Comment by sacks2k | Hacker News Reader

Comment by sacks2k | Hacker News Reader

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"Legal segregation never went away"

Now, college students want enforced segregation.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/red-alert-politics/more-t...

This isn't due to racism, this is due to the African American student body wanting separate ceremonies. In addition to this, many of the demands of BLM and protesters on campus want 'safe spaces' where no whites are allowed.

It seems strange to me that one group of people is allowed to do this without it being considered racist, when it clearly fits the definition.

"Nikole Hannah-Jones's 1619 Project"

I attempted to read through some of the articles. Most are completely inaccurate and biased and try to inject race into every single decision of our founding fathers. it only serves to divide us as a nation.

Many people forget that we fought a war over slavery and hundreds of thousands of non-black Americans fought and died to free the slaves. The confederate army was also much smaller than the union, which should show you that the majority of the people in this country, even then, didn't support slavery.

Sure, racism still exists (and it probably always will). But it's not at the government level anymore or widely accepted.

The US is one of the least racist countries in the world. If you go anywhere else in the world, especially when it comes to getting a job/employment, racism is not only accepted, but part of the hiring process.

> Now, college students want enforced segregation.

You're conflating two very different things. An oppressed minority seeking an isolated space for themselves is not comparable to a majority forcing one on an unwilling minority population.

> The US is one of the least racist countries in the world.

I disagree with that statement, but rather than descend into a fruitless back and forth over the assertion, I'd rather challenge the context: why does it matter what other countries do? The US holds itself to its own standard. If the population consider that standard insufficient then it's time to act.

"You're conflating two very different things"

I'm not confusing anything. Declaring that no other races are allowed in a specific area, is racist. It shouldn't matter if the group doing it is in the majority or minority. We are supposed to be all equal. But it sounds like once again that it has nothing to do with wanting equality, but wanting superiority and having special rules and treatment for a specific group of people. This will only further divide us.

How is it that I'm the one fighting for equality here and you're the one that seems to be against it?

"I'd rather challenge the context: why does it matter what other countries do? The US holds itself to its own standard. If the population consider that standard insufficient then it's time to act."

Reporters are even fired from there jobs every year on MLK day for accidentally saying a word that sounds racist.

That woman walking her dog the other day that was racist? She got her dog taken away and was fired from her job.

The cops that were involved in the current situation? They were fired from their jobs and are now being brought up on charges and investigated.

The US had an African American president. The highest position of power in the country and the world. Sure, some people didn't agree, but he got enough votes to put him into office.

The US really does set the standard.

If you can't see the difference between a persecuted minority seeking a safe space and a majority forcing them into segregation then there's really no point continuing this conversation.

> How is it that I'm the one fighting for equality here

You aren't. You're fighting to shut the door on the issue. If one section of the population is persecuted for hundreds of years, then one day the majority population says "OK, we're not going to persecute you any more!", are the two populations equal now? Or does the minority population continue to suffer from the economic and political effects of their persecution? Of course it's the latter. A cursory glance at any data on the position black people have in our economy and society would tell you that. Focusing on the definition of word "racism" is missing the forest for the trees.

But look, you've obviously come to this thread to aggressively defend the opinion you already have. I'm not so deluded to think that I'm going to convince you to change your mind. And none of your points lead me to think you're going to convince me otherwise either. So I'm going to bow out of the thread and do something more productive with my time. I hope you can too.

It's interesting to note that it isn't working-class people—the people who might reasonably feel threatened—who are demanding "safe spaces". It's extremely privileged people educated in elite institutions. These are some of the most privileged people alive with advantages not accessible to the vast majority of the population of any ethnicity or race.

In the specific story the OP linked to (about college students) that's true. But I don't think that automatically means working class people are not demanding similar spaces for themselves. Can you be sure they aren't?

"If one section of the population is persecuted for hundreds of years, then one day the majority population says "OK, we're not going to persecute you any more!", are the two populations equal now?"

This argument just doesn't make sense in 2020. Minorities are not 'persecuted' in this country and in fact are given special treatment in every possible way, especially by progressive/liberal lawmakers and heads of institutions like universities.

Affirmative action is a good example of this. Where I went to college, we had affirmative action. Many African american students were pushed through, even though they didn't actually make the grade.

The dropout rate was 90% because they didn't have enough of the fundamentals like math, science, or literacy.

"Or does the minority population continue to suffer from the economic and political effects of their persecution?"

They may suffer economic effects, but it really has little to do with their 'persecution'.

It starts at home. Having multiple children in an unstable home to a single, young mother, not only makes the mother's life difficult, but the children. This is the norm for many inner city African communities, if you look at the statistics.

This is something that can't be legislated away. I've known many teachers that worked in poor African American communities and they all say the same thing: we can teach anything we want to the child, but as soon as they get home, the parents/families have a much bigger influence and students end up not finishing, dropping out, etc.

Just look at statistics on Asian minorities in the US. High education, high earning, and a very small percentage are on welfare.

The Chinese were brought to this country as slaves to work on our railroads and suffered racism as a result. A look at the history of our China towns can see this.

"Of course it's the latter. A cursory glance at any data on the position black people have in our economy and society would tell you that. Focusing on the definition of word "racism" is missing the forest for the trees."

You can't see the forest through the trees. Institutions instituting segregation will not lead to better race relations and will only continue to divide us.

I'm really done having this conversation with you, because It's not going anywhere.

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