Sage

Having lived in rural NC for most of my life, I have seen my share of rednecks. And I mean, really assed poor, no teeth, no personal hygene, country talking REDNECKS. Plenty of people would look at them and begin to make comparisons between them and urban blacks, but there is a difference. Rednecks wouldn't ever firebomb a house (that I know of... at least around here). The worst mischeif they'd get up to would be playing baseball with mailboxes.

That being said, I think that part of the reason there's such a problem with black people acting like they're all fucked up (as a nitche of society) is because they THINK like they're all fucked up. This was a topic that was talked about extensively in my Sociology class in college. If you grew up in an urban black neighborhood, getting beat up every day in school, never learning anything much because your classes were so rowdy, afraid of being raped in the bathroom, hearing gunshots every night, then most likely the only thing that looks anywhere near glamorous would be being a rap star, a sports star, or in a gang or dealing drugs. Those are "professions" that one can rise to fame in regardless of education or background. So, thinking they're going to be a big rap star, they further stop caring about going to school, which only hamstrings their choices even further.

What do I think can be done? Unfortunately for the white community, not much. Black people have this huge sense of entitlement because it's been drilled into their heads that they're "owed" something. Bill Cosby tried, unsuccessfully, to call them out on it, and was immediately shouted down for encouraging young blacks to cater to the white man. I think there's more racisim on the side of blacks than whites (although this is just an opnion).

Yes, by some people's viewpoints I can probably be called a racist. I don't hang out with black people. I would not be particularly keen if more black people moved into my apartment complex. If I saw a group of three or four young black "thuggish looking" men walking towards me on the sidewalk, I'd probably cross the street if I was alone. The idea that, in other countries like England, there is no "urban black culture" intrigues me, because honestly I've never met a black person who didn't have a huge chip on their shoulder simply because they were black.

As far as being racist because of skin color? That's bullshit. Perhaps people wouldn't be so afraid of black people if black people didn't have this huge social stima of thuggishness and violence. Unfortunately, the violence feeds the social shunning, which in turn feeds the feelings of being an outcast and leads to more violence.

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