Why the claim "Racism exists in Detroit" is absurd

[Aaron Brown]

As if god herself sent me material for the essay I'm writing on the non-existence of racism in detroit:

I began thinking, "how would I prove there's no racism?" Alternatively, I thought, "How do I prove the claim's of racism are stupid?" So I set out to see how many power positions in my nearest metro area (Detroit, Mi) was held by black people. This would be a beginning in answer the latter. If there are some powerful blacks in public positions, that would prove some claims of racism in detroit are wrong. Specifically, the claim that "blacks are held down by the MAN."

Oddly, today's paper gave me a helping hand.



A black man named William Overton
Directory ofMichigan Department of Corrections

A black woman named Carol Jenifer
Interim director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in Detroit

A black man named Jerry Oliver
Detroit police chief

A black man named Warren Evans
Wayne County sheriff

A black man named Anthony Triplett
Head of the U.S. Secret Service in Detroit

A black man named Robert Grubbs
U.S. marshal for the eastern district of Michigan

A black man named Kwame Kenyatta
Mayor of Detroit

Below are some black Michigan State Representatives for Wayne County District of Detroit
(11 of 23 reps are black):
Kenneth Daniels--Insurance,Energy and Technology

Artina Tinsley Hardman--Family and Children,Services,Health Policy,Local Government and Urban Policy

Mary Waters--Commerce
Energy and Technology

Bill McConico--Commerce,Energy and Technology

Marsha Cheeks--Appropriations

Virgil Smith--Education,Higher Education,Judiciary

Alma Stallworth--Energy and Technology,Senior Health, Security and Retirement,Great Lakes and Tourism

Tupac Hunter--Appropriations

Triette Reeves--Appropriations

Morris Hood III--House Television and Oversight,Insurance,Criminal Justice,Higher Education

Michigan State Senators (same area)

Thomas III, Samuel Buzz

Scott, Martha G.

Hardiman, Bill

Clark-Coleman, Irma

Michigan Supreme Court Judge
Justice Robert P. Young, Jr.


I could go on. Instead, I'll mention my discussion with CYA in another thread compelled me to gather evidence supporting my position that racism against blacks is all but non-existent. When I began writing the outline to my essay on the topic, I was stunned at the evidence I found. Of which, I've shared a portion with you.

The reason I've shared it is to empower whoever might read this, and later enter a discussion on the matter (especially with someone contending they are a have-not because of racism). One of my sincere beliefs is that when facts are scruntinize, both sides of an argument are better off than when they are ignored by either or both sides.

Detroit Michigan, is a black run city. Period. If racism against blacks exists in michigan, it exists at the fault of its black leaders.

<font color="#6699ff" size="1">[ June 28, 2003 08:39 PM: Message edited by: Omar de Fati ]</font>

[zelazny]

Thanks for the info, i guess.

[Cyalaytr]

Good post...

I mean it is one of those things like crying wolf. I mean heaven forbid if there ever really is a wolf.. but being tired of running to find out there was none has me only tired and bitter.

thanks for the research.
[img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]

[Hannibal]

WTF do people still talk about racism? Sure it exists, but it exists everywhere. It always has, it always will. I think people need to quit making such a big deal about color lines, and just letting the whole racism issue go.
Omar, nothing personal against you, it's just that I get sick of hearing shit, from ANY color, about whether there is racism or not, or anything. I'm just sick of hearing anything at all having to do with the color of peoples skin. People are different colors, for this, they are never going to be equal, anywhere. That's just the way it is. In black dominated countries, whites are looked at differently, etc. It just happens, let it go, and get over it.

[Hannibal]

Oh, and to kinda tie into Shatzy's thing...
I think it's pathetic as well.
Poor people piss me off. We had a manager at a grocery store I worked at. He had to use Link - which is foodstamps on a credit card type thing. He was poor, but he worked his ASS off for this company. He was trying to make something work for his family. He needed the help.
People like that, I respect.
However, people like the mother fuckers in the low income housing that would walk in... buy the most expensive god damned shit they could find, the biggest brand names, all this shit, would put it on their link card. Okay, no problem, you wanna waste money, that's your buisness. BUT, on their way to finding their link card, they would pull out ROLLS *litteraly* ROLLS of like 20's or 50's.... and would be wearing designer shit that black people wear. And it pissed me off even more, cuz these mother fuckers get all this welfare help, and they don't have a fucking job. They don't even fucking LOOK for one. Then they bitch the gov't don't give them enough money.
FUCK THEM.
If it was up to me... and they didn't get a job after say... like....2 years.... the govt should cut 'em off completely. They starve and die? good fuckin riddence, lemme put the bullet in their head for ya.
Bah, there are always exceptions, i'm aware. It just pisses me off, how these people bitch and moan, then manipulate the system, then continue, their bitching and moaning.
America gives quite a bit to these fucking waste of good skin mother f-ers... and it shouldn't.

[SHATOUSHKA]

just because a person is receiving government
assistance shouldn't restrict them to cheaper
products.... food, clothing, etc.

the assistance programs are designed so that you
get just enough assistance to 'help'... but not
to live on... in other words, you would HAVE
to work in order to make ends meet.

however, sadly, you cannot work a well-paying
job and receive gov. assistance in a way that
will provide you with all these possessions.

lets investigate further:

an average household in arkansas (2 adults, one
child -- or one adult, 2 children) cannot
exceed $1600 a month in gross income total if
they expect government assistance.

remember... thats gross.... meaning, without
taxes removed.

from that, subtract appropriate taxes... rent,
utilities, vehicle payment, clothing, other household
expenses (cleaning materials, light bulbs, etc)
gas and maintenance for the vehicle, school money
(if applicable), and other assorted necessities
throught the month, and you'll see that the
assistance isn't fair.

if you are unfamiliar with exactly how much goes
into supporting yourself in your own home, then
its prolly wise to try it.

now back to the other thing....
people receiving monetary assistance for food
should not be reduced to purchasing the cheapest
of food products either... in many cases, these
cheap products are just that... cheap... and
only provide bare necessitites in regards to
nutrition etc... also... they are shit... in
regards to cooking.
as i have mentioned (IRL)... the cheaper breads
do not stack up to the more expensive breads
when it comes to making grilled cheese and stuff
like that.

there is a reason cheap food is cheap.... the food
producers/manufacturers cut corners... and its
not necessarily THE SAME....

[zelazny]

Just because people manipulate the system doesn't mean the system is wrong. People will always keep on doing what they do and that means that a group will always try to get better on the backs of others, but you should not judge or condemn a big group by the way a subset of that group acts.

Some students are assholes, drink too much, and feel better than other people, whilst recieving a grant to study on. Should all students have their grants revoked because a small group can't behave?

[SHATOUSHKA]

aye... where do i begin?

i think the major 'problem' is capitalism....
that and the consistant notion that ANYONE can
be ANYTHING if they just work hard enough...
which is completely untrue.

i think that 'racism' is touted because the majority
of the poor are of another race than caucasian...
and because the majority of the poor is *often*
black... it completes the circle.

i'm sure i'm saying nothing profound... as i'm
sure most of you know this already.
*racism* isn't really about quantity in power....
but quantity in struggle.

[Hannibal]

Yah, but they shouldn't bitch about needing all this help, when they pull out rolls of fucking 20's and it's obvious financially they're just fine.
And I worked at a grocery store, i've tried the cheapest products, and the most expensive, and shatzy, reguardless of what you might say, read the nutritional panels. The cheap shit, is JUST AS good as the expensive stuff. Sorry, but it's true. Just because it's cheaper does NOT mean it lacks, especially in the realm of nutritional value.
I just hate it.
THEY DONT HAVE A JOB
no income, they just let the gov't give them their money
Like i said, i have no problem with people that receive aid... as well as have a job, and wanna buy nice shit.
It's the ones that DONT have jobs.. and just use the gov't to pay for everything....
they refuse to lessen their lifestyle, but they refuse to work as well.
Can't have your cake and eat it to so to speak.
Fuck them.
Fuck their supporters too.

[SHATOUSHKA]

well thats what i'm trying to say...
you simply can't get the aid to pay for everything.
it doesn't work like that.

the aid you receive is not enough to cover all
your support costs.

the government aid system is designed so that
you just barely get enough support that you
have to work... and it allows you only enough
leverage in working that you are always stuck
in the same cycle...
which is the problem with capitalism.

it forces you to abandon the aid (because it
doesn't do shit)... in order to work more and more.