Your response is embedded with a common flaw amongst whites who are privileged however want to deny their privilege or act like it does not exist. Now did you read my post or someone’s comment because in my post i spoke nothing of race baiting, nor did I try to invoke a racial tone. But since you bring up racism, I hope that you understand that racism comes in more forms than calling someone a nigger. Institutionalized racism is the name of the game today; it comes in the forms of redlining, blacks being targeted for loans for homes with higher percentage points based on the color of their skin and not their credit report. The public education system in Philadelphia receives a gross amount of money that is mishandled and serves to further mis-educate the black students who populate their schools.

You are right your parents did not have slaves nor own them; its very possible your ancestors did however. But that is not the case, you and your family benefited from the slave trade. Trust me, you did and you do. By enslaving blacks and treating them as second class citizens whites were afforded better paying jobs, lived in nicer areas and because of those better paying jobs and those nicer areas they had a better life to give to their children. Now we can lie to ourselves and act like it is not a privilege to be white here in America but that would be asenine to say the least. Are you harassed by police officers, are you accused (as you just did) of your success being caused by affirmative action.

Are you even familiar with affirmative action. The minority group who benefits most from affirmative action is white women. Yes your mother and sister benefit from affirmative action much faster than i do as a young black man. Your response was filled with racial prejudices and it is not your fault because you have been socialized to believe that we blacks see ourselves as the victims and blame the white people of this country. Missing that the man in my opinion is not the white man. The government, which i can tell you are not very familiar with how it functions has been on record with maintaining policies and practices that are a detriment to people of color. Once more this is institutionalized racism that you are unaware of.

Whites could care less if blacks are successful; some whites I’m sure. But let’s not forget how angry some whites get when they see any minority class doing better than them. They become extremely upset because this country was established by them and for them so what are these people doing coming in making more money and becoming more educated than me.

So all people have to do is stay in school, do not have a child out of wedlock and get a job. Hmmm once again you show how uninformed you are. so stay in school, ok lets do that, stay in school, hell go to law school. Have no children and when you graduate with $150,000 in debt and a failing economy you will be happy to find out that there are no jobs available for you. But even your don’t have a baby out of wedlock speaks from a bias that you believe that all black people are good for is child rearing and being lazy and not keeping a job or becoming educated. You must be a fan of Reganomics because you sound like Regan himself.

Detroit has problems, we both know that. I bet you’re not familiar with Detroit’s previous mayor and all of the nonsense that went on there with large white corporate business men. No you wouldn’t dare do research. Listen fella, truth is this this is not a black or white thing and if you could have seen that prior to your offensive response we could be talking about how to remove this particular judge from their seat for making erroneous decisions. We could be engaging each other on solutions rather than redressing problems.

You see until you understand the system you are a slave to the system. And white people with all your privilege are becoming swallowed up as well. Just ask NAFTA. You see the name of the game is now economics and if you’re white but you’re not making the powers that be a good return profit you are expendable too. See its global now fella, China and India are on the rise and we are slipping. The euro is busting the dollar’s butt so I suggest that you become informed and make good decisions before you find yourself just as much of an outcast, an economic outcast.

Oh and your observations about Katrina were exactly what I would expect from someone who is uninformed. You keep thinking that it is about whites and black; whites died there too, poor ones. Did the mayor drop the bomb or did FEMA drop the bomb. Did the black people just choose to stay there or did their finances not allow them to leave.

And lastly don’t ever assume that all blacks have to look to public assistance programs that whites actually benefit from more; it insults your own intelligence.

I, nor my parents had or have slaves, so put that to rest. Yes, your ancestors were abused, done by a great mistreatment, but so were the Jews, Irish, et al.

As long as blacks look to leaders like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, they will fulfill a self fulfiling prophecy of second class citizens. What good do these two do for the black community. As long as people like them are a voice of black America, you will take one step forward, and 2 steps back. But then again, that’s what they want, true equality would put them out of a job. Every great movement, becomes a business, then a con.

Whites could care less if blacks are sucessful. Whites don’t want to see blacks fail. But, many whites are resentful of programs like Affirmative Action. I live in Atlanta, and when Vick was sentenced, sure alot of red necks thought that was great, and alot of blacks thought he was done in because he is black. Neither is right.

There are three simple rules to become sucessful in America. Stay in school, don’t have a child out of wedlock, and get a job. That’s it in a nutshell. Whites can do it, so can blacks. The Nubian North, i.e Detroit has the worst drop out rate in America, one of the highest crime rates, and a city in shambles. Now why is that? Surely we can blame the whites, we get blamed for most of the social injustcies. Well, I guess you can blame the whites since 80% of them left Detroit in the white flight of the eighties. So a black mayor was elected, staffed the city with black “friends” ripped off his own taxpayers, ran the city into ruin, and gets reelected!? Now faces criminal charges, and blacks are defending him? Why, because he is another brother held down by the Man? The same guy that publically had a ceromony and buried the N word, never to be uttered again, except a month later in a press conference when he complained that he was being unjustly prosecuted, and had been called Nigger? Is this the best the black citizens can do, elect people like this?

Finally, I think the key word the white community thinks of during ordeals like this is hypocrasy. Whites caused Katrina, they blew the dams to get rid of the blacks. The government didn’t care about the blacks. And what happened. The majority of whites evacuated, as was manditory, why didn’t the blacks that stayed? Did they think because the government, our tax money, had priovided them since birth with housing, medical care, and welfare, then the government would step right in and take care of them? No, they didn’t and couldn’t, so let’s just loot, rape, and murder. The mayor of New Orleans, a black, completely droped the ball, as did the white governor, yet one gets bounced out of office and one gets reelected. I just don’t get it.

If u feel OJ was guilty then you have a right to call that system crooked and rise up against it but please do not make someones life expendable because of faulty reasoning. That’s just not intelligent!

I’m guessing you’re not familiar with “JUSTIFIABLE FORCE”, you can not shoot a man when he does not have a gun and you are not in fear of your life. There were no guns in the car, the cops did not properly identify themselves so why would sean bell follow their instructions when they already had their guns drawn. In an impoverished neighborhood when the guns come out; you need to find safety as soon as possible.

Responsibility you speak of, i think the man was entitled to a night out with his friends and not be slaughtered by those who are to serve and protect him. You said if they were regular citizens adhering to police instructions this would not have happened. Need I remind you of amadou diallo and tons of other black men who have been brutalized by the NYPD.

We need a cultural revolution I am interested to what this would entail. Narrow mindedness will get you nowhere; its interesting your lack of legal know how and ability to understand the system does not suprise me, you are actually more reflective of the criminal justice system than you should be.