Originally posted by Scribble
Yeah, I get your point dude, but the violence is a symptom of the gang culture, and the gang culture is a symptom of the structural class inequality. It goes round and round like a record baby right round right round
I'm against using you environment as an excuse outside of extreme circumstances. If you're a child soldier or something for example.
I've lived in poor neighborhoods and wondered where my next meal was coming from, but I also never joined a gang or became involved in criminal activity. I went to shit public schools, but still achieved enough academic success to make it in the world without resorting to violence to make a living.
Originally posted by socool8520
I'm against using you environment as an excuse outside of extreme circumstances. If you're a child soldier or something for example.I've lived in poor neighborhoods and wondered where my next meal was coming from, but I also never joined a gang or became involved in criminal activity. I went to shit public schools, but still achieved enough academic success to make it in the world without resorting to violence to make a living.
You accomplished this while simultaneously dealing with institutionalized racism and White skinned privilege?
Originally posted by socool8520We can't judge everyone by our own personal standards though. Everyone's situation is different. I'm not excusing behaviours, don't get me wrong. Punish a murderer like you would a murderer, with exceptions if the person is incredibly mentally damaged (but still remove them from society due to the dangers they pose). But that kind of blame just... doesn't get us anywhere. Of course they shouldn't blame outside influences as the pure cause of their violence, but not recognising ways of stopping it in the future seems like a bad idea to me. Blame doesn't actually solve a problem, it just identifies the reason for it. It says nothing for the future.
I'm against using you environment as an excuse outside of extreme circumstances. If you're a child soldier or something for example.I've lived in poor neighborhoods and wondered where my next meal was coming from, but I also never joined a gang or became involved in criminal activity. I went to shit public schools, but still achieved enough academic success to make it in the world without resorting to violence to make a living.
Come on, dude. If there's one 'myth' that isn't a myth it's the fact that being born as the ethnic group that makes up the majority of your country gives you a general advantage in life. That seems pretty obvious. People hold a tendency to relate more to people similar to them, and since most employers are white males, that gives white males and white people in general an advantage.
Originally posted by Scribble
We can't judge everyone by our own personal standards though. Everyone's situation is different. I'm not excusing behaviours, don't get me wrong. Punish a murderer like you would a murderer, with exceptions if the person is incredibly mentally damaged (but still remove them from society due to the dangers they pose). But that kind of blame just... doesn't get us anywhere. Of course they shouldn't blame outside influences as the pure cause of their violence, but not recognising ways of stopping it in the future seems like a bad idea to me. Blame doesn't actually solve a problem, it just identifies the reason for it. It says nothing for the future.
The situation is recognized. People live in poverty, no one disputes that. It doesn't give you the right to resort to crime and violence. The problem seems to be that the particular group of people in question are blaming others for their issues. Like magically giving the poor money will turn them into good people.
I want their communities to realize they can help themselves by changing the culture from within. If you already distrust outside entities because you blame them, how are they supposed to help you?
Originally posted by Scribble
Come on, dude. If there's one 'myth' that isn't a myth it's the fact that being born as the ethnic group that makes up the majority of your country gives you a general advantage in life. That seems pretty obvious. People hold a tendency to relate more to people similar to them, and since most employers are white males, that gives white males and white people in general an advantage.
In the past, sure. The present? Not so much here IMO. Ben articulates it better than I could:
Originally posted by Scribble
Come on, dude. If there's one 'myth' that isn't a myth it's the fact that being born as the ethnic group that makes up the majority of your country gives you a general advantage in life. That seems pretty obvious. People hold a tendency to relate more to people similar to them, and since most employers are white males, that gives white males and white people in general an advantage.
I have never felt that a White person has ever had an advantage over me. People with more money do but that's not race specific.
Originally posted by Surtur
I don't doubt white privilege used to be a thing. Used to be, being the key thing there.Now it seems it is more class that nets you privilege as opposed to "I'm a f*cking white male".
^^ was never frisked by police because of his skin color, and arrested/jailed for the weed he smokes every day.
also he's totally cool with ignoring the fact that prisons are full of black people who's lives were destroyed over a bag of weed.
sleeps contently every night knowing he's right and white privilege doesnt exist.