Beck's "predominantly white crowd"

<< AP - Conservative commentator Glenn Beck and tea party champion Sarah Palin appealed Saturday to a vast, predominantly white crowd on the National Mall to help restore traditional American values and honor Martin Luther King's message. Civil rights leaders who accused the group of hijacking King's legacy held their own rally and march >>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100828/ap_on_en_tv/us_dc_rally

Predominantly white? Fascinating. Since Sharpton's rally color wasn't mentioned, I googled photos. What do you know, his crowd was predominantly black.

And the moral is ...?

Amazing: America is still segregated by color, religion and ethnicity.

Segregated implies forced. Today people self-segregate, which means choice. White people clearly prefer to hang out with other white people, black people clearly prefer to hang out with other black people. I have noticed this in microcosm for the past 20 years at the college cafeteria. Whites sit with each other, blacks sit with each other, Koreans sit with each other, Indians sit with each other.

Should they be forced to sit at tables they're clearly not comfortable at?

I'm sure the same is true of South Africa where segregation lasted even longer than it did in the US. In the UK, students sit with fellow students on the same course:

Definition of SEGREGATED

1
a : set apart or separated from others of the same kind or group segregated account in a bank> b : divided in facilities or administered separately for members of different groups or races <segregated education>

There is a theory of X and O that shows statistically how many of the O group there need to be for comfortable integration into the larger X group. Otherwise, the O group will tend to remain together for support. The X group will exhibit even stronger X characteristics and the O group will exhibit even stronger O characteristics when the balance is not in the range of this magic number. When the magic number is in play, both groups down play their differences and emphasize their similarities.

When I present a workshop in a school or district, the clicks of teachers who teach the same subjects tend to sit together. I pass out some sort of gimmick to form teams that have a mixture. Otherwise, the whole thing would be boring and less creative.

Freedom of choice should not be denied. Forced integration doesn't work.

"American Values." First, America consists of North, Central and South America. Even "North America" includes Canada.

When commentators talk about "American Values," they mean the values that keep their ratings high along with their incomes.

When I think of American Values, I think more of spoken ideals than reality. I believe I live in a country where governments change without bloodshed; I have the right to participate in the choices for leadership; I have the ability to speak my mind and follow my own moral compass within the confines of the societal norms (written with opportunity for my participation); I have the freedom of movement across the country without being accosted for documentation unless I am suspect of law violation; I may leave my country without fear that I might not be able to return. I have the freedom to seek education and opportunity for upward mobility. I may marry who I choose and live anywhere according to my desires and ability to pay. I don't wake up in fear. I believe that there are services and people who will help me if I have unfortunate circumstances. I also have an obligation and a desire to help others less fortunate than me, wherever I feel the calling to help. I think it is an ideal in this country to provide an atmosphere of acceptance and inclusion for differences, whether understood or not. I believe it is an ideal to respect each person's humanity regardless of the circumstances of their birth. I know there are more; just ran out of time. I know one thing for certain; it is not an ideal to be a place of division and hate.

Quote :

it is not an ideal to be a place of division and hate.

It's also not ideal to call anyone who wants to associate with whomever they want as guilty of "division and hate." Which is what happens when a "predominantly white crowd" congregates. Do you think it's a tad bizarre that the tea party and Glen Beck fans are always described this way?

LC:

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Do you think it's a tad bizarre that the tea party and Glen Beck fans are always described this way?

Nor really. It seems an apt description.

Ann

Is that bad?

Beck's message and Palin's message are purposefully polarizing and appeal to the fears and emotions of those suffering from the economic slump. While their followers fill their voids with hate and emotionally charged sound bites, Beck and Palin go to the bank with their wealth. More power to them for finding the marketing tool to cash in on the misery of others. Television preachers had them beat in the past. If I allow them them to gain from my misery, that's the benefit of a free society. I can choose to fill my mind with anything that makes me feel better. At least it appears she got the message not to haul that poor child around like a sacrificial lamb on her political alter.

dkchristi wrote:

Beck's message and Palin's message are purposefully polarizing and appeal to the fears and emotions of those suffering from the economic slump. While their followers fill their voids with hate and emotionally charged sound bites, Beck and Palin go to the bank with their wealth.

Not like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, right?

LC wrote:

Not like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, right?

Very much like them and every bit as wrong.

Just think. 2012. Palin/Beck running on the T-Party ticket. Jackson/Sharpton running on the Progressive ticket. Lieberman/Crist as independents. Imagine the bumper stickers, the ads, and the debates.

I agree. What the country needs are those with the talent to find common ground and values that can be embraced to benefit th majority of the people of this nation. I believed we had a charismatic leader in President Obama, but his task was just too immense and the political right and left too entrenched and engaged in political positioning for their next election to grasp the moment in history when a nation's greatness can arise from its chaos.

Unfortunately, the great leaders often arise from radical positions and are dead before their legasy is recognized fully. Ghandi was such a leader. Mandella another. Christ another. In the times that arise from chaos, however, not everyone benefits.

I heard a cute story today about five frogs on a log. One decided to jump off. How many are left?

















Five. One decided to jump off but changed his mind; five remained on the log and nothing changed.

After spawning their ideas, the frogs jump onto a pencil to write down their thoughts.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7963416/Frog-the-size-of-a-pea-discovered-in-Borneo.html

Abe F. March wrote:

Freedom of choice should not be denied. Forced integration doesn't work.

I AGREE.

Save us from Palin and Beck!

Beck is becoming much scarier than Palin:

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The overarching theme of this monologue is that God is speaking directly to Glenn Beck and giving him the plan. It's classic televangelism, which is commonly seen as nothing more than an exploitation of religious naivete with the goal of making the televangelist rich. Listen to me. I have the answers. Because God is speaking to me. So give generously if you want to hear what God's plan is.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/glenn-beck-the-televangel_b_546417.html

Ann

How scary! Worst of all, he came from Mount Vernon, WA.

Statements that "God is speaking to me" should not go unchallenged, especially when it is being used for political purposes.

You are so right, Abe. He is quite obviously delusional. We don't need him running our country. I don't, anyway.