Imagine if you caused a traffic accident and you admitted your responsibility and ask "What are the damages?" and the reply is...pay me until I'm satisfied. Suppose competitive testing is done to select candidates for let's say the police dept. and supposing in this city the minority population is 20%, so points on the test are manipulated in such a way as to obtain a 20% minority to white pass ratio. So now you have a generation of new cops, 20% of which are minorities. Suppose also that this practice is continued each new hiring cycle and it goes on and on for years. One might ask when can an impartial test be given and jobs awarded strictly on unskewed test results. What if it turns out that despite all attempts to level the playing field, the day never comes when test perforrmance produces the desired result? It seems as if the answer is never....that because of slavery and past discrimination the test must be conducted in such a way as to produce the same result. How is this fair to white applicants who for all anyone else knows could have disadvantages of their own? How is it fair to minorities if they are never made to strive to improve their competitive abilities? Why is it that even asking this question causes raised eyebrows and elicits charges of racism? How does this practice effect white-minority relations? Does it promote mutual respect or cause resentment? So my answer to the question is yes...I think things have gone too far when subjects like this can't even be addressed without a charge of racism. Earlier tonight someone made a comment and asked a question that was blatantly racist. As a white person I was embarrassed and ashamed that someone could be so insulting to blacks in general. Most people responded with appropriate disgust. But one black person justifiably angered, responded with insults directed to this person but about the white race which were equally insulting. Though the majority of respondants rightfully voiced their disdain to the question, this black person in effect insulted all those who were white. They didn't seem to care that most whites had spoken out against the question. This lack of willingness to meet half way to create a color blind society with mutual respect creates a lot of resentment on the part of whites. The feeling is that whites need to make all the changes while minorities are justified to carry a chip on their shoulders and not even attempt to temper their own prejudices. So again I'll say yes, things have gone too far. Have things gone too far when the black mayor of New Orleans talks about rebuilding the city as a "chocolatetown", the way it is supposed to be? I would say so.

Answer 2

I hope I see your question correctly: You're saying that our Country (USA) is Defining Equality as favoring Minorities manifested by Minorities are entering University more easily than the Caucasian Majority which composes 81.7% of our population?

I will try to answer your question if the above interpretation/paraphrase is correct.

First I would like to bring up "Why Affirmative Action?" "Why did Martin Luther King Jr lead the Civil Right Movement?"

Because, in straight forward and strictly speaking, U.S. Caucasian Leaders WERE Racist! Remember the Black Slavery? The Chinese Exclusion Act of (US 1882)? Because of these unjust official actions done to minority, President Kennedy realized that there was a Need for this actions. In simple words, Because these Minorities were ripped off a lot of opportunities in the Past.

With Affirmative Actions (or positive discrimination) Now we are attempting to Provide Them a sense of Equality to receive those opportunities; this is Exactly when you'll find African American Scholarship or Ethnic Chinese Student Grant and such and such BECAUSE their Ancestors were ripped of some opportunites to be rich or at least better educated, now we're trying to provide them some resource that they can find, so they can Also , be successful nowadays. By the Way, These Grants-type-money are mostly NOT funeded by the government, but Private-No for profit companies.

As for Affirmative Action, I'm hereby quoting a famous speech by President Lyndon B. Johnson at Howard University in 1965:

"You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line in a race and then say, 'you are free to compete with all the others', and still justly believe that you have been completely fair."

Those who have been chained and have suffered under slavery needs to be Compensate. If you're saying it is Racist, Yes, it is a Positive Non-Discriminatory Racism, a Racism that looks back to the Past and attempt to Redeem some wrong-doings; an Apologetic Racism which intends to do good; a Lovely Racism that tells us to Love Black people.

To be Specific about Entering Universities, I think the Affirmative Action is an Awesome Idea to ensure that African Americans and other Minorities AT LEAST have a chance to get in.

This is my opinion.

Answer 3

I think we've all been overly manipulated by the media. Political correctness is a function what people feel they should do. So some people feel they have to call someone a racist out of obligation or even some sort of guilt.

It is ironinc that political correctness is viewed as an expression of minority culture. As a member of a minority group that is 12% to 13% of the population, what leverage do we truly have? We're not running most of the media outlets, nor boards of directors, nor government agencies. Why are people so quick to blame us when a white owned company complains about a white person?

I know someone will point to Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson, but we're not putting them on TV. In fact most African Americans would prefer to have them not "represent" us in the public eye.

Affirmative action falls into a similar category. It is misunderstood and misapplied. It is not a quota system nor is it intended to be a basis for raced based hiring or admissions. It is easy for firms and universities to avoid the issue and use some sort of defacto quota system. That was not the intention of the policy.

Calling someone a racist is like comparing a nations leader Hitler. It is done for effect and really serves little purpose. All of us who are Americans are to some degree racist. We also live around a broader collection of races, ethnicities, religions, etc., than anyone else on Earth. So we have a little tension. It's to be expected.

Answer 4

Why are so many people willing to make such broad generalizations by making claims about "everyone" - repeatedly - and to see an issue as "all or nothing" (as you point out, either everyone reacts or no one has a problem with it)?

Answer 5

No.


Your agrument is like the bank making a mistake.

If the bank makes a mistake and gives you $100 dollars, you keep quiet.

If the bank makes a mistake and takes $100 dollars you post a long diatribe on yahoo answers.

Answer 6

When Johnny Cochran said he "only need one African-American juror", that should have told you something. When blacks turned OJ loose on the people, that should have told you something. When they said it was OK for Kobe to rape, as long as she was white, that should have told you something.

Affirmative Action is blatant racism and anyone who takes advantage of it is a bigot.

Answer 7

Simple. Political leverage is something you do when principles become pesky and tend to get in the way of instant gratification. Where've you been? This is the AMERICAN way!!!!

Answer 8

Yep.

Answer 9

some people will say anything for $