NotConvinced

Looks like the results of the democratic primaries reveal quite an interesting trend. Obama is winning over blacks by a large margin, and whites by a slight margin. Whites in general DO NOT have any problem at all voting for a black president, seems like racism might not live as alive and well as some would like to believe.


But oh wait, it looks like hispanics and asians are voting against Obama buy HUGE margins.

So if anything, Racism is alive and well, where Hispanics and Asians are racist against blacks. Although funny in a way, it's alarming that these minorities have such a distrust of each other.

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Everything you think you thought, the water's gone...every drop.

AB517

Oh yeah, it is alive and well.

I will not vote for Obama because he accepted Opera’s endorsement. Had he turned it down he would have sealed my vote. Also take a look at the percentages of black that votes black. It may be issues, but it seems to be the color of the issue.

shadowind

"black pride/different history/culture" it seems like, its another thing to rally behind, and another way to get votes.

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remember "for mere impulse of appetite is slavery, while obedience to a law which we prescirbe to oursleves is liberty"-rousseau: the concept of the general will "if we can not reconcile all opions, then let us endeavour to unite all hearts."-?"to be is to be perceived"-? "‘We can be as honest as we are ignorant. If we are, when asked what is beyond the horizon of the known, we must say that we do not know’-Robert G. Ingersoll

NotConvinced

nah nah nah, main point was not why blacks get behind Obama, it's that....


Hispanics and Asians are voting Extremely Stronly Against Blacks.

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Everything you think you thought, the water's gone...every drop.

Geshtinnanna

Or maybe they just like Hillary

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Danlo

[/quote]

Oh yeah, it is alive and well.

I will not vote for Obama because he accepted Opera’s endorsement. Had he turned it down he would have sealed my vote. Also take a look at the percentages of black that votes black. It may be issues, but it seems to be the color of the issue.[/quote]

Pardon my ignorance of the American voting process, but could Obama help it if Oprah endorses him? Surely that's Oprah's choice, not his?? If he doesn't accept her endorsement does that mean that she would then suddenly decide to switch sides and endorse Hillary??

Sounds a little odd to me...

Danlo

Another point...

I don't necessarily think it is racism as such. Instead, I think it is more about people voting for who they feel more comfortable with.

In general, your average citizen doesn't 'know' who they voting for on a personal level. All they get to see is some broad policy statements, perhaps go to a rally etc... At the end of the day they still don't 'know' the candidate.

Then, because they don't have that information they have to fall back on what they see. Humans are very visual creatures. If they see someone they feel comfortable with, and to whom they feel they have some similarities, then they'll probably vote for them.

I challenge any white caucasian to consider what they would do in this scenario...

If you were presented with two people, one non-caucasian and one caucasian, and were told to select one of these two people to spend the rest of your life with, with no contact with any other person ever...who would you choose (assuming it was only based on appearances)? I suspect the vast majority would choose the caucasian. Why? Because they will believe that they are more likely to have had a similar upbringing, and hence may have more in common.

Of course this is very simplistic and won't hold true for many people (particularly agnostics in my opinion, who tend to be fairly open minded!) but in general I think it would be fairly common.

Why would Hispanics feel less comfortable with Obama? I'm not sure to be honest, but it may have something to do with my thoughts above.

D.

NotConvinced

Very true.

For some reason, I honestly think a major degree of racism is involved, call it intuition, I've always had heaps of it.

But for some reason, I want the case to be racism. And this is where the interesting assessment comes. I have a deep hatred for the media, and yet my own wishes when it comes to an issue like this, are much the same as theirs.

I can identify with my own misplaced motives if I force myself to, and act towards enlightening myself when it comes to future similar cases....but....
To a more generalized degree, the more enlightened I think I've become, the more boring part of me thinks I am.

I know I'm quite off topic of my own topic, but screw it. I got into questioning my faith and setting off on a search for "the most true faith" or "the best faith" whether it be a lack of faith altogether or a strong faith in any one direction. I think I did it for more selfish reasons than anything else, to use the information I found and the knowledge I gained to put myself 'above' others, for personal glorification, for gloating rights. And yet, the more enlightened I think I've become, the less I'm able to reap the benefits of what I sought out to do, because I've seen it more and more as the wrong thing to do. There is no ultimate personal gain to be had in a search for true meaning to life. Part of me is still upset by this revelation, but I have no problem conceding it to be part of my own human nature. I can't gain any advantage to use over others.....and I'm somewhat forced to watch many others attempt to gain the same non-existent advantage. Do I attempt to enlighten others solely for the sake of my own entertainment/satisfaction? I do indeed feel an urge to do so if not only to generally make the world a better place.

Does anyone else have a similar take on the off-topic issue?

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Everything you think you thought, the water's gone...every drop.

AB517

I am with you 100% in this Bud.

I am struggling with this very idea right now.

I have to be constantly reminded that the key of willingness is not for me, it is for others and once they have this key it is for them to choose the door they go through. If I did what I set out to do then many doors will open, almost by themselves. When this happens I need to step back and let the other person chose the path best for them and only be there to extend my hand when asked, or to point to the person that can help them.

I am glad you posted this. I don’t feel so alone. Thank you.

“There is no personal gain” … WOW … you understand.

It does sadden us at first then we begin to understand, we begin to wake up, we see, amazing grace. You will, if not already, see how small religions are, how limiting, and yet how usleful. How punny some notions are.

Once the sadness passes you will feel joy, a joy in giving just because you realize we are here together, for each other, we are all brothers. Like the movie says, a difference in knowing the path and walking the path.

You are a head of me, good luck.
Welcome to the other side.

BIG HUG for you. If it is ok.

I wouldn’t have posted this, but I gain some strength by you courage.

There are no coincidences.

Skepticologist

I long ago rejected christianity, and it's text, the bible, as ultimate truth. However, there are a lot of snippets of truth in it, just like there are in the koran or the talmud or any number of other religious texts.

The biblical scripture that I think most closely applies to your dilemma comes from Solomon when he said that "there is nothing new under the sun" and "all is vanity and vexation of spirit".

Your allusion to an "advantage to use over others" troubles me. This is not a game to be won or lost. This is, first and foremost, living authentically and honestly and letting the chips fall where they may. If you're true to your best vision of what life's about, and what's most important about it, it really doesn't matter whether you're right or wrong. There's really no way of knowing in any substantive sense.

If the way you're approaching life feels right, keep it up. If it doesn't, change it.

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"I am an agnostic; I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of."

Clarence Darrow