To those of you who think racism doesn't exist ...it does!

[Catherine Vincent]

I carpooled with a friend today (her name is Ann), although we usually take the park and ride. She told me something I would have never believed if I read it in print somewhere. But I have known her for over 20 years and I know she is telling the truth. She was driving in the park and ride lot to park her car, as she was driving in one of the driveways, a 50ish lady in her truck was pulling out at the same time in the middle of the driveway bogarding all the space. Ann kindly stopped so that she can have the right away to clear the driveway. That gesture wasn't enough, the truck lady rolled her window down and yelled at Ann and told her that she is hogging the driveway. Ann was goanna let it go but she in turn rolled down her window and told the truck lady that SHE was in the wrong and was hogging all the space. After that, the truck lady yelled at her...and these were her exact words..."you motherfucker, you damn nigger...why don't you go back to Africa where you belong!!?"

Ann was so outraged she just sat there with her mouth open because she was so shocked, she couldn't believe what she just heard. By the time her nerves calmned, the lady had drove off. I couldn't believe what Ann was telling me today. I asked her when did this happen and she said about two weeks ago. This happened in HOUSTON,TEXAS, a diverse metropolitan area! Ann is originally from Jamaica and lived here over 20 years and no one has ever spoken to her in her face like that ever. You would expect something like that to happen in small hick towns but not large cities. That is just so sad, isn't it? But what can you do about something like that but ignore it. Everytime I hear on tv or read in a newspaper that racism doesn't hardly exist anymore, I cringe. It looks like some people are in denial.

[Sweetpea]

1. What's even worse is when it happens in a board room.

[TrustingDog]

2. what dumbfuck would think racsim doesn't exist?

[Capn Sunshine]

9. Especially in Houston , Texas

Having spent several years living there , I can testify those guys think this is the 19th century.

I'll never forget a restaurant property we had taken over , and I asked the beer salesman for a neon beer sign that said "CERVEZA" The salesman said " wellsir , I don' thank ya'll want one of those"
I asked him why and he looks at me and says " Wal, I dunno you know this, but SIR VAY ZUH.....wellsir, tha's Mexican talk fer beer. You don' want no Mexican talk around these parts"
In Houston, on FM 1960 Near Willowbrook. Just West of Lake Houston.

[RoeBear]

3. If you read in a paper...

...that reacism doesn't exist you should quit reading that paper.

[wtmusic]

4. There is a vast stupid population

who only trust those that speak the same language and look like themselves. It will never disappear. All we can do is chip away at the edges and hope by example they can learn tolerance.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Racism, ageism, sexism, wealthism...

Thriving all.

[Kanary]

8. My sentiments exactly. Sexism thrives *everywhere*

This country has become cut-throat, and Reagan opened the doors to express hatred towards *all*.

Racism is part of the existing hates........ there are many groups vulnerable to it.

Kanary

[livinginphotographs]

6. I never had many black friends growing up...

because the South is so segregated still, but after dating a black girl, you really get a different idea of what it's like to be black in America. She tells me stories all the time of her friends getting pulled by the police for no reason (and I'm as pro-police as it gets, but it's hard to reconcile that with the stories she tells me), and the other day some drunk guy called her a n****r (luckily, I wasn't around, or I'd have killed the motherfucker). She'll tell me about how her little sister got a black Barbie for christmas, but wanted a white barbie instead, because the white one was "prettier."

She's definitely made me even more liberal than I already was, especially with race issues, because you realize just how hard it is to be black in America, and how so many white people just don't notice because they don't have to deal with it.

You'd have to be blind to think that racism doesn't still exist in America. It may not wear a hood anymore, but subtle racism is just as destructive.

[salinen]

7. RW radio is

a racist Maudi Gras.

[olddem43]

10. Of course, it's still here but

it's a lot better than it used to be. Most young and educated people don't think that way. It's one of the reasons Liberals will eventually prevail over the bigoted RW.

[pandason]

11. anecdotal evidence

is not the best way to support an argument. statistics works much better. when you get into a fight or a shouting match with someone many times you lose your cool and you want to hurt someone verbally, and the best way, of course, for many people is to use racist curses just because they hate that particular person at that particular moment. i understand that you friend was hurt, but it was because of a single accident with a single person, you can't base your worldview on that unless you have a glimps at the big picture. and i gotta digress, i don't. i actually have no idea what i am talking about in regards to racism because it's not something i have researched, it's definitely on the decline but has it declined so much you can label racism irrelevant, or is it still a big factor? i don't know.

p.s. i am drunk

[newyawker99]

17. Hi pandason!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kahuna]

12. I've been to Houston. That doesn't surprise me....

I don't know. Maybe things have changed since the 80s. But when I visted Houston in the 80s on a business trip, I ran into a lot of racists who did very little to hide the fact that they felt they were superior to me because I'm black.

[Slit Skirt]

13. it's alive and well in Denver...

Black friend walks into a bank in BOULDER today....needed to get change for parking....he said everyone in the bank stopped what they were doing and looked at him and watched him reach his destination......I nearly fell over laughing...good thing he has a sense of humor of this kind of thing

another time I was with him downtown Denver...we were putting money into a parking slot....a 60ish, well dressed, businessman approached him and said...."you got change for a $20 boy?"
I must say, I almost lost it....but my fried just walked away ....

it is shameful and never fails to irritate the hell out of me....

[Catherine Vincent]

15. That reminds me of an incident near Dallas about a month ago.

Friends and relatives traveled to Lewisville/Carrollton, Texas (near Dallas) for my niece's graduation. After the graduation, we all met for lunch and one of our friends said that last night he couldn't sleep, so he left his hotel room and drove to a walmart to do some window shopping. It was around 3:00a.m. He said when he walked thru the door, everyone in the front of the store stopped what they were doing and starred at him. He said in a loud voice "Everybody calm down, I'm not here to steal anything!" Then he went on about his business. We all laughed about it and he had a good attitude about it too. But it's still shameful the way they acted toward him.

[Jack_DeLeon]

14. Was there any question that racism still exists?

eom.

[Catherine Vincent]

16. Yes. I'll read an opinion or hear people claim that racism

is a thing of the past. When a minority is talking about subtle racism that happened to them, some people dismiss it and say stuff like that doesn't happen anymore.

[redqueen]

18. I think it's actually getting worse

Thanks in part to Reagan, and now to Bush. These guys seem to make those who are racist feel as if it's OK to be that way.

And then the media does their part as well. They play up every divisive story they can find just to ensure the poor will not unite and rise up.

Works pretty well, sadly.

[Radical Activist]

19. Racism is epedimic in housing and lending practices

It literally costs more to be black or hispanic in America. If you live in the wrong neighborhood or are the wrong skin color you have to pay a higher interest rate to get a home loan or mortgage. This is true with far too many companies, like Wells Fargo.