I think neither are juvenile, it's just people having a little fun. Some people get a little too PC anymore.

 

I'll split the difference with you. Both are somewhat juvenile, but you are absolutely corect about the "a little too PC". Sometimes myself included.

I find it fascinating and eye opening reading some of the posts in this thread.

 

Corn roles is a hair style that has been a tradition in the black community for generations. My mom braided my hair when I was a little baby and still had them until they were lost somehow. The hairstyle didn't become mainstream until Bo Derirck wore them in the movie "10".

 

I've worn my hat either backwards or to the side since I was in high school back in the 1970's. While I don't have any tatoos, the reason being, I promised my dad I would never get one. There's a guy who is a very good chemical engineer at my plant who has many tatoos. That didn't stop him from get the job.

 

I do like chewing on straws. It was a habit I developed when I was younger after drinking a good tasting shake off of the Mr. Softee truck.

 

All I'm saying we shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

 

I can really look past the exterior if what comes out of their mouths are different. But, unfortunately, most of the time grammar is poor and they act like they're too lazy to even speak properly.

 

This hip-hop culture has infused the youth of the black community (and white middle class, too) and, IMO is keeping them from becoming productive members of society.

 

I kinda see it like Bill Cosby does.

I must have missed those dozens of times.

 

Ot of curiosity, I did run an advanced search on "McSame". There was a total of five times that the term was used - and yes, it is just as juvenile as "Crock". Not counting this thread, the term was cited once in the "D-Day in Pennsylvania" thread, once in the "Obama's Tax Talk Evasion" thread, once in the "McCain has Obama's Back" thread, once in the "Who Would you Trust in the Case of Another Terrorist Attack" thread, and once in the "Obama Blasts McCain" thread. There were four additional instances of the initial "McSame" reference being quoted in another post. Five references and four posts quoting from the originals.

 

Kind of reminds me of Mr. Rooney - Ferris Bueller's principal.

 

Nine times...

Mind telling me why it bothers you so much. I mean seriously, there are bigger things on here to bother you. BTW, I've used "Crock" 2 or 3 times at the most and you were Johnny on the spot. Where were you on the McSame comment?

 

You don't have to answer that, I'm just kidding with you anyway.

I'll split the difference with you. Both are somewhat juvenile, but you are absolutely corect about the "a little too PC". Sometimes myself included.

Fair enough. :thumb:

Mind telling me why it bothers you so much. I mean seriously, there are bigger things on here to bother you. BTW, I've used "Crock" 2 or 3 times at the most and you were Johnny on the spot. Where were you on the McSame comment?

 

You don't have to answer that, I'm just kidding with you anyway.

 

Doesn't really bother me; there's enough goofiness on both sides of the aisle to go around. The only reason I even addressed this one is because someone had asked who "Crock" was; otherwise I would not have responded at all. I don't recall seeing anyone ask who "McSame" was. Had there been such a question; I'd like to think that I would have answered in a similar fasion. But there's no guarantee, so I'm not going to pat myself on the back too much...

I find it fascinating and eye opening reading some of the posts in this thread.

 

Corn roles is a hair style that has been a tradition in the black community for generations. My mom braided my hair when I was a little baby and still had them until they were lost somehow. The hairstyle didn't become mainstream until Bo Derirck wore them in the movie "10".

 

I've worn my hat either backwards or to the side since I was in high school back in the 1970's. While I don't have any tatoos, the reason being, I promised my dad I would never get one. There's a guy who is a very good chemical engineer at my plant who has many tatoos. That didn't stop him from get the job.

 

I do like chewing on straws. It was a habit I developed when I was younger after drinking a good tasting shake off of the Mr. Softee truck.

 

All I'm saying we shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

 

Sorry, I lost all concentration after I read the bolded. What did you post again?

I've been unable to locate a poll indicating what percentage of the African-American vote Obama is expected to receive. Does anyone have that info?

Sorry, I lost all concentration after I read the bolded. What did you post again?

:laugh::laugh:

There are exceptions to every stereotype, which is why, of course, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. But inversely, there are many valid reasons why certain stereotypes exist. In fact, such is the case that there are even stereotypes and the cops use profiling to begin with. You own a store and you get robbed 10 times by guys wearing their hats on sideways, weaing baggy pants and sporting tatoos, its only human nature that as a store owner you get on edge every time someone with those features comes into your store.

 

If you can honestly tell me that you, as an African American, wouldn't have some initial adverse impressions if a young white man with a skin head hair cut and a swastiza tatoo on his arm walked into your store, or approached you on the street late at night as you walked with your wife , you are an amazing person. In fact, some might consider you as genetically "weak". As animals, our genetics force us to make quick initial decisions as part of the fight or flight reaction. When we see something that our brain tells us is a threatening situation, we react. And those animals that quickly identify threatening situations and determine fight or flight are the the ones with the genes that survive and reproduce.

 

Based on situations that we have experienced or been told about, our brain associates tatoos, baggy pants, hats worn in improper angles, etc. with gangs or punks. No doubt as such styles have become more prevalent, the reaction is not as strong with some people, because the stereotype weakens and the brain no longers associates those things with a threat. But with other people, it is still very present. And the threat reaction gets intensified each time they experience, observe or hear off someone getting mugged, killed or robbed by someone with those features.

 

While we can hope that, as we have become more civilized, the brain becomes more "understanding" of different situations and properly sorts out the real threats from the "just different cultures". But we have to be realistic. I have a carry conceal permit. If I have a late dinner in downtown Cincinnati which calls for me to walk several blocks back to my car after dark, you can bet that my pistol is within easy access. When I see a bunch of young men that my brain associates with a threat walking towards me, my fight or flight reaction kicks in. I often cross the street. If the young men cross the street after I have, you can dang well bet that my hand is on my pistol. Why do I have such a reaction? I truly don't think its a racist reaction, as I do the same when white young men are in the group. Rather its based on news reports of groups of young men with those features robbing, mugging and attacking people on the streets after dark. Not everyone with corn rows, tatoos, baggy pants and wearing their hats backwards or sideways is a threat, but why chance it if you perceive a threat?

 

By the way, I'm not saying at all that it is okay to be discriminatory or racist. Not even close. Just that people of all races need to be understanding of the fact that certain actions causes people of other races to have certain reactions. Years ago, people thought of America as the melting pot and tried to fit in. My grandparents were all from Germany and came over here before WWI. When WWI started, they realized that displaying their German heritage was very threatening to others so they stopped doing so, in order to fit in and be accepted as Americans. Today, people want to keep their racial or ethnic culture and proudly display it. I understand that. But they want to act, speak and dress differently, while at the same time complain that they are looked at or treated differently. I love my German heritage, but I don't wear Lederhosen to the office and I don't insist that I have the right to only speak German in my office or demand that my bank put their advertisements and forms in German. I want to fit in. I want to be considered an American first and foremost, not a German. And if that means giving up part of my German culture, so be it.

 

Sorry for the rambling post and I hope you weren't offended by it. Not trying to be offensive. Just explaining how this 50 year, white, educated male looks at this issue.

 

What you are talking about in paragraph one I consider profiling. If a person is going to be scared every time someone fitting the description you mentioned comes into their store then they don't need to be in that business.

 

I have worked with a gentleman for the past 10 years that has white power tattooed on his arm and the word hate also tattooed on his hands. This didn't stop me from talking to him. He as always treated me with respect so I won't hold the tattoos against him. You might consider me genetically weak but, I can tell you that I spent some of my formative years in the inner city of St. Louis and Detroit. If I acted like you said. Crossing the street if I saw a group of people ahead. Being scared because they were dressed the way you said I would have been eaten alive.

 

 

 

Just because people wear suits and keep their hair cut short and neat doesn't mean they are all good. What about the people hurt by Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling in the Enron scandal? What about all of the people caught up in the mortgage crisis with dozens of mortgage companies going bankrupt? The managers didn't wear corn rolls or do rags. They didn't wear their hat backward or to the side. Does that make what they did any better?

 

I don't run every time I perceived I'm in a threatening situation. To do that is being scared.

 

I've also been around for 50 years. I consider myself also educated. That means I'm not going to let clothes or hair styles dictate how I treat someone. It is their actions that matter to me.

I had this happen several years ago. By boss and I were in a music shop to rent some equipment for a few days. We were probably dressed "business casual". We were given the third degree; I thought at one point that I was going to have to produce my first-born child as collateral.

 

When I mentioned that there were other people in the store that were attired in a much more casual fashion, shall we say, and that they didn't seem to be subjected to the same level of red tape, I was told that "It's people that look like you (i.e. respectable) that we have the most trouble with."

I had this happen several years ago. By boss and I were in a music shop to rent some equipment for a few days. We were probably dressed "business casual". We were given the third degree; I thought at one point that I was going to have to produce my first-born child as collateral.

 

When I mentioned that there were other people in the store that were attired in a much more casual fashion, shall we say, and that they didn't seem to be subjected to the same level of red tape, I was told that "It's people that look like you (i.e. respectable) that we have the most trouble with."

 

Along that line ... I am far more fearful of people in suits. They generally have the resources to be a heckuva lot more dangerous to me (and you) than anybody dressed like a "thug."

What you are talking about in paragraph one I consider profiling. If a person is going to be scared every time someone fitting the description you mentioned comes into their store then they don't need to be in that business.

 

I have worked with a gentleman for the past 10 years that has white power tattooed on his arm and the word hate also tattooed on his hands. This didn't stop me from talking to him. He as always treated me with respect so I won't hold the tattoos against him. You might consider me genetically weak but, I can tell you that I spent some of my formative years in the inner city of St. Louis and Detroit. If I acted like you said. Crossing the street if I saw a group of people ahead. Being scared because they were dressed the way you said I would have been eaten alive.

 

 

 

Just because people wear suits and keep their hair cut short and neat doesn't mean they are all good. What about the people hurt by Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling in the Enron scandal? What about all of the people caught up in the mortgage crisis with dozens of mortgage companies going bankrupt? The managers didn't wear corn rolls or do rags. They didn't wear their hat backward or to the side. Does that make what they did any better?

 

I don't run every time I perceived I'm in a threatening situation. To do that is being scared.

 

I've also been around for 50 years. I consider myself also educated. That means I'm not going to let clothes or hair styles dictate how I treat someone. It is their actions that matter to me.

 

 

Heck, while I'm a suit myself, I'm leary of people in suits too :thumb:They can hurt you, just in another way. But I'm not as leary of suits because I understand the way they think and act, and thus am better able to defend myself from them. And for the record, I never said all suits are great people. If because of what you know about suits or if past bad experiences with suits causes you to be leery of them, I'd say that's a perfectly normal and understandable reaction on your part.

 

And I view profiling and stereotyping to be the same thing. If not, how are they different?

 

I also judge people on their actions, once I get to know them. But until them, I sometimes have to make snap assessments of situations. And while you may not think that makes me educated or or you may think that makes me scared all the time, its what I do. Heck, its called risk assessment and I was taught it in the Marines.

 

As for growing up on the streets in the inner city, perhaps if you crossed the street you'd have been eaten alive. I'll trust you on that. Then again, do you think there could be plenty of young people still alive today if they had crossed the street to avoid trouble? What you call scared, I call using your head to avoid trouble. I don't need the "I'm a tough guy" stuff. Outgrew that years and years ago. But I knew several guys that thought they were tough guys that unfortunately are no longer alive because it.

Along that line ... I am far more fearful of people in suits. They generally have the resources to be a heckuva lot more dangerous to me (and you) than anybody dressed like a "thug."

I'll take my chances with the suits.

Along that line ... I am far more fearful of people in suits. They generally have the resources to be a heckuva lot more dangerous to me (and you) than anybody dressed like a "thug."

 

 

To quote Don Henley (whom I think you loathe Jim):

 

"A man with a suitcase can steal more money than any man with a gun."

I'll take my chances with the suits.

 

I can't imagine why, especially for a guy like you. At least with a "thug" I know I have the hardware available to give me a fighting chance. I don't have that kind of firepower in my bank account to defend myself against suits, who can take away yours, mine and everybody else's comfortable lives just by moving a few numbers around. At least with "thugs" you can see the threat coming.