r8rfan121

[quote name='Remy' date='Nov 20 2009, 07:43 PM' post='430444'] Posting in this thread way late to say that race is a made-up concept. It was invented long ago to divide the poor class, to make the poor white people think that they were more like the rich white people than they were like the poor black people. But the truth is theres no difference between us aside from the obvious (skin color) other than that, a white man is no more different from a black person than he is another white person. And the reason we have things like Affirmative Action is to even things out. We all have different starting lines, and back when the first suburbs were being created, blacks weren't allowed to own homes; they had to rent. Then once they finally were allowed to purchase homes the simple fact that they were moving in lowered the overall value of the entire neighborhoods (which is why we had white flight, white people could either take the money and run or stay in their neighborhood and watch the value of their homes degrade) So then instead of passing on wealth from generation to generation like white people, they were instead passing on debt... thats where we have the different starting lines, and why typical black neighborhoods are very poor and 'ghetto'.' I think that's horseshit, because it seems to me too many people use the fact they have "different starting point" as a damn excuse for the way they act. The way I see it, I've met African-Americans who were born in the "ghetto", worked hard, and got out, and then I see that persons cousin, who grew up across the street from him, and now does nothing but drink and use drugs and uses money from his welfare check to do so. that also seems to be the guy with 7 kids from 6 women Everybody needs to man up, wash the sand out of their vagina, and take responsibility for they're own damn actions. I'm sick of hearing horseshit excuses about why they are the way they are. If you work hard and keep your sights set on something, you'll achieve it. Fuck.

sons of anarchy, the league, its always sunny in Philadelphia, south park, family guy, gangland, lock 'n load with gunny earney, and occasionally mythbusters. And black donnelly's, just wished it was still on t.v. Anybody else pumped for tomorrow nights sons of anarchy?

what if its just getting harsh at the end of your session? that always happens to me and i just assume that means the shisha is done. *I'm not trying to thread hack lilmopho, feel free the delete this post if i am, just trying to figure out a similar problem i've been having*

QUOTE (FSUReligionMan @ Nov 7 2009, 12:58 AM) http://www.givesmehope.com/ is the best one IMO, optimism ftw Wow, It takes alot to move me, and that site did it. Thank you for sharing that site, i never would have known about it. Some of those are truly inspirational.

LOL, I've thought about that too, or if there was a white history month, lol. I must say tho, spike tv is finally a counter to lifetime, which is great where i'm from because lifetime is 28 and spike is 29

QUOTE (NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD @ Nov 7 2009, 02:48 PM) would anyone here say its wrong and racial to judge there opinion on someone by how they dress and represent themselves? I don't think anybody on THIS forum would say that, but i guarantee you that the rev. Jesse Jackson would, as would the NAACP and BET, just about any college professor who teaches black studies classes and several other left wing folks I know of. and thats the issue, because these yahoo's influence government, laws, and politics. They convince us of this horseshit. I know my posts on this thread have turned a little bit more rant-like, but its because i'm sick of this bullshit.

QUOTE (Arcane @ Nov 3 2009, 04:33 PM) r8, i don't think you're actually talking about racism in your original example. what you are doing is pre-judging (prejudice) that person based on appearance. i think a lot of people get racism, prejudice and stereotyping confused.... i know my appearance doesn't always match my personality...i mean, i think if half the people on these forums that "know" me...saw me in person, they wouldn't think i was the same person. i make it a point not to judge people by appearance...its not until you open your mouth or do something stupid/intelligent that i start to form my opinions about you. You are absolutely right. It is actually pre-judging i'm talking about, but the problem is, that pre-judging often goes with stereotypes based on race, i.e A black guy with a doo rag and sagging pants, and a giant fake earing, trying to rap and act like a thug, but the second you treat him as a thug, its racism. And because these all mix together, people just instantly jump on the racism card, and That's the problem I have.

I'm glad i'm not the only one addicted to this damn forum, i check this and facebook way too often

Holy shit, the people in both video's need to be punched right in the ovaries

QUOTE (NIGHTS OF BAGHDAD @ Nov 2 2009, 01:28 PM) QUOTE (FSUReligionMan @ Nov 2 2009, 03:14 PM) I got denied a scholarship because I was white and the other person was black, yet my GPA was .8 higher, my GRE score was 450 points higher, and I actually completed the courses they said were required, he was missing two, but they gave it to him because they wanted to show "diversity in their award." I'm all for diversity, but when one person was clearly more qualified and the other didn't make the so called requirements, fuck that. damn thats fucked up..i guarantee you if that happened to anyone else other then white there would be picketing and it be all over the news and on larry king live..certain races of people seem to have less rights has life goes on..where is the equality The equality was thrown out the window in our search for it. It went from equality for all to minority superiority. It's the same thing with official government documents being printed in spanish. We have never done this for any other group of people coming here. The irish, italians, czech, germans, or any other group. We never adopted their language but now we're racist if we don't because it doesnt provide latino's an even playing field. But what it's doing is forcing everyone else to learn their language or that person will be the one out of a job.

I have the exact opposite problem. When I don't smoke hookah, I have really fucked up dreams, all sorts of crazy shit happens in them. But when I do smoke, I either don't remember the dreams or they arent bad at all. Or it may not have anything to do with hookah, but I started smoking heavily like 3 weeks ago and for a month before that I was having really bad dreams, so I'm just thinking the hookah may have some part in it.

QUOTE (BohoWildChild @ Nov 1 2009, 05:41 PM) Affirmative Action was always an uncomfortable subject for me. There was a time in our history when it was necessary in order to to enforce desegration in the workplace and university. My last long time employer, for example, was clear in that he preferred a certain race and he certainly didn't like women in any position above clerical. It's unlikely he would have hired mnorities or women were it not for Affirmative Action so it did serve it's purpose - at the time. However it was always intended to be eliminated when it became nothing more than a legacy. Many protested that it was eliminated too soon, but I don't think that was the case. I would think it should have been eliminated as it was before it became completely redundant. Otherwise how would a minority candidate ever know for certain that they'd received the job based on merit rather than some quota? Those born after the civil rights movement and the death of Affirmative Action will I think be more likely to be nondiscriminatory because those events will no longer be a part of their internal unconscious. Yet we still have class standards haunting us. We assume the way someone dresses, or acts when out in public is the whole of who they are, and that's not necessarily the case. If you see a middle aged man skipping down the street in Small Town America wearing angel wings and carrying a fairy wand tapping people on the head as he passes them, most would assume he's crazy and watch him carefully for violent action. In Hollywood he's assumed to be a performance artist or bohemian. I have a friend many people think is oh so strange because of the way he dresses and how he seems very shady in his interaction with others. He has a mild form of autism and his affect is due entirely to his autism. So I think the answer is for all of us to observe (not watch like a beat cop with his hand on his gun) without judgement and maybe we all learn something. However, whether we're ready for that or not in our society is another debatable point considering actions around the country and across the world. Maybe it's going to take at least another hundred years before we can observe without jumping to judgement and leaping to the conclusion that we're about to be the victim of anyone who's not exactly like us. 'Rani I agree with you that at the time it was first started, it was essential. But I think the negative standard it has set will live for a while. And when I say negative I'm talking about the way it has almost just switched racism and/or sexism around, so that it is more accepting to decline a white male a job for a minority employee, and the employer will not have to worry about being sued and being accused of being a racist or a sexist. I also believe that it will take many generations before we see this issue clear up, because even people in my generation, (i'm about to turn 20) still see issues as easily being turned racist/sexist. And as far as judging people upon meeting them, I'm afraid thats just part of human nature, and the unfortunate events that have happened to our nation, and to our society, will only make it worse.But I'm kind of mixed on the issue. When we try to figure out the links between criminals and potential criminals, it does a lot of harm for the innocent people that aren't like that. For instance, we look at the shooters of tragedy's like columbine, v-tech, von maur, and many others like it, it helps us figure out who is more likely to do that, but it also drives a wedge between people who are loners and depressed and the rest of society. And the reason I'm split on this is because, I don't like seeing innocent people getting hurt, whether it be the innocent people like your friend, who are harmless but happen to fall under the same qualifications as other people who have done things, or the innocent people that have been harmed by those that "slipped through the cracks" and ended up hurting people. I see criminal profiling being essential in the protection of our daily lives, and in individual people being able to spot a potential criminal. Maybe we as a society need to become less sensitive. I'm in the marine corp reserves and went through boot camp last winter. I look at the experiences i had there and the ones had by marines in the "old corp". boot camp wasn't a walk in the park, by any means, but it wasn't the same as it had been in the old days, it's become softer and gentler. And i see that happening in our society as a whole. Between poliitical correctness and our fear of offending someone. We've become ready to sue at the slightest thing and are willing to complain if things aren't exactly as we think they should be. I believe that our society has come a long way, and that to a certain extent, its great. But on the other hand, it's bad. That's the exact reason why we have politicians that think they can tell us how to live, where to smoke, and what to eat. We need to find a balance, a middle ground between the blunt reality of our past and the overly sensitive way's of today. Ryno- I've been searching for a phrase to describe this for a while, and still can not come up with one, but i'm glad that i'm not alone in my beliefs And Rani- This thread was meant to stray away from just the stuff I first posted. Because all of these issues cannot be solved on their own, In order for us to understand the problem and change it, we must look at all the issues that accompany it. If by the time this thread die's, we are talking about abortion or gun rights or even whether or not t.v is evil, as long as people have thought about these things, and looked deeper at the issues and our society as a whole, and figured out for themselves, or at least thought about it, then I will feel like I've accomplished something, because its exactly like what you said on your thread, "Everything we say, someone hears. Everything we write, someone reads. Everything we do somehow changes some portion of the world whether the tiny piece in our immediate vicinity or the greater world at large. It's important we recognize the power of our words and make the conscious choice to change the world in a positive way". I just hope that this thread, does that, and even if it doesn't, I'll be able to sleep easier tonight knowing that I tried, even if it was to a group of strangers on a hookah forum, I'll know that I said what I believed needed to be said. And I encourage this entire forum to try the same, to voice their opinion of an issue that affects our nation to people so that maybe it will land on the ear's of our lawmakers and polititcians, so that we might be able to advance our nation. And btw, all of these issues get me passionate, so I understand your passion, and I as well have a hard time keeping quite about it, I only wish I could have radio talk show, then maybe I could be the next Limbaugh

Hey everyone, First off, before you get reading, I want to make clear I am not a racist, in any way, shape or form. But I think "racism" is often mistaken. I'm not sure of the right wording for what i am thinking of, but it comes down to how somebody presents themself. For instance, If I were a store owner, and an African American came in wearing slacks and a button up shirt that fit, and right behind him came in a cacausian of the same age, but wearing sagging pants and overly sized shirt, I would keep an eye on the caucasian person because they looked more shady. But if the they switched dress and I were to watch the African American, i'd be considered a racist or be accused of racial profiling. I think America needs to understand, that the way you present yourself is going to be the way people look at you. I guess I just don't understand how so many people immediately jump to racism as the prime motive without looking at any other factors. I am not saying racism is not still around, i'm not ignorant enough to truly believe that, But i do believe that it may not be as evident as everyone thinks it is. Now having had said that, I do believe that in our quest to eliminate racism, that we've created racist laws or precedents. As is the case with Affirmative Action. If at any time, anything is judged by race, is that not racism? If an african american is hired because the agency or corporation that is hiring them needs minorities, isn't that a form of racism? Especially when there is somebody more qualified. I believe this not only goes for racism, but also for sexism. If a woman is chosen based on the fact they are a woman is that not sexist, isn't that the very thing we were trying to eliminate?` I just think that if we want a truly equal playing field for all people, we need to eliminate things like affirmative action, and colleges need to get rid of scholarships based solely on race, sex, sexual orientation, or any other factor that eliminates people that cannot change. This is just my short little thought after reading Rani's post. Please share with me you thoughts on this and provide reasons as too why

I feel gay just because i read this thread, although i must say i kinda want to see the final product, and it will be a good gag gift, however. *Backing out of thread*

Think about this, the "assault weapons" ban that went into effect in 1994 lasted ten years, finally becoming defunct in 2004. which outlawed, "Semi-automatic rifles able to accept detachable magazines and two or more of the following: Folding or telescoping stock Pistol grip Bayonet mount Flash suppressor, or threaded barrel designed to accommodate one Grenade launcher (more precisely, a muzzle device which enables the launching or firing of rifle grenades) Semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines and two or more of the following: Magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip Threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor Barrel shroud that can be used as a hand-hold Unloaded weight of 50 oz (1.4 kg) or more A semi-automatic version of an automatic firearm Semi-automatic shotguns with two or more of the following: Folding or telescoping stock Pistol grip Fixed capacity of more than 5 rounds Detachable magazine". But look at the columbine shooting, which happened in 1999, right in the middle of this ban, the killers used several weapons which were supposedly banned. Banning firearms won't do shit, all it will do is take firearms away from law abiding citizens, not from criminals, it didn't help then and won't help now. Plus several states have concealed carry permits available. But here in Nebraska, a ccw permit holder can't carry there firearms into places that post a sign saying not to. as was the case in the Von Maur shooting. Unfortunately for everybody involved, there was one citizen who had just gotten his permit, he had gone to the store to get a christmas gift for his wife. He saw the sign and left his pistol in his truck. He was on the third floor when robert hawkins, the shooter, came out of the elevator with an AK-47. He was 20 yards away with a perfect side profile view of the shooter as the shooter opened fire. Due to this law the law abiding citizen was left helpless. He had to run for his life as 8 other lives were taken. I'm not saying for sure he could have taken out the shooter, I am saying there is a very good possibility that he could have ended it. Unfortunately our lawmakers here in Nebraska, especially Ernie Chambers (the idiot that tried to re-segegrate our school systems here and sued god), have to accept a certain amount of responsibility. They kept that possibility from happening, because they're too afraid of law abiding citizens having firearms on them. Last time I checked, criminals don't care about laws, if they want to get an illegal gun, they'll get one, if they want to kill people in a mall, they'll do it. Laws don't always protect citizens, sometimes they harm us. I hope it never comes to the day i have to choose between protecting myself and my family or becoming a criminal. I do hope the day comes that politicians will realize our rights as Americans can't be overridden because of bullshit excuses, whether that right be firearms, hunting, fishing, or smoking. Just remember, when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.