THE SAMI: THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF NORWAY

THE SAMI: THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF NORWAY
The Sami

For decades, indigenous tribes in Latin America and the United States have garnered much of the media, film, and television attention. However, there is a wide variety of tribes outside of this circle that have a lot of culture to offer the world. One of these is the Sami tribe, originally from Norway and parts of Sweden, Finland and Russia.

With a history dating back thousands of years, the Sami have developed a rich culture and unique traditions that set them apart from other ethnic groups. Likewise, their music, crafts and clothing are recognized for their beauty and complexity.

READ MORE: “6 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT REFUGEES

Over the years, the Sami have faced significant challenges, such as forced assimilation and discrimination. However, today the Sami tribe in Norway has regained its identity and is working to preserve and promote its culture and language. This article will explore the history, culture and current situation of the Sami tribe in Norway.

A CULTURE FATHERED BY PERSECUTION

A CULTURE FATHERED BY PERSECUTION
The Sami have developed a rich culture and unique traditions

The Sami, also known as Lapps, live in the Arctic Circle region, where in winter they experience only two hours of light, while in summer they experience only two hours of darkness xnxx.

For centuries, the spiritual traditions of the Sami were hidden due to Christian persecution and hostility from the Norwegian government. However, today, the new generations have rescued and revived these ancient customs.

READ MORE: “6 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT GLOBAL REFUGEES

Most people continue to perform the same tasks as their ancestors, with coastal dwellers dependent on fishing, while inland dwellers herd reindeer.

One of the hardest blows to this community has been climate change and other natural phenomena. After all, for this community, the land, the sea, living beings and flora are considered as objects of veneration.

 

SOME INTERESTING CURIOUS FACTS

One of them is the Sami tribe, originally from Norway
One of them is the Sami tribe, originally from Norway

THEIR CLOTHES ARE COLORFUL FOR A REASON

The traditional clothing uses embroidery in shades of red, yellow and blue, and is characterized by its vibrant design that contrasts with the icy atmosphere. The outfit, known as kolt, includes items made from reindeer skin, such as accessories and shoes.

 

AN INDEPENDENT MINI TERRITORY

The region where the Sami reside is called Sápmi, and it is believed that its first inhabitants arrived more than 11,000 years ago. Currently, the Sami culture is officially recognized, with its own parliament and television programs, including animated series.

The Sami have their own flag, which incorporates the color yellow to represent the sun, blue to symbolize the sky, green to honor the trees and red for fire. On the right side of the flag is the sun and on the left side is the moon.

 

A RICH BAGGAGE OF CULTURE AND ART

If you want to experience one of the most captivating events linked to the Sami culture, you must visit the Jokkmokk market. This festival takes place in Swedish Lapland, every first Thursday in February, and is considered the largest in northern Scandinavia.

For those interested in Sami literature and film, it is recommended to attend the Skábmagovat film festival in Finland, which also hosts TV shows, or the Riddu Riddu Sami festival in Kåfjord, Norway, which takes place in July and offers a variety of movies, art and music.

What else would you like to know about this culture? Leave us your doubts in the comments.

 

 

 

 

6 Things You Didn’t Know About Refugees

There are over 65 million refugees and displaced people from all over the globe, according to the UN. While many people like talking about refugees on World refugee day, we chose to go against the norm and do it today. Besides the lack of basic amenities, refugees also face several myths and misconceptions. The lies make it difficult for them to receive the aid they require. Here are facts everyone needs to know about refugees.

1. To be a refugee, you must traverse an international border

If you move from your home to another place within your country, you would be known as an internally displaced person. The difference in staying within your state and going to another nation is that a refugee receives protection from international conventions and laws. The UNHCR is responsible for providing shelter, food, and safety for people that have fled their countries because of danger.

2. Albert Einstein, Dalai Lama, Sigmund Freud, and Wyclef Jean were refuges

Dalai Lama was forced to leave her home country, Tibet, at a tender age and is still a refugee. When narrating the incident, he described how he faced challenges as a refugee. He was, however, happy to find a new place to call home and has since made the best of it. His story goes to emphasize that living a meaningful life goes beyond money. It is about dedicating your life to helping others.

3. Many displaced people never pass a border

It is easy to imagine that every displaced person flees from their country, but this is not the case of video porno. Most people that leave their hometown don’t cross any border, but they remain within the confines of their country. Such individuals are referred to as internally displaced persons and are under the care of their governments. The pressure to grant internally displaced people the same rights as refugees is on the rise.

4. 25% of refugees are in cities and not camps

An average of twenty-five percent of the world’s refugee population resides in cities and not tents. They pay rent and lead regular lives, which gives them an equal chance at life as other citizens. Camps are a difficult place to stay, and the refugees there depend on aid from well-wishers and UNHCR.

5. Asylum seekers are different from refugees

People under asylum are those that have fled their country and now wish to have refugee status in the new nation. The process is mainly a legal one that involves the law, lawyers, and judges. Not everyone is granted status. One must meet the tight restrictions.

6. Not all refugees are resettled

Refugees have three options; resettlement in another country, repatriation to their country of origin, and integration into the host nation. Contrary to popular belief, many don’t get resettled. In the past year alone, less than one percent of the worldwide refugee population was lucky to be relocated or assimilated in their host country. The figure compares to the 7.2 million people that were repatriated to their nations over the same year.

6 Things You Can Do to Support Global Refugees

Imagine if you didn’t know what you will eat tomorrow, what you will do, and even whether you will have a roof over your head or not. Facing an uncertain future is not new to refugees. When a million refugees appeared in Europe earlier in the year, the world started taking notice. Fortunately, lending a helping hand to them is easier than you would imagine. Here is how:

1. Donate money

It is the most natural approach to helping a global refugee. The money you give is used to buy food, medicine, water, and other things that displaced people require getting through the tough days. All you need is to settle for a reputable charitable organisation that will use the money well. If the help lands on a corrupt man’s lap, you will not achieve the intended purpose.

2. Obtain a full-time scholarship for a refugee

Scholarships are not only a quick way to stability for young refugees, but they also help in securing their future. When you give them a full time scholarship, you anchor the student to a college xnxx. Therefore, they won’t be forced out by an immigration officer or be victimised by an abrupt policy change. Later, the education the young refugee earns will allow them a good job that can assist them in supporting their families.

3. Give a refugee a job

As the adage goes, don’t give a man fish, but rather teach them how to fish and they will feed many generations. While it is a good idea to give money as it solves immediate problems, providing a refugee, a job will go a long way. Check your country’s laws and establish the kind of positions that you can delegate to a refugee. Most don’t allow them to work on a full-time basis, implying that they can only do odd jobs.

4. Donate your skills

If you are trained in any profession, you can use it to help out refugees. For instance, refugees are always in need of lawyers and doctors to navigate the harsh immigration law and to offer the much needed medical care. If you work in the food industry, consider how you can donate some foodstuffs to refugee camps. Whichever your skill, use it for the good of a brother or a sister in the cold.

5. Promote refugee-owned businesses

If there is a newly-settled refugee in your estate that has opened a shop, be the first one to buy from it. Talk to your neighbours and convince them to get on board. By so doing, you will help welcome the refugee and his family into your community.

6. Open up your home

Non-governmental organisations and other charity institutions are unable to keep up with the massive demand for accommodation. Since they require a safe and comfortable place to stay before the sort out the legal issues, why not offer them your home? That spare room doesn’t have to serve as a store, yet someone is homeless. You will be surprised at how much you will learn from the refugees when you stay with them.

Did You Know These Famous People Were Refugees?

Refugees are people who flee their home countries for reasons such as war, persecution, and natural disasters. Today, the number of refugees across the world stands at 65 million. This is a global crisis. Being a refugee in a foreign country comes with many struggles. However, these struggles do not prevent refugees from shining and inspiring the world. Below are some refugees whose accomplishments have raised them to global fame.

1. Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright is the first female to serve the position of the U.S Secretary of State. She and her family fled their native home, Czechoslovakia, twice.  The first time, her family moved to escape the Nazis during the First World War, and they returned to Czechoslovakia. The family left Czechoslovakia for New York in 1948 during the communist takes over, and she now calls the U.S her home. Madeleine rose to become the first female secretary of state in 1997.

2. Albert Einstein

One of the most famous scientists of all time left Germany (in 1933) to settle in the U.S. Albert Einstein moved to the U.S before the World War to escape the Nazi movement. Among his famous quotes, Einstein said, “I shall live in a land where political and freedom, tolerance and equality of all citizens reigns.”

3. Alek Wek

Alek Wek, a top model and an erstwhile refugee from the country of Sudan. At the age of nine, a civil war in the country forced her family to walk from her village to Khartoum. The journey was full of gunfires, vibrations from explosions and scenes of dead bodies. At the capital, her mother sent Wek and her sister to London.

4. Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis

At the age of seven, Mila Kunis and her family left Soviet Ukraine for the U.S to escape the Holocaust. The family came to US on a refugee visa. In an interview with The Sun, Mila recognises how you could not practice religion during the holocaust, but her parents raised her to know she was Jewish.

5. Viet Thanh Nguyen (A Pulitzer prize-winning novelist)

Nguyen’s family moved from Vietnam in 1975 after the fall of Saigon. The family first moved to Pennsylvania before settling in California. Nguyen won the Politzer Prize for Fiction in 2016 for his novel “The Sympathizer.”

6. Supermodel Iman

She takes credit for being the world’s first black supermodel. In 1972, Iman and her family left their home Somalia to escape war occasion by the 1969 coup in the country. The family sought refuge in the neighbouring country Kenya. Here, her young beauty was discovered, and this was the start of her career and rise to fame porno.

Super model Iman

7. Rapper K’Naan

At the age of thirteen, K’naan and his family moved to the U.S to escape the Somali civil war. They first settled in New York. The family would then reconnect with their father after about a year. K’Naan rose to global fame after a Coca Cola adopted his song “Wavin’ Flat” for a campaign. K’Naan uses his music and political activism to support aid for refugee programs and oppose the war in his home country Somalia.

8. Singer cum actress Rita Ora

Rita Ora was born in Yugoslavia (What is now Kosovo) to Albanian parents. At the age of one, Rita’s parents moved to U.K to escape ethnic persecution of the Albanians. Rita is an actress, singer, and model.

9. Gloria Estefan (singer and songwriter)

Gloria was born in Havana, Cuba, during the cold war. At the age of two, she and her family fled the country in 1959 to escape the communist revolution. The family settled in Florida, and Gloria gained citizenship in 1974. She joined the Miami Sound Machine Band, which saw her start her music career. She has seven Grammys for her music work.

A Day in the Life of a Refugee

Have you ever imagined what it’s like living in a refugee camp? Life there is
difficult, and it would be a stressful time even for the strongest among us. It is heartbreaking, especially when you consider that millions of people are forced to leave their home countries every year and cross the border to neighboring countries. The easiest way to understand what being a refugee is like is to walk a day in their shoes. However, this isn’t possible unless you are a refugee, something you wouldn’t desire. Let’s take a glance at what life in refugee camps entails.

1. Refugees miss their homeland

The memories their previous lives before war broke haunts refugees every morning. They miss their villages, communities, work, and the beautiful life they had. Even when one is youpotn not from a wealthy background, what they had at home is better than the conditions at the camp.

2. Inadequate provision of vaccinations

Health is an essential factor in any community, and it isn’t different for refugees. Unfortunately, many of them do not have sufficient access to proper health facilities. Children are porno gratuit français the most affected because they don’t get the recommended vaccinations. The situation gets worse when more refugees arrive in the camps when the crisis increases. Most kids are exposed to the threat of polio and other infectious diseases at the camps.

3. Many don’t have a proper roof over their heads

Most refugees live in tents and houses without roofs. Some families cannot even afford to have a shelter with four walls. Without a roof to protect them from the sun or walls to keep them warm at night, they get sick often. They rely on what well-wishers donate to the camps for a more comfortable livelihood.

4. Refugees often suffer mental health

About a year ago, the story of a Syrian refugee man that attempted suicide by setting himself on fire hit the news. Although the refugee camps are less dangerous than their native countries, refugees often have horrible living conditions. Research shows xvdeo that suicide cases in camps are on the rise. It is easy to understand the reason behind the statistics, especially considering the deplorable conditions at the camps. Unfortunately, not much attention is given to mental health at the camps, and thus these cases aren’t likely to stop soon unless something is done.

5. Securing work is challenging

Although most refugees don’t mind taking any available job in whichever country they enter, getting a job and moving up the ladder is difficult. Since many of them don’t come from English-speaking countries, settling in the U.S. and other western nations is a huge hurdle.

6. Makeshift schools are overcrowded

A parent’s joy is seeing their child in the right school, and it is not different for refugees. Unfortunately, the temporary schools at the camps are overcrowded, which makes it difficult for the kids to acquire quality education. Imagine how terrible it must be for the parents to see their children lacking the necessary skills for survival.

Inauguration of an Emperor

Now it’s official, the world has to face the second term of George Wiedergaenger Bush as American president. And even though it wasn’t the world that elected him, he is determined to continue to spread terror and devastation around the globe, just to prove the US’s strive for world domination.

The inauguration ceremony was worthy for a Cesar, 40 million $ to celebrate the glory of the Bush dynasty. And that doesn’t take the money spend on security into account. Since GWB declared war on the rest of the world security needs to be improved in the homeland. Terror breeds terror, a simple fact that every Israeli knows for decades, and even though it will remain a mystery who was responsible for the 911 attacks, terror might happen again in the US.

The emperor won the election, not as convincing as Saddam Hussein, the result looked like you would expect it in a socalled democracy. It’s just that civilised nations aren’t really supposed to bomb civilisations back to the Stone Age just because they can. Nor would you consider systematic use of torture to be an acceptable way to treat any human being.

And again, one question remains: How blatant must the US act, before the rest of world stands up to this greedy giant? Will the world community just stand and stare when America starts using nukes again to kill innocent people? The Roman Empire survived quite long, it is a horrifying thought to live in a time when every nation gets forcefully americanised.

Let us shortly summarise some of GWBs achievements as president. Just a few months after being in the Oval Office, he provokes the Chinese by sending spy planes over their territory. Luckily the Chines Giant is calm and way too big for Georgies appetite.

Yet his craving for blood of innocent people could not be stopped. On september 11th 2001 two planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York, something hit the pentagon and some debris lands in Pennsylvania. The towers collapse, and GWB uses this uniquely coordinated terror scenario to start his crusade against the muslim world.

Even though most of the alleged hijackers were Saudi-Arabian, Afghanistan gets invaded and devastated. Nobody remembers the mass-executions and mass-graves in Dasht-e-Leili – all that happened in a liberated part of Afghanistan, with at least some American soldiers just watching it happen.

Instead of one unjust government the Afghanis now suffer from the chaos that arose after the removal of the Taliban. Warlords control most territories, united in the hatred against each other and of course the foreign military that’s still there.

Before Americas inability considering nationbuilding became apparent, the US government suggested that Saddam Hussein would have a threating arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, a purt (art)work of fiction. To make things worse, Hussein got linked to the alleged mastermind of the 911 attacks, Bin Laden. But the secular leader of Irak and the fundamentalist Wahabit Bin Laden simply don’t like each other.

Most of the world simply didn’t buy this cheap lies, and so the US government did its best to render the UN to a tolerated, but useless instution. In order to control at least the internal opposition better, Patriot 1 and 2 abolished very basic civil rights and empowered the secret services to an extend that could make the Gestapo envious. The investigations of 911 were more than sloppy, delayed unnecessarily and lacked any convincing prove for its conclusions.

The world wide opposition to a military intervention could just delay it, but never ever close to prevent it. PNAC’s long term vision for the US to be the implicit ruler of world incorporated the plan to gain control over precious oil resources, and Irak even dared to sell its oil in Euro instead of the old greenback. The invasion of Irak began in February 2003, and as this region is closer to Europe, we got a better impression of the terror and devastion this useless war has spread.

And though the reborn fundamentalist christian leader of the US declared the war to be over on the first of May, nobody cared too much. Bagdad was captured, and Saddam Hussein was caught, but the resistance against the invaders hasn’t stopped yet. Car bombs, snipers, ambushes, uncontrollable criminals, and overly nervous soldiers turn survival into a game of chance. Whoever dares to the see ugly face of war might have a look at Crisis Pictures. Have a look at the incident from the 19th January 2005, that happened in Tal Afar.

About a year after the invasion started, it became obvious that Abu Ghraib remained a place of torture and humiliation. Soldiers posed proudly with their victims, the fighters for freedom and democracy perverting these ideals. That’s not too surprising, as the US has created their own torture prison in Guantanamo Bay, outside the reach of any sort of legislation.

And now Mr. Bush Junior wants to spread his misunderstanding of freedom and democracy throughout the entire world! It seems like his Coup d’Etat was so successful that nobody seems to bother other nations to be invaded and looted from porno españa.

I’m too young to really judge how long it took the world to decide that someone belligerent like Hitler had to be stopped. It is surely a bad sign that Terrorist No 1, George W Bush, can’t even be controlled by the congress. Just another prove of the fact, that the US is a republic, but not a democracy, by its own porno españa constitution.

Hall of fame or hall of shame

I don’t know how I managed raise unwanted attention, and thus creating a strange feedback. This summer in the norther hemisphere I noticed that the first Nullinator site wasn’t accessable in some internet cafes in Germany. I don’t know how this site ended up there, and if this also implies that probably government authorities have an eye on the site as well.

As I’m playing around yet again with Antville, a very well done blogging engine, I stumbled across http://www.blogshares.com. Interested in probably some more random hits I tried to register the current Nullinator site. The reply I got was:

This URL is currently blacklisted, meaning it cannot be added to the system for active trading. The site was delisted 09:54 15 Aug 2003. If you believe this is in error, please contact us for assistance.

Even though I was silent lately (my gratulation to Mr. Bush’s reelection vanished a day before the event in a digital nirvana…) it seems like I’m propagating unwanted thoughts. So maybe I should not be too surprised that the makers of Antville never linked to my sites as well. Something in here seems not to be safe to be linked to. Strange. Are we yet in a world, where even the world wide web loses its islands of free speech? Will non system conform sites be excluded from the randomness of search engines, to make it is easier to identify the surrounding terrorist circle?

The world is still diseased with war, and it’s greedy promoters continue their bloody game of global chess. I wonder if there is any more political opposition left to the biggest threat to world peace in the 21st century – the US of A with its reborn christian fundamentalist leader.

And in order to revive the legend of POTUS, his archenemy Osama Bin Laden made a media appearance. It is somehow scary that it’s the US secret services that proof the authenticity of mysteriously appearing tapes, videos and webpages. I wonder sometimes how you can high class medical attention to treat sick kidneys yet be unseen by the watching eye of America.

1001 knights

Once upon a time, on a massive aircraft carrier, there was a man, considered to be the head of his state, dressed in an impressive uniform, smiling, confident, who had a message for his brave soldiers: Mission accomplished.

The POTUS, that’s his mystical name, was mistaken, though. The conquered people never surrendered, and day by day POTUS brave knights were slaughtered, attacked, injured, yet never seen as liberators. And it didn’t help that they themselves bombed the living shit out of entire cities, tortured happily anyone vaguely suspicious or shot into demonstrations.

The invaded people simply didn’t see POTUS great wisdom, his vision for their home country was not shared, and even though at least 5 of them died whenever they managed kill one of confederates, they didn’t cheer to the thief of their resources.

Over time, the resistance had to change its strategy. Instead of hoping that a suicide attack might find justified targets, enemies were captured to be beheaded in front of cameras. They adapted their enemies idea to use propaganda to create their desired reality. Nevertheless, so far both sides failed to provide an overall convincing performance doing this.

The POTUS didn’t like the situation too much. For one thing, it was proven that none of the reasons given to go to war was substanciated. And even though the official count of losses in the hands of his adminstrations, there was the time when more than a 1000 knights were killed. That was not good, and reminded his people of the dark times when their crusade took place in South-East Asia.

But death is none of the concern of a character like POTUS, his challenge is called reelection. The situation of his current crusade is unpleasant, yet managable by the means of propaganda. There will be some special magic involved when it comes to the reelection. But he, who is responsible for death and terror cannot live happily ever after.

The Race Debate – Part 2

Sam
Hey guys, you get discounts on groceries? My tattoo only works at restaurants. Damn the system! I’m not getting as many privileges as you! Do you see the logical fallacy? I’ll point it out: If you’re one race, then you have no idea what it’s like to be another race. If you’re white, then you have it easier. My question is this: have you ever been a white person looking for a job? How would you know if it’s any easier at all? I’m a white kid in a suburban area and I got paid less than my fellow employees at Blockbuster. It just so happened that the person who hired me was Hispanic. Did I get all up in arms about racism? No. In fact, I didn’t hear about it until much later. I was upset, yes, but I hardly blamed my problem on me being white. Why? I’m not so fucking touchy.

Kat
There are several reasons why: less experience equals less money, you suck at your job, or you could just be getting shafted.

Sam
We’re all socialized by the media these days. The media is pointing out how people are racist towards people who aren’t white. Essentially, you’re brainwashed to have this idea that you’re not as privileged as everyone else. Granted, there is some racism left. You know what? It affects whites just as much as it affects others. You have trouble getting jobs, we have trouble getting home safely.

Kat
Trouble getting home safely?? What the fuck do you mean by that?

STUPOR
Well, sure, everyone is affected by this. It’s everyone’s issue. Everyone contributes to it one way or the other.

Dan
Hell yeah. As soon as I paint that swastika on my BMW, I’ll be able to park right next to my boss, who coincidentally is white and looks just like Hitler. Did you know that running around pointing your fingers screaming about a racist conspiracy is participating in a racist activity?

STUPOR
Running around, pointing fingers is what you’ve been doing all along. I don’t think I’ve made an accusation on you yet.

Dan
I’d say in 9 cases out of 10, yes, you are creating your own problems. Just as you say I am jumping out to “defend my dominant status,” you too are jumping out to claim that I am racist based purely on the fact that I am white. You’re straying from the point when you bring up women, but I’ll address that. There are many reasons why a woman may make less for the same position that a man is employed. They may be employed at different places. Some companies can afford to pay people higher salaries. The male worker may have been there longer. You can’t expect a woman to just get there and have the same pay handed to her. The male worker may have put a lot more time and effort into his work than the woman.

STUPOR
“Some racism left” is an understatement. Your paranoia, more than anything makes me think you’re a racist. I’ve attempted to reinforce a few facts and that’s it. Also, I’m not straying when I bring up women; all these issues work together. To ignore one is to forget about the big picture. Most men are at a higher position than women simply because they are men. Have you thought of that? Therefore, women are thwarted from competing with men even before they are allowed to reach their position. We’re all entangled in this system. It’s not just based on individuals because the way this society works is like a pyramid, where the one that’s highest in the pyramid is there due to the fact that someone is below him. Therefore, all these problems are related. Your wealth depends on other people’s loss and other people’s services. It’s not just on an individual basis.

Dan
Most men are at a higher position because they’re men. Well, alright. There goes your homophobia issue if the boss is a man, ’cause that sounds a little gay to me.

STUPOR
You must be kidding me. You need to look at the bigger picture. Most of the times, it’s easy to dismiss these issues because you’re looking at them one at a time, when in fact, it’s not just a single entity, but the entire system. It’s almost like a cage..

Dan
I break it down, and focus on one issue at a time. You’re taking everything at once, so you’re missing details. It’s like this: say we both work at the post office. We both have been there since the sane day, we both make the sane pay, our boss likes us both the sane. There, so that’s not an “issue” now. I sort the letters one at a time, taking a little more consideration into which letters go where. You, on the other hand, are just throwing handfuls of letters into the sorter, not caring to put them right side up. All you care about is finishing first so you can go on your break before me.

STUPOR
Of course there are exceptions, but these are exceptions. You need to see the bigger picture.

Dan
Like I’ve said at least 5 times to you: we are not equal. I’m sorry if you have an inferiority complex, and you base the fact of such on not being white. White people have gone through the same hardships that black people have.

Kat
Please tell me you are fucking kidding.

Sam
Okay, Kat, why don’t you start naming off the trials a tribulations that black people have to go through and we’ll tell you whether or not we’ve dealt with that or it’s equivalent.

Kat
You are ridiculous. What the hell is this, an eye for an eye? Well, this black guy won’t ever stop getting harassed by white cops in that white neighborhood, but its okay, because I didn’t get to go to college that I wanted because some black kid with suckier grades got in cause he was black?

John
You’re funny.

Dan
Oh, that’s right… white people have never had to deal with a racist person, ever, except for with their drinking buddies… and that’s just not the same.

STUPOR
Remember that it’s also not just a black/white issue.

Dan
If it is not a black/white issue, what is it?

STUPOR
I said it’s not just a black/white issue.

John
In ancient Egypt, which is, if my geographical skills serve me right, in Africa, white people were enslaved.

STUPOR
There was no proof of that. And by the way, they said they were Jewish. Historically speaking, white people enslaved white people, but they were never enslaved by another race.

John
Uhm, there’s assloads of proof of that.

Shane
Jewish people were not white and Egyptians were pseudo black. It was a pseudo black race enslaving white/Arabian people. Why are all other races white when compared to black people. There was something on the news about racism, a white cop shot a black cop by accident. One problem: this evil white man was Spanish.

Sam
What do you call six bruthas riding in a benz? Grand Theft Auto! I’m actually agreeing with Shane more than I am with you, STUPOR. Trust me, that’s a very very bad thing. People here are saying black because it’s easy. Not to perpetuate some “invisible system” that limits black people in any way. If anything, saying “black” rather than “African-American” helps us break down this invisible system. These terms “African-American” and such are probably not made up by black people, but the people who are white and racist. They throw these out as tokens and keep the black people occupied. As long as they stay pissed about people not calling them “African-Americans” instead of “black,” they won’t focus their anger on something that matters.

STUPOR
Once again, I never said anything about being PC. I could care less about that. You totally lost me.

Sam
It’s like Spike Lee: That guy is not talented. He’s a token, for Hollywood to say “Look, we have a successful black director! We’re not racist!” But let’s face it: His movies are shit. In fact, the only people that go to see his movies are generally black people. That’s fine with Hollywood, because they don’t want him getting any more support other than those that share his ethnicity. If they got someone with talent, they’d probably be in trouble once people started saying he’s better than Joel Schumacher or some other very white and contrived director. It’d upset the natural order, after all. Hell, Hollywood might even come to not only respect, but rely on a black person. And that would be terrible, because we all know how unreliable black people are. Before you start bitching about racism here, that was sarcasm. Shows like “Living Single,” “Jaime Foxx,” or movies like “He Got Game,” or “Big Mamma’s House” succeed only because they’re black.

STUPOR
They also failed because they were black. What makes you think a sitcom like “Friends” is any better?

Sam
They’re aimed at an audience, and as long as that audience keeps buying into it, the audience will remain complacent. The goddamned point: If anything, the encouragement of people to acknowledge the difference between races by use of “African-American,” Black History Month, Affirmative Action, and numerous other sources does not help to extinguish racism, but perpetuate it. As long as the system throws out unimportant tokens like these, black people will be distracted enough to never claim true equality. When I’m talking about equality, I mean that we are not necessarily more or less qualified for things because of our race. Our height, weight, intelligence, and numerous other factors are not what I’m referring to. I’m aware that many many many people are not “equal.” I just wanted to say that before someone says “but we’re not equal!”

STUPOR
I agree with you about the token thing, but that is totally different from Black History Month and Affirmative Action. We’re not at the stage where minorities can all of a sudden dissolve into the mainstream culture. Thus, you need extra forces. And you wouldn’t have bitched about affirmative action if you knew that white women are the highest beneficiaries of it more than anyone else.

Shane
My white skin never helped me. I went to public school once in 12 years before college and I had a black kid beat me up, because I was white. It depends on where you are. There is a thing called racism towards white people, people just don’t understand it and deny that.

Sam
Very true: there are places where it is very Dangerous to be if you’re white. If you’re not white, you’re fine.Yes, there are those places for black people too, but they are few and far between.

STUPOR
I don’t know why I even tried. You deliberately refuse to see it through a different perspective.

Shane
I will be back in a second STUPOR. I need to go see if my hood and cloak are done yet, I’ve got a big KKK meeting to get too. It’s so hard to get stains out of white, we should change the colours of the outfit.

STUPOR
Very funny, but you guys still cease to adhere to the fact that as white men you are more privileged than others. I don’t know why you can’t admit that and try to see it from a different perspective. Also, your attempt to shed some humor into me is ridiculous because what you consider to be humorous is a one-sided, narrow-minded way of trying to get me to side with your views. Whenever you’re stuck, you do the KKK thing on me. I don’t think the issues we’ve talked about are something to laugh off and forget about; not in the context in which we are discoursing at the moment.

Shane
I’m so sorry, but my family has never been well off, and my grandfather remembers being Irish in the early 1900’s. I don’t see any signs that read no blacks need apply today, but there were signs that said Irish need not apply back then. Also the KKK hate Catholic and Irish people anyway. Middle America hates Catholics and Irish people too. How many Catholic presidents have there been? Not too many I know. JFK was one. There might be one more. I don’t see this white thing helping me too much, I also have a friend going to a 30,000 dollar school for free because he was black. I had better grades and a better SAT then he did. He does know he got it because he was black. If you can get it, go for it, but I go to a 5000 a year school and pay for a lot of it myself. Who’s better off?

Kat
Are you for real? I’m sure he’s getting 30,000 for school for more reasons than just being black… I don’t agree with affirmative action, but I know it’s not that unfair.

STUPOR
There’s nothing unfair about it. If you didn’t know, whites females benefit more from it. Minorities need that push from affirmative action because they are oppressed. Are you saying that what has rightfully and historically been yours has been stolen from you? Oppression is not a dirty word. I just want you to accept that it’s here all around us. And how many times have we had a female president or a non-white president?

The Race Debate – Part 1

Note: This was an actual debate, transcribed by me. A lot of truth was manifested in this debate due to the fact that most of our participants never held back their views. Everyone’s names have been changed. I’m under my pen-name, STUPOR, once again. Remember to read this with an open-mind because it is vital to the understanding of these issues as a whole, and I emphasize the word whole.

Dan
Quit saying African-American. Fuck, I hate politically correct people.

Tom
Thank you.

STUPOR (ME)
Too much white pride here? (Regarding the previous conversation unwritten here)

Tom
It has nothing to do with pride. Do we call white people European Americans? If you’re born here you’re a fucking American. Black, white, yellow, whatever….

Dan
Exactly my point. Exactly.

STUPOR
But do you really think there is such thing as an American?

Tom
Why yes, yes I do.

STUPOR
Let me put it in another way…do you think we’re all equal in America?

Dan
Obviously this is America, and if we’re born here, we’re American.

STUPOR
I know what you mean, but you can’t deny the fact that there are class distinctions topped with a little bit of white pride and it’s sure coming off well here. Everyone wants to hide the fact that we’re living in a racist society. Everyone wants to ignore class distinctions in America. I just want to put this to your attention. All this ignorance is just an invisible system of keeping the poor poorer and the rich richer. Race ties into this and it’s by way of invisible systems.

Dan
It matters where our descendents come from, but it does not make us European or African, or some ridiculous continent hybrid. “Hi, I’m an Austral-Eurasian-African-American.”

Tom
Assigning minorities names based on ancestral origin just for political sake broadens the gap even further as far as I’m concerned. And yes, if you’re born in America, why wouldn’t you be equal as anyone else? And I’m not referring to socio-economic status. If you’re born on this mound of dirt called America, you’re an American. People always have to make a political jargon out of everything.

John
Ah yes, one of my favorite George Carlinisms.

Pat
Black people don’t have computers… retard!

STUPOR
Oh boy…this is what I mean when I say white pride…

John
You are so dumb.

John
In case you’re wondering, I say this all the time. And yes, in case you’re wondering, I do have black friends.

STUPOR
Do you want a medal for that?

John
The reason you’re dumb is because you fail to see that someone saying “black people don’t own computers” is mocking racism. If you find it so offensive, you must believe it to be true. I find it absolutely absurd, which is why it’s funny.

Tom
Exactly. Quit trying to make this into a pride/prejudice thing.

STUPOR
Tell your black friends what you said right now. I’m sure you couldn’t.

John
I do every single day. They laugh their asses off.

Tom
We all know there are class distinctions; you don’t have to remind us. Also, quit equating the dismissal of political correctness to racism. It’s annoying and inaccurate. Some of us just like to keep it simple, okay? People seem to think that calling someone “black” has gained an infinitely pejorative meaning. The act of having to constantly remind ourselves of this, by having to go to such lengths as assigning minorities with names like blank Americans, seems to perpetuate the whole thing.

STUPOR
When did I say anything about political correctness and what not? I don’t care much about it either. You guys are getting way too nervous and defensive.

John
Um, not really. I don’t think we’re fumbling at all. On the contrary, I think that would be you.

Tom
What started out as a discussion on the legitimacy of PC turned to race and class because of you. You linked the two, so that’s why I said it was annoying.

STUPOR
Why is it wrong to talk about it or talk about it in a manner in which you’ve never heard of before?

Dan
You’re damn right I’m proud of my race. I’m glad to be me. But, there’s an even bigger race, and that’s called humanity. We are living in a racist society, because people seem to think that everything must equal out. Some Africans sold some of their people to Americans and Europeans decades ago, so now we’ve got black history month because it’s “the right thing to do.” There are rich white people just as there are rich black people. There are poor white people just as there are poor black people. Some people just want to work more, while some people inherit their riches. We shouldn’t try and make everything equal… this isn’t Russia, you know. If you like being in a place where you’re equal to everyone else, then by all means feel free to move to a communist country.

STUPOR
You don’t get everything by working hard. You can work as hard as you can, but you may not have the same opportunities. As I said before, life is not what you make it. It’s exactly the opposite. Some are born into this world with limitations. Due to the fact that I am who I am, I will probably not make it as far as one that might be part of the dominant class. And about equality, of course we’re all equal in the sense that we’re all human…but not structurally or socio-economically among other things. And what’s wrong with communism? The people who look down upon it are more or less advocating right wing conservatism.

Dan
If you would have heard everything I said, you would have noticed that I said some people have things just handed to them. There are limitations, but an even more common situation is someone telling themselves that they can only do so much. That’s a sure-fire way to not succeed.

John
He’s a faggot.

STUPOR
Homophobia is another aspect of this. By the way, your so called ‘mockery’ of the whole situation is a mockery in itself. I’m not going to blatantly say ‘faggot’ to prove manliness.

Dan
Sounds to me like you’re racist.

John
You’re calling me a homophobe? Oh, that’s a good one. You’re calling me, a guy who had a crush on his best friend, a homophobe? STUPOR, why don’t you practice what you preach by refraining from making generalizations about homophobes, skinheads and white people with tattoos. You look like an idiot.

STUPOR
I think all of you guys are having a hard time accepting what I am saying because a lot of it goes unsaid. Maybe this topic is making you nervous, but all the while, you guys continue to make racial jokes and you get fed up..

Dan
Well, from what I’ve heard so far, the only one having a hard time accepting anything is you. We’re not equal. I don’t know where you’re getting the nervous part from… perhaps because you’re feeling a bit of nervousness yourself?

STUPOR
Don’t tell me about oppression, I live it. And I never said we were equal. If you finished hearing everything I said, I specifically said there are invisible systems that limit people due to race and gender. Doesn’t sound like equality to me.

Dan
The only one holding you down is yourself. If you believe in some bullshit conspiracy theory and being held back, you’re just using it for an excuse.

STUPOR
This is not an excuse. You would like to say that we are causing our own problems. Your denial of this matter is only your way of trying to clench on to your dominant status. Any challenge made to that, you tend to jump at. Does it ever occur to you that due to the qualities attached to females, they are paid lower for equal work. The qualities that pertain to women are considered something natural and therefore unskilled. This applies to race as well in many aspects.

Tom
You’re marching to the beat of a different drummer.

Dan
That’s a racist remark son.

Shane
I live in a city that is 60 percent Hispanic and I am white. If anything I am the minority here. I have a lot of friends who are not the same race as I am, and most of them agree that they should not be treated differently. As for racial jokes most of the jokes seemed to be aimed at people who are racist, not at the actual person. Get your head out of your porno italiano ass.

John
Precisely. Racial jokes aren’t directed towards the minority, but towards the people who really are racist.

STUPOR
That’s an interesting take, but there’s also a double standard when you infer that I am a racist. Does it ever occur to you that just by mouthing those words, or even accepting them and laughing at them, you are participating in a racist activity?

John
I’ve come to the conclusion that you are a fucking idiot.

STUPOR
And none of this still changes the fact that your white skin grants you privileges. Just accept it, that’s all I’m asking. By denying your own privileges, you’re ignoring it. You’re striving to sustain your dominant role in the society because you’re afraid your power is being challenged or threatened.

Kat
I do agree with this statement. Its easy for a white person to say that the color of their skin grants them no privileges, but you’ve never been a black man driving through a white suburban town or a Hispanic woman trying to find a high paying job, or at least a job that won’t pay her less because of her gender or ethnicity.

Dan
Just as much, have there ever been a white person driving through a black neighborhood at night?

Kat
I’m a white girl who lives in a ghetto neighborhood, predominantly populated by Puerto Ricans. Do some of ’em hate me because I am white? Yes. Did I say that racism doesn’t work both ways? No. Might some of them dislike me because I went to a better high school, better college than them? Sure, why not. I don’t know why they dislike me. I don’t care. Its easy to gang up on me when there’s a large group of you versus a single one of me.

Dan
If you do not care why those people hate you, why are you taking the time to care about other things that are being said here?

Kat
Because I find it interesting. I’ve never debated with people who have held your point of view, and the best way to try and see where you are coming from is to debate, no? Although this is a crappy debate because a lot of what I say gets messed up, it’s better than nothing I suppose.

Dan
The claim that Hispanic women won’t find a high-paying job is a bit ridiculous. My girlfriend’s mother has been denied a few jobs just because she can’t speak Spanish. She can’t speak Spanish! In America! And she can’t get some jobs!

Kat
Does the job require her speaking Spanish? Maybe your girlfriend’s mother should learn it? I have; not so hard.

Dan
What you don’t seem to understand is that her mother would not be able to learn Spanish and work full time all at once.

Kat
Well, because that point wasn’t brought up originally, you just said she didn’t get the job because she doesn’t speak Spanish. It’s a bit biased to say that, but whatever, its a whole different argument.

Dan
She would need a job that pays enough for her to pay the rent, the bills, and for food and clothing. Then she would have to spend her time and money learning a language that she should not have to. This is America.

Kat
I’m aware, but thanks.

Dan
In case you didn’t notice, which you obviously haven’t due to your responses, we speak English in America, not Spanish.

Kat
Ahh, English, I know it well.

Dan
It’s funny that you can live here in America, not speak a lick of English, and expect to be catered to fully; while those of us who have lived here our whole lives are forced to adapt.

STUPOR
As you said, this is America. It’s diverse. Learn to cope.

Kat
I never said that. I happen to agree that you should speak English if you live here. But face it, America is a country made up of nothing but immigrants, and most of ’em ain’t coming over from the UK. It has to bend both ways…. people have to learn how to speak English, obviously, but we have to bend a little to what is happening in our country and the fact is that there are a lot of Spanish speaking people living here. In NYC alone, there are more Puerto Ricans here than there are on the actual island. Regardless, I don’t believe that Spanish should be made a second language of the states, but… it wouldn’t kill anyone to learn some new languages. But that’s more a fault of the school systems, etc, etc, and how Americans are just dumb compared to many other countries in the world.

Dan
Everyone wants to make it seem like the world is so against anyone who is not white.

Kat
Are you black? No? Then you don’t know what its like to be black. Do you have cancer? Have you? No? then you don’t know what it’s like to be a person who has cancer. Not a general statement, I don’t think. A general statement would be ‘all Puerto Ricans can’t speak English well.’

Dan
So how the hell do you know what it’s like to be black if you’re white? And yes, the statements you’re making are generalizations, regardless if you’re too stupid to understand the fact.

Kat
Um, enlighten me as to why. And I’ve managed to not resort to name calling, why can’t you? People seem to take debates way too seriously. I’m not making any personal attacks on you, I’ve actually found your comments here pretty amusing. So, if you feel like I’m attacking you, don’t, cause I’m not. We’re just arguing. So please don’t take cheap knocks at my intelligence.

Dan
It’s a fucking cop out.

Kat
And it’s real easy to say it’s a cop out, which would be a cop out in itself, no?

Dan
This goes to prove that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Don’t jump into the middle of a conversation when you can’t hold your own. It’s like the kids who say “you’re an idiot” “no you are” “no, you are!” “you are!”

Kat
Uh, okay? Whatever, it’s like damn impossible to retain any intelligence levels on any debates here. In today’s society, you can’t make a general statement concerning what things must be like for other races simply because you are only the race you are. If you’re white, you can’t imagine what its like to be black. I don’t mean there are grave differences in the person themselves, but there are serious differences when you take in to account what other people think of the color of your skin. Unfortunately, today, if you are born white, you’re one step ahead. And to think that you’re not is being ignorant. I’m not saying its right, I’m saying that’s how it is.

STUPOR
That’s what I’ve been trying to say all along.

Dan
Hey, yeah, now that I think about it… I have this tattoo on my neck that when scanned at the grocery store, I get a 10% discount, excluding milk, alcohol and tobacco of course. Why do I have this tattoo? Because I’m white.

STUPOR
Precisely. You have an invisible set of privileges due to your skin. Don’t deny it, just acknowledge it. That’s all I’m asking for and then maybe we can proceed to higher levels of understanding.

Nation-Race Personalities Compared to Stages of Growth from Childhood to Adulthood

I personally believe there is a tremendous amount to be gained by such a discussion as the distinctions of strengths, weaknesses, differences between the different nations and races of the earth.  Getting to know them is like getting to know one another.  It is not to become separate but to grow together.  It is not to build barriers but to remove them.  It is like courtship, not divorce.
Love comes not just from knowing the good things about one another, but in being aware of the ugly too and loving anyway.  That is a solid love, with nothing to hide.  It enables the blessed nakedness that marriage symbolizes.
I say that such a discussion could be wonderful.

I would begin by pointing out what is probably the biggest difference, the primary dividing line of individuality, and that would be the broad generality of East versus West.  East represents mystical, intuitive, whereas West represents analytical, cognitive.  Right brain and left brain, male and female.
Yet in drawing that distinction, I think immediately of the Native Americans who fit much more into the “East” description with their intuitive connection with things spiritual and their profound reverence for all living creatures.  Could we say that this “East vs. West” distinction could also be demarcated by “Colored vs. White”?

It seems to me that despite national boundaries, people of color seem to be more right-brained than those of a Caucasian complexion.  So perhaps the primary distinction is not between East and West, but is superseded by the more encompassing colored and white distinction.
In making such a distinction, I must say that my love for people of color increases even more because of my reverence and sense of value for the intuitive nature, which I find difficult to foster in myself.  It’s like the husband who venerates his wife for her unique qualities which synergize with his in a yin/yang manner.

Another broad brush stroke, but substantially more specific than the first one just discussed, is the Mideastern nations and races.  I’m thinking of the Arab people and those in India, as well as the Jewish people who stem from and headquarter in that region.  It seems to me that they have an extreme male dominance complex, which suppresses women and shuns their equality — not in a sense of sameness, but of value.  Religiously, they are way back in the law of Moses, with a rigid legality that does not have much room for grace.  Their strength, be it noted, is in their piety toward God and their congeniality toward one another.  It seems they have very strong family unity and deep traditions that tie generations together.

The Negro races of Africa provide another broad brush of characterization, which like with any other generality is certainly to find exceptions at every turn in the individuals who make up those nations.
To me, they seem very child-like and innocent.  Pre-Law of Moses legality as described for the previous characterization.  They are extremely loving and trusting, yet at the same time their lack of interest in things intellectual opens them to exploitation on every hand by scheming dictators, who rape the land and the people in a continual scene of discontent; while if given to benevolent leadership they would probably be among the most delightful places on earth.  Like young children, they would do great under the supervision of loving and understanding parents, but may easily fly into contention when left without that loving supervision.  As a people, they seem to excel in love of music, rhythm, dancing, and physical agility — just as a child who is so limber and who so freely sings or dances without inhibition.

In the spirit of “except ye become as a child, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” these people provide us with an outstanding example to follow.
Latin America provides us with yet another opportunity to consider a broad brush description of unique characteristics of an entire people generally speaking, though again, within that culture exceptions are going to run the entire gamut.
In the chronology of a person from birth to adulthood, as I placed the African people in the early childhood stage of innocence and vital love for life, and the Mideast peoples perhaps more in a late childhood, early adolescence stage where rules and guidelines are the schoolmaster; I would place the Latinos in between these two stages, say at middle childhood.  They are not quite as innocent as the African peoples, but they are not as rigid in rules as the Mideastern peoples.  They are developing an understanding of the need for rules and discipline, but still have the innocence of childhood so as to be able to enjoy the zest of life.

In pondering who the late childhood, early teens in this analogy of the peoples of the earth in different stages of growth would be, the Asian cultures come to mind.  They are still comfortable in a rigidity of rules and structure, but there is a beginning of toying with independent thinking and a tiny dabbling in the exploration of defiance.  They are more comfortable and compatible with the tyranny that rules over them than most any other people of the earth, though they would thrive far more under the loving hand of a free government capable of exerting a firm love without stifling the free spirit.  Japan is much closer in manifesting such a climate than China, though Korea probably excels beyond them all in this ideal, which is manifest in the turbulent history they have exhibited in the last century as they have thrown off the various tyrannies that have attempted to control them, from China, then from Japan, then from Russia.

In pondering the next stage of teen years, continuing with this metaphor, I think of the Asian/Caucasian peoples of the “former” Soviet Republics, who are yet in the bondage of the law, but are more apt to exert their independence and defiance, and who thus receive a heavy hand of oppression to keep them in line.  They, more than the Asian countries, would benefit from a loving firmness more than the brutality to which they are subjected, though their defiant spirit has a love/hate collusional relationship with that brutality and thus helps to perpetuate it.

As for a late teens, young adult phase in this analogy, I think of the European peoples.  They have exerted their independence, left the protective care of dictatorial parents, and have achieved a significant degree of freedom, though they are yet in a rebellious phase to a certain extent, rivaling in their “liberties,” and thus delving into various excesses.  Their challenge is to learn the need to put off their natural man and to receive a new heart through the baptism of the Spirit, so that the body might come into subjection of the Spirit of God, rather than being the master of the passions.

The final stage of development I see, using this metaphor, is early young adulthood.   The nations or peoples I see in this phase are the Americans as well as the Canadians to a lesser extent.  They exerted their independence earlier than the Europeans, and have excelled in indulging in their liberties even more than the Europeans.  And as a corollary, they are more ripe for a baptism of fire as they are coming to their senses and realizing the need for a transformation in their life.

That then brings us to a prophetic statement as to what is in store next.
Having established this comparison between growing from childhood into young adulthood, I would now like to introduce another corollary metaphor — that of entering into marriage, at which stage one has now arrived at full adulthood and is ready to propagate their own offspring.
The husband in this case is the kingdom of heaven, and the bride is the kingdom of God which will be established on earth — which is just around the corner in becoming a reality.
We are in the stage of preparing for that wedding.  And the current suitor, even the kingdom of Babylon, who stakes its claim on the bride, will not give up without a fight.  But the mighty change that will come upon the people who come forth with a broken heart and contrite spirit, will free them from the chains of their former lover, their carnal master.
The remnant who come out of Babylon, especially of America, but also from all nations of the earth, will establish that kingdom of God on earth, creating this purified bride, with which the kingdom of heaven will then unite in marriage.
This united husband and wife will then reign with benevolence over all the earth, administering to the various peoples of the earth what is best suited to their needs, their strengths, their weaknesses.

All the peoples of the earth will become united as one body, each contributing to the whole in a marvelous symphony which will be called Zion.
I don’t get tears much anymore because I am so used to learning wonderful things, both from my personal studies as well as from what others impart, but I have tears in my eyes now, and a lump in my throat as I ponder on the beauty of this revelation.
So as we anticipate this wedding, with all the jitters and all the distractions, perhaps this analogy can help us put things in their proper perspective.
That our hearts be inclined to God and the pending wedding that awaits us is my humble prayer which I offer in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.  Amen.

Sterling D. Allan

I fully recognize the fact that in today’s modern ‘PC’ environment, discussion of the nations/races is a charged topic, even more so than gender discussions. However, differences DO exist and should be understood, I believe.
My kids, going now to public schools, (we couldn’t afford private anymore and my wife couldn’t keep up with home schooling again at this point in time) think that I am racist because I don’t think it’s wise to intermarry–it brings a lot of baggage IMO.  My quick reply is that I didn’t create the peoples of the earth, God did.  And so there must be some cosmic reason and purpose behind this reality.  I say to them then that God must be racist to have created them yet they/we are ALL His children.  It’s no small secret to any scripture reader that God has commanded the peoples of the earth to remain (for the most part) distinct in their identities.  Why?
If however this topic is TOO hot for the folks in this forum or its moderator, just let me know and I’ll move on to other subjects.  Perhaps there is nothing to be gained here….or is there?