[Vision2020] Black History Month

Paul Rumelhart godshatter at yahoo.com
Sun Jan 20 10:30:24 PST 2008


I think these __________ History Months have arisen
because they are a good way to show that we know and
allegedly care about the problem without having to
actually *do* anything about it.

It would be better if we celebrated ________ History
Month by passing legislation aimed at correcting past
injustices than to simply have a lecture series or
watch a movie about the problem again, or whatever.

Paul

--- deb <debismith at moscow.com> wrote:

> Great Goddess, I think Donovan may have "got it". 
> Indeed, it is a cultural referent to do "history"
> months for under-represented groups. It helps us all
> feel better about inequity if we can clebrate
> difference. The truth is, we (the dominate group of
> white folks who run this country) have "done wrong"
> during the entire history of the US---and we
> continue to do so. Check out the status of women re:
> wages--it has actually fallen in the last ten years.
> Check out the status of African-American health
> services, incarceration rates, and upwardly mobile
> employment rates. Look at the death rates of Latinos
> compared to Caucasians in the 15 to 25 age range.
> Google the number of rapes per capita on Native
> Reservations (along with who commits these crimes). 
> And just for stuff and giggles, look at the
> difference in sentencing for equal level crimes
> committed by men and women, Blacks compared to
> Whites, "crack" compared to "coke", white
> supremisists compared to Latino and Black gangs who
> commit crimes.....and the list goes on..... 
> 
> We have come a long way, but we are now saying the
> problems of race/gender relations don't exist. The
> facts refute that "common knowledge". We are better
> on paper, better legally, better in the laws we
> enact. But as humans, we have not evovled....Do
> Something!!! Get Involved~~~~
> 
> Debi R-S
> (sorry about spelling errors, my spell check didn't
> get installed on the  new system, and I am just too
> flipping tired to check it myself...tek has spoiled
> me!)
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Donovan Arnold 
>   To: keely emerinemix ; g. crabtree ; Paul
> Rumelhart ; lfalen ; Matt Decker ;
> vision2020 at moscow.com 
>   Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 11:46 AM
>   Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Black History Month
> 
> 
>   I think the main reason we need to have a Black
> History Month, an American Indian Month and Women
> History Month is an attempt to recognize that
> society did them wrong. Yes, other races, creeds,
> religions, and people were tortured and harassed
> greatly. But not on the scale and for the centuries
> as Blacks, Indians, and Women in this country. 
> 
>   Enslaving an entire race and treating them like
> property is a great atrocity. Slaughtering a race
> and stealing their land and resources is a great
> atrocity. Beating women, subjugating them to rape,
> physical abuse, and denial of basic human rights is
> an atrocity. So we, as idiotic flawed humans wanting
> to live in a civilized egalitarian society, need to
> be reminded annually about what was done in our
> nation's past and continues elsewhere in world, so
> that we never repeat those same atrocities human
> society is so able and willing to commit again. 
> 
>   I personally believe that slavery of a race,
> derogation of certain peoples, and the stealing of
> resources of American Indians is still alive and
> well in this country. 
> 
>   Best Regards,
> 
>   Donovan
> 
>   keely emerinemix <kjajmix1 at msn.com> wrote:
>     I'm far more concerned about the violence done
> to and the oppression suffered by indigenous peoples
> than by the fact that it didn't violate any
> established legal code.  Most decent people don't
> have to review federal or municipal law to determine
> that certain actions are wrong, particularly when
> those actions are done in the name of God.
> 
>     Keely
> 
> 
> 
> 
>     > From: jampot at roadrunner.com
>     > To: godshatter at yahoo.com; lfalen at turbonet.com;
> mattd2107 at hotmail.com; privatejf32 at hotmail.com;
> thansen at moscow.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
>     > Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:08:58 -0800
>     > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Black History Month
>     > 
>     > Not to put too sharp a point on things but,
> for something to have been 
>     > illegal there would have had to have been a
> law against it in the first 
>     > place. There was not. When Europeans arrived
> and commenced to settling this 
>     > country the indigs had no written language or
> concept of property much less 
>     > of sovereign country. To have asked for a by
> your leave would have been 
>     > similar to asking herring for permission to
> swim in their ocean. To make the 
>     > claim that we came here illegally is
> insupportable.
>     > 
>     > g
>     > ----- Original Message ----- 
>     > From: "Paul Rumelhart" <godshatter at yahoo.com>
>     > To: "lfalen" <lfalen at turbonet.com>; "Matt
> Decker" <mattd2107 at hotmail.com>; 
>     > "J Ford" <privatejf32 at hotmail.com>; "Tom
> Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>; 
>     > <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>     > Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 7:22 PM
>     > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Black History Month
>     > 
>     > 
>     > When you get right down to it, you could say
> that this
>     > nation was founded on the backs of illegal
> immigrants.
>     > Unless the colonists applied for VISAs from
> the
>     > natives, they were there illegally. To harp
> about the
>     > distinction now seems hypocritical.
>     > 
>     > I'm not a big fan of having these PC "Months",
> mainly
>     > because of the reasons stated. Why single out
> one
>     > group? It becomes a contest to see which one
> has the
>     > most political clout at any one time. I like
> the idea
>     > of an "American History Month", one devoted to
> all
>     > aspects of American History.
>     > 
>     > Paul
>     > 
>     > --- lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
>     > 
>     > > Good point Matt
>     > >
>     > > Roger
>     > > -----Original message-----
>     > > From: Matt Decker mattd2107 at hotmail.com
>     > > Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:12:12 -0800
>     > > To: J Ford privatejf32 at hotmail.com, Tom
> Hansen
>     > > thansen at moscow.com, vision2020 at moscow.com
>     > > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Black History
> Month
>     > >
>     > > >
>     > > > I agree. We should acknowledge all who
> have made
>     > > this a great country. We not only should
> have a
>     > > Native American history month, but also
> Irish
>     > > > American, Chinese American, Italian
> American,
>     > > Japanese American, Arab American, German
> American,
>     > > Mexican American, Italian American, and
> months for
>     > > all the races that have brought this nation
> to what
>     > > it is.
>     > > >
>     > > > Or we could role it all into one big fun
> month. We
>     > > could call it American history month. One
> that
>     > > strives to acknowledge all races and what
> they have
>     > > done to make the United States the best
> place to
>     > > live. This land was built on legal
> immigrants, all
>     > > of which should be recognized.
>     > > >
>     > > > Matt
>     > > >
>     > > >
>     > > >
>     > > > From: privatejf32 at hotmail.com
>     > > > To: thansen at moscow.com;
> vision2020 at moscow.com
>     > > > Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:03:26 -0800
>     > > > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Black History
> Month
>     > > >
>     > > >
>     > > >
>     > > >
> 
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