Ted Cruz and Oprah Winfrey !!!

[Links2k]

5 hours ago, crake said:

 Truth is, these guys got to where they were not because of the color of their skin but because of the content of their character.

I think I said something similar in an earlier post.  I’m going to be careful with my wording, because I don’t want you assuming I’m coming at you.  I can’t stand the fact that you are insulted by everything I post.  
 

Based upon what you’ve written, I assume you are a smart man. That being said, I think our opposition in beliefs is simply a matter of you not understanding that our experiences are vastly different. Your  opinions are fine, they are what you know as relates to you, but you can’t box other people’s experiences in the same box as yours.  There are far too many variables you would have to relate to without having experienced a walk in my shoes.

Please stop taking this stuff personally. We’ve argued on TGO for twelve years, and we’ve yet to solve racism or world peace.  Engage and share your opinions. If we differ, it doesn’t make us enemies. 
 

Hell I’ve been called the socialist commie for years.  Had many disagreements, but we still come back and engage one another. We are here first and foremost because we support the second amendment and love guns. 

Edited August 7, 2020 by Links2k

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, Links2k said:

You may imply that, but even with diversity mandates many schools and companies still don’t except well qualified minorities. I think people like to talk about affirmative action like it’s a big deal. It’s not. At the end of the day that student or employee will have to produce. Sometimes at a higher level.

You want to know who really hates affirmative action/diversity hires...black people.  Because no matter what you bring to the table, someone is always going to think something was given to you.  

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ll always put my family up against anyone if the stats are equal. I’ve said it before, take the names, addresses and ethnicities off of applications, and let the chips fall were they may. I’ll stand by that everyday. 

Exactly.

But then black folks overwhelmingly vote for the very people who enact these laws.

[Links2k]

3 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Exactly.

But then black folks overwhelmingly vote for the very people who enact these laws.

I agree. I believe we’ve had this discussion before.  Most blacks that I know are conservative by nature.  If there wasn’t the perception of exclusion and hatred coming from Republicans, mainly politicians, democrats would never get black votes. 
 

The democrats are smart enough to lie and give unfulfilled promises, while the republicans don’t even try. 

[jpx2rk]

@Links2k

5 more posts after you stated you didn't feel like arguing today.  

[gregintenn]

3 minutes ago, Links2k said:

I agree. I believe we’ve had this discussion before.  Most blacks that I know are conservative by nature.  If there wasn’t the perception of exclusion and hatred coming from Republicans, mainly politicians, democrats would never get black votes. 
 

The democrats are smart enough to lie and give unfulfilled promises, while the republicans don’t even try. 

The exclusion and hatred is more perceived than real in my opinion. The real racism comes from the Democrat party.

I am 47 years old, and cannot remember one thing the Democrat party has done to help Americans, and especially black Americans.

On the other hand, I can't name a whole lot Republicans have done for us either.

[gregintenn]

Just now, jpx2rk said:

@Links2k

5 more posts after you stated you didn't feel like arguing today.  

Arguing and discussing are not the same.

[Links2k]

11 minutes ago, jpx2rk said:

@Links2k

5 more posts after you stated you didn't feel like arguing today.  

I’m not arguing.  I think the conversation has been very civil today.

[jpx2rk]

Just now, Links2k said:

I’m not arguing.  I think the conversation has been very civil today.

IMO,, it's a civil argument at this point in time, subject to change in the not too distant future.  Enjoy your conversation/discussion, etc. etc..  

[Links2k]

7 minutes ago, jpx2rk said:

IMO,, it's a civil argument at this point in time, subject to change in the not too distant future.  Enjoy your conversation/discussion, etc. etc..  

Thanks for your permission!

[JunkiCosmonaut]

I'm afraid that this constant hounding is going to create greater animosity. I would say most people don't think about the race of the people they live with and work around, but if you keep pointing it out eventually its gonna be something people notice and if the hounding keeps happening then animosity will be generated. I think we're on the verge of having a couple of generations out there that don't concern themselves with concepts of race and racism, but then here we are again. I worked retail in a hardware store many years in high-school and college and plenty of white people treated me like an ass. There were a few black people who came in, mostly elderly, who treated me really well. Some not so well. I had a black lady claim I was racist because I didn't help her quickly, truth told, we were busy and she didn't ask. Now I'm just and equal opportunity asshole

[jpx2rk]

10 minutes ago, Links2k said:

Thanks for your permission!

Was not giving permission in any form or fashion.  

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, jpx2rk said:

Was not giving permission in any form or fashion.  

Does Covid make one lose his sense of humor?

[Trekbike]

5 hours ago, Links2k said:

How is this discriminatory when small and minority businesses were being left out of working on large projects because the same large companies were repeatedly getting the contracts?
 

My cousin was a small business owner prior to the Memphis Pyramid project, and because the city was forced to allow small companies to bid and work on the project, they now have a nice sized business that routinely gets larger contracts and affords them a very good lifestyle.  It’s repeatedly shown that many in this country will only do the right thing only if they are forced to do so.  

 

It's discriminatory when anyone or group of people are not allowed to be involved with, participate in, apply for, bid on, or to be passed over strictly because of the color of their skin.     I'm not saying minority owned businesses haven't gotten the shaft in certain situations, but by trying to "right" a "wrong" by reverse discrimination isn't right either.    Age old saying, two wrongs don't make it right.      

 

 

[Links2k]

1 hour ago, Trekbike said:

It's discriminatory when anyone or group of people are not allowed to be involved with, participate in, apply for, bid on, or to be passed over strictly because of the color of their skin.     I'm not saying minority owned businesses haven't gotten the shaft in certain situations, but by trying to "right" a "wrong" by reverse discrimination isn't right either.    Age old saying, two wrongs don't make it right.      

 

 

You make my point, and I agree with you.  I don’t think that anyone gets excluded because they allow small and minority businesses to compete.  It just puts everyone on an even playing field.  If a minority or other small business wins a contract, it doesn’t mean that something was taken from a white contractor.  It simply means the best bid won.

[The Big Guy]

4 hours ago, Links2k said:

I think I said something similar in an earlier post.  I’m going to be careful with my wording, because I don’t want you assuming I’m coming at you.  I can’t stand the fact that you are insulted by everything I post.  
 

Based upon what you’ve written, I assume you are a smart man. That being said, I think our opposition in beliefs is simply a matter of you not understanding that our experiences are vastly different. You opinions are fine, they are what you know as relates to you, but you can’t box other people’s experiences in the same box as yours.  There are far too many variables you would have to relate to without having experienced a walk in my shoes.

Please stop taking this stuff personally. We’ve argued on TGO for twelve years, and we’ve yet to solve racism or world peace.  Engage and share your opinions. If we differ, it doesn’t make us enemies. 
 

Hell I’ve been called the socialist commie for years.  Had many disagreements, but we still come back and engage one another. We are here first and foremost because we support the second amendment and love guns. 

I've listened to what Morgan Freeman had to say about racism and I think, although it's a simple approach, that it is a great way to approach this. It's already not cool, desirable, or admirable to be a racist, more now than ever. If America continued on this trajectory I believe things would only get better. Racism was on the way out and I'm watching the cultural-revolutionary Alt-Left bring it back to gain political power. 

I'm not mad at you, the person. I am frustrated with what I am seeing happen to this country and I think a lot of people are being taken advantage of over racial differences. 

[deerslayer]

18 minutes ago, Links2k said:

 If a minority or other small business wins a contract, it doesn’t mean that something was taken from a white contractor.  It simply means the best bid won.

I have a friend who recently retired from the local utility company and he swears the exact opposite happens on a regular basis.  The minority owned company gets the job even though their bid was higher because city-related contract decision makers give preference to them.  One reason he couldn't wait to leave.  

[Links2k]

11 minutes ago, crake said:

Racism was on the way out and I'm watching the cultural-revolutionary Alt-Left bring it back to gain political power. 

 

I can’t argue  with you about people wanting to gain political power, but I have to disagree that racism was on its way out.  I’ll compare the protest that started after George Floyds death as this generations bulldozer man.  You have millions of people of all ethnicities who feel like they’ve been overlooked and taken advantage of for years. The Floyd video was just the spark that lit the flame.  The protest are bulldozer man saying I’ve had enough, and you will recognize me one way or another. 

[Links2k]

4 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

I have a friend who recently retired from the local utility company and he swears the exact opposite happens on a regular basis.  The minority owned company gets the job even though their bid was higher because city-related contract decision makers give preference to them.  One reason he couldn't wait to leave.  

Everybody knows THAT guy.

[deerslayer]

1 minute ago, Links2k said:

Everybody knows THAT guy.

He's a good friend and I know him a lot better than I know you.  Are you saying he's lying?

[Links2k]

20 minutes ago, deerslayer said:

He's a good friend and I know him a lot better than I know you.  Are you saying he's lying?

No, I’m saying goodnight. 

[The Big Guy]

43 minutes ago, Links2k said:

I can’t argue  with you about people wanting to gain political power, but I have to disagree that racism was on its way out.  I’ll compare the protest that started after George Floyds death as this generations bulldozer man.  You have millions of people of all ethnicities who feel like they’ve been overlooked and taken advantage of for years. The Floyd video was just the spark that lit the flame.  The protest are bulldozer man saying I’ve had enough, and you will recognize me one way or another. 

Interesting comparison. If the protests are like bulldozer man then they aren't peaceful and they aren't protests. We would have to call such protests something else. Maybe riots? Insurrection?

[Dirtshooter]

2 hours ago, Trekbike said:

  Age old saying, two wrongs don't make it right.      

You are correct 2 wrongs don't make a right, but 3 lefts do!!

[jpx2rk]

10 hours ago, gregintenn said:

Does Covid make one lose his sense of humor?

Does the Covid make one lose their sense to detect sarcasm??

[DaveTN]

9 hours ago, Links2k said:

I’ll compare the protest that started after George Floyds death as this generations bulldozer man. 

I was thinking exactly the same thing, as there were those that seemed okay with what he did. Was he a nutcase? Of course he was. Did no one listen to the tapes he made? He said he was driven by God. He then committed the ultimate sin. And during his rampage he tried to kill innocent people, even children at a library. Was he justified in being mad? Of course! was he justified in the violent action he took? Of course not.

Maybe I’m reading your responses wrong, if I am please forgive me, but you seem to be saying that the violence today is okay because it will force people to listen and force change. I don’t believe either of those things will happen. The divide will get worse, and only the weak will take a knee to the violence. The leaders of these liberal cities that stand by and allow this are the weak. At some point the strong will have had enough and will take these cities back and put these criminals in prison where they belong.

Edited August 7, 2020 by DaveTN

[Smith]

Maybe someone could explain Asian Americans and Indians (from India) in the US?