My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

Uptown wrote:So basically, this has turned into a your race is worse than mine pissing contest?! Briggs, what is the point of your posts?

White cops are being accused of being racists and targeting and killing blacks

BRIGGS wrote:I think this is just a common sense answer from my own personal view point. I think its pretty simplistic. African Americans are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime so the police who are in charge of that area have their "eye" on them much more so than other races. I guess from a cops point of view--he is scared or at a minimum heightened when confronted with the possibility of dealing with a higher source of danger. Remember these guys put their lives on the line every day--so you have to factor in their mindset. I think it really is as simple as that. If black people believe that white people have it out for them--my friends--you are dead wrong. White people green people yellow people--most of us have an every day responsibility of family and we are to busy to think about anything other than immediate issue. If it wasnt for what I heard on TV I probably wouldve steered clear of this thread. I believe strongly that Im a decent and honest fellow and answering questions honestly--even if they potentially offend--although im not trying to do that--is just reasonable back and forth recourse on an issue thats been getting a lot of attention. Its disturbing to hear--as a white person--what I believe is some true deep seeded hatred African Americans seem to have. I dont believe in the hood nor do I believe in excuse of race. If race was such an issue why dont Chinese people complain?

My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

Props to you BRIGGS as well for your achievements. I respect where are coming from. I certainly don't hate white folks... some of my best friends are white!

I just have to bring up the redlining question again though because of your "no one in this world forces them to be there" perspective.

My mom is the ultimate bootstrapper. Born in a cold water flat during WWII to a single mother, super smart and skipped grades twice, worked crazy hard, left a bad marriage and raised up my siblings and me in our own house with my grandmother, sent us all to private school in the suburbs, worked in the city for 3 decades. When we move to the neighborhood she lives in now, we replaced the second-to-last white family on our block — "white flight" as they call it. The mortgage she got in the mid-80s was a total subprime ripoff but she did what she had to do, and eventually paid it off.

We suffered through the crack era, to see brighter days. She's now retired, city reassessed her house as a crazy value. She had the house on sale for 2 years — just as the floor fell out of the housing market. So she can't really move now. Luckily the house is solid and the neighborhood is stable now and she's doing great with the next generation of grandkids nearby.

Individually, I couldn't have had a better role model. I have been VERY lucky. But redlining was and is a real thing. Not bringing it up as an excuse, but an explanation to a question you've asked at least twice now.

DrAlphaeus wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I think this is just a common sense answer from my own personal view point. I think its pretty simplistic. African Americans are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime so the police who are in charge of that area have their "eye" on them much more so than other races. I guess from a cops point of view--he is scared or at a minimum heightened when confronted with the possibility of dealing with a higher source of danger. Remember these guys put their lives on the line every day--so you have to factor in their mindset. I think it really is as simple as that. If black people believe that white people have it out for them--my friends--you are dead wrong. White people green people yellow people--most of us have an every day responsibility of family and we are to busy to think about anything other than immediate issue. If it wasnt for what I heard on TV I probably wouldve steered clear of this thread. I believe strongly that Im a decent and honest fellow and answering questions honestly--even if they potentially offend--although im not trying to do that--is just reasonable back and forth recourse on an issue thats been getting a lot of attention. Its disturbing to hear--as a white person--what I believe is some true deep seeded hatred African Americans seem to have. I dont believe in the hood nor do I believe in excuse of race. If race was such an issue why dont Chinese people complain?

My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

Props to you BRIGGS as well for your achievements. I respect where are coming from. I certainly don't hate white folks... some of my best friends are white!

I just have to bring up the redlining question again though because of your "no one in this world forces them to be there" perspective.

My mom is the ultimate bootstrapper. Born in a cold water flat during WWII to a single mother, super smart and skipped grades twice, worked crazy hard, left a bad marriage and raised up my siblings and me in our own house with my grandmother, sent us all to private school in the suburbs, worked in the city for 3 decades. When we move to the neighborhood she lives in now, we replaced the second-to-last white family on our block — "white flight" as they call it. The mortgage she got in the mid-80s was a total subprime ripoff but she did what she had to do, and eventually paid it off.

We suffered through the crack era, to see brighter days. She's now retired, city reassessed her house as a crazy value. She had the house on sale for 2 years — just as the floor fell out of the housing market. So she can't really move now. Luckily the house is solid and the neighborhood is stable now and she's doing great with the next generation of grandkids nearby.

Individually, I couldn't have had a better role model. I have been VERY lucky. But redlining was and is a real thing. Not bringing it up as an excuse, but an explanation to a question you've asked at least twice now.

DrAlpheus--I have zero clue what redlining is. Im just stating that if I was in a position where my kids would have to grow up in a shtty environment--I would not accept that as a human being. I would do what I had to do change that. Can you explain to me why a person HAS to stay in the hood in 2016? They do NOT IMHO.

BRIGGS wrote:

holfresh wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I think this is just a common sense answer from my own personal view point. I think its pretty simplistic. African Americans are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime so the police who are in charge of that area have their "eye" on them much more so than other races. I guess from a cops point of view--he is scared or at a minimum heightened when confronted with the possibility of dealing with a higher source of danger. Remember these guys put their lives on the line every day--so you have to factor in their mindset. I think it really is as simple as that. If black people believe that white people have it out for them--my friends--you are dead wrong. White people green people yellow people--most of us have an every day responsibility of family and we are to busy to think about anything other than immediate issue. If it wasnt for what I heard on TV I probably wouldve steered clear of this thread. I believe strongly that Im a decent and honest fellow and answering questions honestly--even if they potentially offend--although im not trying to do that--is just reasonable back and forth recourse on an issue thats been getting a lot of attention. Its disturbing to hear--as a white person--what I believe is some true deep seeded hatred African Americans seem to have. I dont believe in the hood nor do I believe in excuse of race. If race was such an issue why dont Chinese people complain?

My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

You think the average black youth can get a job in a Chinese restaurant washing dishes at age 15??..You think the average black youth can get a job every summer??..You think the average black college grad is getting a job right out of College??..What planet do you live on???..If all things are equal, why do they ask your race on job application??..You think you had it hard in America being Jewish...Has anyone ever asked your religion on an application before meeting you??? I bet you didn't mind checking that box that said "I'm white"..Your ignorance is appalling...

Dude my next door neighbors were African American--they did what I did for money--they worked. They had jobs I mean are you trying to tell me black people dont get hired for even trivial jobs? Thats not true and my buddies did the same work I did--they worked at McDonald's they cut grass they shoveled snow right next to me they worked. My paper route was with my friend. You are really out of this world saying a young black man cant get a simple job--youre in outer space. One of them went to the marines and worked as a New Haven police office recently retired great family the other started a good business--great guys great character and hard workers. Where do you live saying a black person cant get a job--that is absolute utter lying BS--Get out of here with that. The President of the United State is African American for goodness sakes and according to you black men cant get basic jobs--that is so inane and false---Im not wasting my time writing on this thread for BS like that--you are falsifying reality . ANYONE in this US can work hard in any form and succeed

It may be unfair to compare the employment opportunities of 40 years ago to today. Things are a lot different in the job market than they used to be. In HS in the 90s I was a paperboy at 13, bagger then cashier in a union supermarket 14-17... and I know for a fact those jobs aren't around in my neighborhood anymore. Paperboy: self-explanatory. The supermarket chain: went bankrupt and re-opened a non-union shop with significantly less positions available because of "self-serve" registers. Yet the city I'm from has a bigger population now, with an even larger population of under-24 that it used to.

BRIGGS wrote:

holfresh wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I think this is just a common sense answer from my own personal view point. I think its pretty simplistic. African Americans are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime so the police who are in charge of that area have their "eye" on them much more so than other races. I guess from a cops point of view--he is scared or at a minimum heightened when confronted with the possibility of dealing with a higher source of danger. Remember these guys put their lives on the line every day--so you have to factor in their mindset. I think it really is as simple as that. If black people believe that white people have it out for them--my friends--you are dead wrong. White people green people yellow people--most of us have an every day responsibility of family and we are to busy to think about anything other than immediate issue. If it wasnt for what I heard on TV I probably wouldve steered clear of this thread. I believe strongly that Im a decent and honest fellow and answering questions honestly--even if they potentially offend--although im not trying to do that--is just reasonable back and forth recourse on an issue thats been getting a lot of attention. Its disturbing to hear--as a white person--what I believe is some true deep seeded hatred African Americans seem to have. I dont believe in the hood nor do I believe in excuse of race. If race was such an issue why dont Chinese people complain?

My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

You think the average black youth can get a job in a Chinese restaurant washing dishes at age 15??..You think the average black youth can get a job every summer??..You think the average black college grad is getting a job right out of College??..What planet do you live on???..If all things are equal, why do they ask your race on job application??..You think you had it hard in America being Jewish...Has anyone ever asked your religion on an application before meeting you??? I bet you didn't mind checking that box that said "I'm white"..Your ignorance is appalling...

Dude my next door neighbors were African American--they did what I did for money--they worked. They had jobs I mean are you trying to tell me black people dont get hired for even trivial jobs? Thats not true and my buddies did the same work I did--they worked at McDonald's they cut grass they shoveled snow right next to me they worked. My paper route was with my friend. You are really out of this world saying a young black man cant get a simple job--youre in outer space. One of them went to the marines and worked as a New Haven police office recently retired great family the other started a good business--great guys great character and hard workers. Where do you live saying a black person cant get a job--that is absolute utter lying BS--Get out of here with that. The President of the United State is African American for goodness sakes and according to you black men cant get basic jobs--that is so inane and false---Im not wasting my time writing on this thread for BS like that--you are falsifying reality . ANYONE in this US can work hard in any form and succeed

Uptown wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I think this is just a common sense answer from my own personal view point. I think its pretty simplistic. African Americans are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime so the police who are in charge of that area have their "eye" on them much more so than other races. I guess from a cops point of view--he is scared or at a minimum heightened when confronted with the possibility of dealing with a higher source of danger. Remember these guys put their lives on the line every day--so you have to factor in their mindset. I think it really is as simple as that. If black people believe that white people have it out for them--my friends--you are dead wrong. White people green people yellow people--most of us have an every day responsibility of family and we are to busy to think about anything other than immediate issue. If it wasnt for what I heard on TV I probably wouldve steered clear of this thread. I believe strongly that Im a decent and honest fellow and answering questions honestly--even if they potentially offend--although im not trying to do that--is just reasonable back and forth recourse on an issue thats been getting a lot of attention. Its disturbing to hear--as a white person--what I believe is some true deep seeded hatred African Americans seem to have. I dont believe in the hood nor do I believe in excuse of race. If race was such an issue why dont Chinese people complain?

My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

First off, stop generalizing and painting everyone with a broad brush. The majority of black people who live in the inner-city are decent hard working families and quite a few of them have worked hard and are working hard to move to safer areas and or make their community a safer place to live. Not all white people hate blacks, but to think there aren't whites who do hate blacks, again would be ignorant on your part.

The fact that you are saying the color of a persons skin is a non-issue is either ignorance on your part or denial....Do you agree that there is systemic racism in this country?

It persists but I think it has lessened significantly in the last twenty years. It'd help a hell of a lot if the fabulously and unprecedentedly wealthy black athletes like Carmelo Anthony gave up two-thirds of their earnings to inner city issues. Has that notion crossed your mind? To ask him or others to give back? Money talks and genuine untold wealth can help.

BRIGGS wrote:

DrAlphaeus wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I think this is just a common sense answer from my own personal view point. I think its pretty simplistic. African Americans are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime so the police who are in charge of that area have their "eye" on them much more so than other races. I guess from a cops point of view--he is scared or at a minimum heightened when confronted with the possibility of dealing with a higher source of danger. Remember these guys put their lives on the line every day--so you have to factor in their mindset. I think it really is as simple as that. If black people believe that white people have it out for them--my friends--you are dead wrong. White people green people yellow people--most of us have an every day responsibility of family and we are to busy to think about anything other than immediate issue. If it wasnt for what I heard on TV I probably wouldve steered clear of this thread. I believe strongly that Im a decent and honest fellow and answering questions honestly--even if they potentially offend--although im not trying to do that--is just reasonable back and forth recourse on an issue thats been getting a lot of attention. Its disturbing to hear--as a white person--what I believe is some true deep seeded hatred African Americans seem to have. I dont believe in the hood nor do I believe in excuse of race. If race was such an issue why dont Chinese people complain?

My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

Props to you BRIGGS as well for your achievements. I respect where are coming from. I certainly don't hate white folks... some of my best friends are white!

I just have to bring up the redlining question again though because of your "no one in this world forces them to be there" perspective.

My mom is the ultimate bootstrapper. Born in a cold water flat during WWII to a single mother, super smart and skipped grades twice, worked crazy hard, left a bad marriage and raised up my siblings and me in our own house with my grandmother, sent us all to private school in the suburbs, worked in the city for 3 decades. When we move to the neighborhood she lives in now, we replaced the second-to-last white family on our block — "white flight" as they call it. The mortgage she got in the mid-80s was a total subprime ripoff but she did what she had to do, and eventually paid it off.

We suffered through the crack era, to see brighter days. She's now retired, city reassessed her house as a crazy value. She had the house on sale for 2 years — just as the floor fell out of the housing market. So she can't really move now. Luckily the house is solid and the neighborhood is stable now and she's doing great with the next generation of grandkids nearby.

Individually, I couldn't have had a better role model. I have been VERY lucky. But redlining was and is a real thing. Not bringing it up as an excuse, but an explanation to a question you've asked at least twice now.

DrAlpheus--I have zero clue what redlining is. Im just stating that if I was in a position where my kids would have to grow up in a shtty environment--I would not accept that as a human being. I would do what I had to do change that. Can you explain to me why a person HAS to stay in the hood in 2016? They do NOT IMHO.

Probably a big reason why there has been a "reverse Great Migration" of black folks in the north back down south the last couple decades. Neighborhoods that were once considered blighted become gentrified, so when a lot of old timers finally see their neighborhood doing better, they see the good disappear with the bad and get priced out of NYC.

And if all the high achieving folks leave a neighborhood that doesn't become gentrified, who and what are they leaving behind?

Redlining in short, from Wikipedia:

In the United States, redlining is the practice of denying services, either directly or through selectively raising prices, to residents of certain areas based on the racial or ethnic makeups of those areas. While some of the most famous examples of redlining regard denying financial services such as banking or insurance, other services such as health care or even supermarkets, can be denied to residents (or in the case of businesses like the aforementioned supermarkets, simply moved impractically far away from such residents) to carry out redlining. The term "redlining" was coined in the late 1960s by John McKnight, a sociologist and community activist. It refers to the practice of marking a red line on a map to delineate the area where banks would not invest; later the term was applied to discrimination against a particular group of people (usually by race or sex) irrespective of geography.

During the heyday of redlining, the areas most frequently discriminated against were black inner city neighborhoods. For example, in Atlanta in the 1980s, a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of articles by investigative-reporter Bill Dedman showed that banks would often lend to lower-income whites but not to middle- or upper-income blacks. The use of blacklists is a related mechanism also used by redliners to keep track of groups, areas, and people that the discriminating party feels should be denied business or aid or other transactions. In the academic literature, redlining falls under the broader category of credit rationing.

Some articles:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/10/the-racist-housing-policies-that-built-ferguson/381595/
http://www.brickunderground.com/blog/2015/10/history_of_redlining
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/05/28/evidence-that-banks-still-deny-black-borrowers-just-as-they-did-50-years-ago/

BRIGGS wrote:

Uptown wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I think this is just a common sense answer from my own personal view point. I think its pretty simplistic. African Americans are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime so the police who are in charge of that area have their "eye" on them much more so than other races. I guess from a cops point of view--he is scared or at a minimum heightened when confronted with the possibility of dealing with a higher source of danger. Remember these guys put their lives on the line every day--so you have to factor in their mindset. I think it really is as simple as that. If black people believe that white people have it out for them--my friends--you are dead wrong. White people green people yellow people--most of us have an every day responsibility of family and we are to busy to think about anything other than immediate issue. If it wasnt for what I heard on TV I probably wouldve steered clear of this thread. I believe strongly that Im a decent and honest fellow and answering questions honestly--even if they potentially offend--although im not trying to do that--is just reasonable back and forth recourse on an issue thats been getting a lot of attention. Its disturbing to hear--as a white person--what I believe is some true deep seeded hatred African Americans seem to have. I dont believe in the hood nor do I believe in excuse of race. If race was such an issue why dont Chinese people complain?

My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

First off, stop generalizing and painting everyone with a broad brush. The majority of black people who live in the inner-city are decent hard working families and quite a few of them have worked hard and are working hard to move to safer areas and or make their community a safer place to live. Not all white people hate blacks, but to think there aren't whites who do hate blacks, again would be ignorant on your part.

The fact that you are saying the color of a persons skin is a non-issue is either ignorance on your part or denial....Do you agree that there is systemic racism in this country?

Im not--Im telling you what I would do if my kids were subject to living in a bad environment--I would not allow it. If you work hard and bring home a decent check--there is NO reason on this Earth that you have to stay in the inner city? It doesnt even make sense????? Why would anyone stay in a neighborhood if you felt it was dangerous to your kids? I dont believe in racism in 2016 I believe there was once racism now its morphed into an excuse word. Can you explain to me what is racist today? I mean the president is African American--so you think white people are holding black people back these days---sorry I dont believe it and it would be very difficult for you to convince me otherwise. Today racism to me is an excuse word and its a disgrace to use it for those who truly experienced it. There is racists but thats a far cry from anyone holding another race back. If anything I have seen over the last week--AA are far more racist than white people. Sorry but thats what I have witnessed

BRIGGS wrote:

DrAlphaeus wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

DrAlphaeus wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I think this is just a common sense answer from my own personal view point. I think its pretty simplistic. African Americans are responsible for a disproportionate amount of violent crime so the police who are in charge of that area have their "eye" on them much more so than other races. I guess from a cops point of view--he is scared or at a minimum heightened when confronted with the possibility of dealing with a higher source of danger. Remember these guys put their lives on the line every day--so you have to factor in their mindset. I think it really is as simple as that. If black people believe that white people have it out for them--my friends--you are dead wrong. White people green people yellow people--most of us have an every day responsibility of family and we are to busy to think about anything other than immediate issue. If it wasnt for what I heard on TV I probably wouldve steered clear of this thread. I believe strongly that Im a decent and honest fellow and answering questions honestly--even if they potentially offend--although im not trying to do that--is just reasonable back and forth recourse on an issue thats been getting a lot of attention. Its disturbing to hear--as a white person--what I believe is some true deep seeded hatred African Americans seem to have. I dont believe in the hood nor do I believe in excuse of race. If race was such an issue why dont Chinese people complain?

My dad died when I was 8. I went to PS 230 in Brooklyn until I was 10 and moved to a small condo in Ct with my two brothers and Mom. I shared a room with my twin brother for 18 years--two pretty big guys in a small room. I didnt have the money for special sneakers or clothes--and I lived in a town that had some money. The money I had was working a paper route that I had to get up at 6 am before school to do shuffling snow or cutting grass. When i was 15 and old enough to work I worked washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant(maybe the worst job on Earth:) I loved and played all sports--I was tall and ended up being a very decent football player. I dedicated time to work hard on my school work every day--no one told me too--my Mom worked---I took it upon myself to be aggressive and compete on my studies while putting effort into working out working--I mean I had ZERO "privilege" believe me. On top of it I was Jewish--and Ive heard my fair amount of derogatory BS--but I just dealt with it and went about my day--majority of people liked my brother and I. My goal was to play football at Syracuse and become a gym teacher or sportscaster because that is what I loved. I ended up at Uconn and had to pay for my own school and soon found out the difference between being good at sports in hS and college were two different beasts--but I played 4 years and worked hard anyway. I stayed and paid at Uconn for 6 years--all the way to an MBA. I wasnt given a penny for help from anyone in my family--I paid for myself by working in the summer. I ended up in the business side by chance--simply thats what my first roommate was there for--so I went with it as well. I got a very decent job right away in NY after graduating--yada yada 8 years later I dont have to work anymore---some luck there and some cahones--but it was built on hard hard work from a young age with absolutely ZERO privilege. Nothing--so when I hear that I dont get it and I dont personally believe in it. I believe in Obama and thats why I voted for him twice. You have to work hard in this world and those who dont get left behind and bitch. Sorry white people dont hate black people yellow people or green people==really I dont even think about it nor do i care because to me its a non issue.. If I was black and lived in the hood--Id work three F jobs and would get the F out to move my family to a decent place. And those who live there and bthc about it--thats on them--no one in this world forces them to be there. And finally like I said--cut the crime rate down and my bet is a lot of good things will happen.

Props to you BRIGGS as well for your achievements. I respect where are coming from. I certainly don't hate white folks... some of my best friends are white!

I just have to bring up the redlining question again though because of your "no one in this world forces them to be there" perspective.

My mom is the ultimate bootstrapper. Born in a cold water flat during WWII to a single mother, super smart and skipped grades twice, worked crazy hard, left a bad marriage and raised up my siblings and me in our own house with my grandmother, sent us all to private school in the suburbs, worked in the city for 3 decades. When we move to the neighborhood she lives in now, we replaced the second-to-last white family on our block — "white flight" as they call it. The mortgage she got in the mid-80s was a total subprime ripoff but she did what she had to do, and eventually paid it off.

We suffered through the crack era, to see brighter days. She's now retired, city reassessed her house as a crazy value. She had the house on sale for 2 years — just as the floor fell out of the housing market. So she can't really move now. Luckily the house is solid and the neighborhood is stable now and she's doing great with the next generation of grandkids nearby.

Individually, I couldn't have had a better role model. I have been VERY lucky. But redlining was and is a real thing. Not bringing it up as an excuse, but an explanation to a question you've asked at least twice now.

DrAlpheus--I have zero clue what redlining is. Im just stating that if I was in a position where my kids would have to grow up in a shtty environment--I would not accept that as a human being. I would do what I had to do change that. Can you explain to me why a person HAS to stay in the hood in 2016? They do NOT IMHO.

Probably a big reason why there has been a "reverse Great Migration" of black folks in the north back down south the last couple decades. Neighborhoods that were once considered blighted become gentrified, so when a lot of old timers finally see their neighborhood doing better, they see the good disappear with the bad and get priced out of NYC.

And if all the high achieving folks leave a neighborhood that doesn't become gentrified, who and what are they leaving behind?

Redlining in short, from Wikipedia:

In the United States, redlining is the practice of denying services, either directly or through selectively raising prices, to residents of certain areas based on the racial or ethnic makeups of those areas. While some of the most famous examples of redlining regard denying financial services such as banking or insurance, other services such as health care or even supermarkets, can be denied to residents (or in the case of businesses like the aforementioned supermarkets, simply moved impractically far away from such residents) to carry out redlining. The term "redlining" was coined in the late 1960s by John McKnight, a sociologist and community activist. It refers to the practice of marking a red line on a map to delineate the area where banks would not invest; later the term was applied to discrimination against a particular group of people (usually by race or sex) irrespective of geography.

During the heyday of redlining, the areas most frequently discriminated against were black inner city neighborhoods. For example, in Atlanta in the 1980s, a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of articles by investigative-reporter Bill Dedman showed that banks would often lend to lower-income whites but not to middle- or upper-income blacks. The use of blacklists is a related mechanism also used by redliners to keep track of groups, areas, and people that the discriminating party feels should be denied business or aid or other transactions. In the academic literature, redlining falls under the broader category of credit rationing.

Some articles:
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/10/the-racist-housing-policies-that-built-ferguson/381595/
http://www.brickunderground.com/blog/2015/10/history_of_redlining
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/05/28/evidence-that-banks-still-deny-black-borrowers-just-as-they-did-50-years-ago/

I can believe that 1960-1980--not anymore. There is nothing in this world that will hold any race down. No bank can or even WOULD deny a loan today if they can make it. Its not even an issue--if a person can qualify for a loan an entity will give it to you. Anything less is illegal and absolute terrible business. Loans are purchased sold more than ever. They dont give a sht about your race they want your money--and there is no doubt about that.

Bank? What is this "bank"? Is that like a check cashing spot?

I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree about "nothing in this world that will hold any race down" with regards to the financial inudstry. Please do me a favor and check out at least one of those links I put up for you.

If they don't give a sht about your race and only want money, and you ain't got none...