Hacker News Reader

Comment by happythen | Hacker News Reader

> foot through the door

Yea, but we got no problem getting to that door. Minorities might get pulled over and get a knee on the neck. Women might get assaulted on their way. Being a white dude, I'll get a taxi there, no problem. So if I have to try harder to get the position, pretty understandable, since I got the head start.

Not saying life is easy for anyone, saying it's so much easier being a white dude with a nice hair cut. You know I used to be so broke I had to "beg" for gas money at a gas station to get to my first day at a new job, first person I asked gave me a $20. Life. is. easier.

View on HN

> a knee on the neck. Women might get assaulted

You've been reading too much news. That doesn't happen to normal people in real life. Blacks have a huge disadvantage of poor upbringing by their own family and community and women have a huge "disadvantage" of not wanting to be a computer programmer.

No, I just get outdoors and live with real people, and see it myself. I've been pulled over in a car with two other dudes, and watched the darkest skin guy get the crap kicked out of him because they thought he is a gangster, while we had to sit on a curb and watch. Where I went to school, counselors tried to get me to take AP classes, which I didn't want, while my friends with darker skin, and better grades, had to go on the wait list. I lived in an area where 13 year old pregnancies were regular. Guys raping chicks while they are passed out drunk in high school was regular. Jumping the gay kids were regular. I got to watch it, empathize with my friends, but I never had to bear the burden. My burden was folks like you, denying there are any problems because you are so safe, can't fathom life being different, even when it's across the street.

> normal people

Point exactly, when you say normal, you are thinking of white dude America. And yes, this does not happen to them.

> the darkest skin guy get the crap kicked out of him

On his way to a job interview? And also for many of your other darker skinned friends on their way to job interviews? And your female friends on their way to theirs? I'm not denying it happened in some isolated cases, but that it causes normal people to not get to "the door". It didn't even happen to normal people among your "dark-skinned" friends.

I think "to the door" might be a metaphor for going through life up to that point, but I like you literal interpretation better, like everyone in those stories specifically faces atrocities ONLY on the way to an interview. Because if you get shitbagged on a Tuesday and have the interview Wednesday, then really, it's an equal playing field.

Again, with the normal, who are you talking about? People are complex, all people, normal is your perception of others, check yourself.

> Blacks have a huge disadvantage of poor upbringing by their own family and community

The actual issue is they have to interview with people holding the same ignorant assumptions you do.

>The actual issue is they have to interview with people holding the same ignorant assumptions you do.

And then "helping them" with public assistance programs that have rules that are purpose built to incentivize familial instability.

This is what the science actually says. Black disfunction is attributed to culture spread from adults to children. Black mothers, for example, criticize their children more often than they praise them, but the reverse is true for white mothers. That's just an example of the kind of cultural effect that can be included - I'm not sure if that one specifically has been shown to be causative of lifelong disadvantage.

Definitely black people's fault... hey you coming to the meeting next week? we got a lot of crosses to burn, could use your help.

Good to see you creepin in homes listening to black mothers not give enough praise to their kids, thats great research for the cause.

You want researchers to not attempt to identify the causes of black social problems? Why's that? So you can promote your own ideologically motivated causes without any bothersome science getting in the way?

Women have the disadvantage that if they reveal their gender online, they're barraged with sexual harassment and even death threats for nothing but being a woman. Do you suppose this treatment encourages curiosity in computing?

they won't answer so I will, "no it doesn't"

Reply on news.ycombinator.com