At The Centrer OF Racial Discrimination

[maximus]

I am not going to ask "have any of you ever been racially discriminated against" as I am sure most, if not all of us have at one point in their lives. I am bringing this topic up because of a recent issue I had with someone. Let me give you some back-round of myself. I am white and was born and raised in the United States. My father was born and raised in Serbia in a city called Banja Luka. My mother in Earls Barton, England. Both of them came to the US in their late twenties.

OK, now that you have some idea of what I am and where my roots lie, I’ll explain my problem. I have been racially discriminated against on three different occasions. Once for being white, once for being an American and once for being of Serbian root.

The racially white discrimination came when I had “walked into the darker side of town”. I didn’t use those terms, that’s what I was being “punished” for however. I walked into a crowd of black guys, not knowing that four of the dozen were going to jump me. The rest is history. While that bothered me for most of my life and in fact pissed me off to the point of hatred towards blacks, I learned to out grow that and wised up and in fact had many good friends who ended up being black. Cased Closed.


The racially American discrimination came when I was in England, of all places. I was there with my mother for a month long vacation. Of course not used to their customs, I retained all of my American manners/customs, ect while I was there. While on a bus going site seeing I had apparently not done something that these two “lads” had approved of so they questioned my taste and threatened to “beat me to a pulp because of my American scum manners”. I responded by saying that yes, I am an American and that I would be willing to show them some of the United States fire power right there (speaking of my fists of course). After plowing through some of their threats, they quieted down and took my threats seriously. Case Closed.


The one that bothers me the most.

The racially Serbian discrimination came a few years ago. I was here in the United States. I attended a wedding with my girlfriend at the time. We were supposed to meet her cousin and her date. Well, we got there and we met up with her cousin and her date. Upon meeting the other guy who was there with my girlfriends’ cousin, I introduced myself to a person named Ahmet. When introducing myself and fully knowing he was Albanian I told him my name, Milutin (which is also a name of a former Serbian king). Right away he pulled his hand back and said I cannot shake the hand of Serb. I knew why but I asked him anyways. He explained that we, the Serbs, are the ones who are killing thousands of people in Yugoslav even to this day. I then asked him if he ever read history books or even learn about his own roots. I told him about World War II and about the Albanian support for the Nazi regime. Furthermore, I told him about how the Albanian people killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs during World War II and how the Serbs had to hide in their own countries away from “neighbors and friends”. Anyways, the whole thing got heated and I had to be restrained because of this ignorant human. My father was in the World War II hatred. At the age of thirteen my dad had to hide and run for his life. He told me stories where the Germans would come to their houses and he even saw his friends executed hiding not even one hundred yards form the execution point.



This was the only discrimination act I have not totally forgiven yet. Not to shake my hand as that hand were in combat and killed but yet Ahmet forgot that his roots were apart of the most violent and hated regime in recent history and maybe all of history. The case is not closed on this one because I have undergone some other discrimination acts recently by Muslims, who also hate the Serbs.

Thanks for hearing me out.

[Glengoyne]

Honestly, I think you would have had a better chance of breaking down a barrier there if you had denounced the ethnic cleansing going on in the former Yugoslavia, rather than essentially dismiss his problem, and claim it was your race's turn to do the killing.

I have a good friend whose brother-in-law is Serbian, and the two of them tried to educate me on why the Serbs had the right to do what they were doing. It didn't go down very well.

[sachmo71]

I am not going to ask "have any of you ever been racially discriminated against" as I am sure most, if not all of us have at one point in their lives. I am bringing this topic up because of a recent issue I had with someone. Let me give you some back-round of myself. I am white and was born and raised in the United States. My father was born and raised in Serbia in a city called Banja Luka. My mother in Earls Barton, England. Both of them came to the US in their late twenties.

OK, now that you have some idea of what I am and where my roots lie, I’ll explain my problem. I have been racially discriminated against on three different occasions. Once for being white, once for being an American and once for being of Serbian root.

The racially white discrimination came when I had “walked into the darker side of town”. I didn’t use those terms, that’s what I was being “punished” for however. I walked into a crowd of black guys, not knowing that four of the dozen were going to jump me. The rest is history. While that bothered me for most of my life and in fact pissed me off to the point of hatred towards blacks, I learned to out grow that and wised up and in fact had many good friends who ended up being black. Cased Closed.


The racially American discrimination came when I was in England, of all places. I was there with my mother for a month long vacation. Of course not used to their customs, I retained all of my American manners/customs, ect while I was there. While on a bus going site seeing I had apparently not done something that these two “lads” had approved of so they questioned my taste and threatened to “beat me to a pulp because of my American scum manners”. I responded by saying that yes, I am an American and that I would be willing to show them some of the United States fire power right there (speaking of my fists of course). After plowing through some of their threats, they quieted down and took my threats seriously. Case Closed.


The one that bothers me the most.

The racially Serbian discrimination came a few years ago. I was here in the United States. I attended a wedding with my girlfriend at the time. We were supposed to meet her cousin and her date. Well, we got there and we met up with her cousin and her date. Upon meeting the other guy who was there with my girlfriends’ cousin, I introduced myself to a person named Ahmet. When introducing myself and fully knowing he was Albanian I told him my name, Milutin (which is also a name of a former Serbian king). Right away he pulled his hand back and said I cannot shake the hand of Serb. I knew why but I asked him anyways. He explained that we, the Serbs, are the ones who are killing thousands of people in Yugoslav even to this day. I then asked him if he ever read history books or even learn about his own roots. I told him about World War II and about the Albanian support for the Nazi regime. Furthermore, I told him about how the Albanian people killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs during World War II and how the Serbs had to hide in their own countries away from “neighbors and friends”. Anyways, the whole thing got heated and I had to be restrained because of this ignorant human. My father was in the World War II hatred. At the age of thirteen my dad had to hide and run for his life. He told me stories where the Germans would come to their houses and he even saw his friends executed hiding not even one hundred yards form the execution point.



This was the only discrimination act I have not totally forgiven yet. Not to shake my hand as that hand were in combat and killed but yet Ahmet forgot that his roots were apart of the most violent and hated regime in recent history and maybe all of history. The case is not closed on this one because I have undergone some other discrimination acts recently by Muslims, who also hate the Serbs.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Sorry to hear about that, but people cling to their prejudices. It's part of who they are, and it's VERY hard to shake them.

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

Can You futher explain this whole getting jumped in the "darker" part of town thing. How do you know it was racially motivated and what was the exact situation?

[maximus]

Honestly, I think you would have had a better chance of breaking down a barrier there if you had denounced the ethnic cleansing going on in the former Yugoslavia, rather than essentially dismiss his problem, and claim it was your race's turn to do the killing.

I have a good friend whose brother-in-law is Serbian, and the two of them tried to educate me on why the Serbs had the right to do what they were doing. It didn't go down very well.


While my post didn't explain the emotion I was going through at the time, I didn't justify - not once, the killings that Milosevic weas providing to meet his greed.

I did infact say that I disapproved of the death but that it was out of my hands.

I had cousins in that war. Some were on the front lines in heavy tank divisions. They didn't want to fight because they were killing friends. However, because of the threat of your own death along with your familiys', they had no choice. Now one of my cousins went crazy because of the constant killings he did and because of the constant bombings he took.

[rkmsuf]

Kill whitey obviously. Duh.

[maximus]

Can You futher explain this whole getting jumped in the "darker" part of town thing. How do you know it was racially motivated and what was the exact situation?


After the jumping and a few days later I went back to school. A guy named Larry (who was black) came up to me, without even knowing as to what happend and said "thats what white boys get for coming into the darker side of town". Like I wrote, that wasn't my quote.

Later I found out that Larry knew the guys who jumped me and they did it because I was white.

[maximus]

Besides, the time I was jumped I forgave and grew out of. The one that bothers me still is the Serb thing.

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

Interesting, maybe thats a regional thing or something. What exactly were you doing in this "darker" part of town. Why were you walking into the gang of black males? Sorry for these question Im just trying to understand this whole situation.

[rkmsuf]

Interesting, maybe thats a regional thing or something. What exactly were you doing in this "darker" part of town. Why were you walking into the gang of black males? Sorry for these question Im just trying to understand this whole situation.

"Excuse me holmes? We're not from around here."

"No shit"

"Can you tell me how to get back on the expressway."

"Well you see what you want to do is see that corner down there..."

Sorry to make light...just a perfect Vacation quote spot.

Carry on.

[maximus]

Interesting, maybe thats a regional thing or something. What exactly were you doing in this "darker" part of town. Why were you walking into the gang of black males? Sorry for these question Im just trying to understand this whole situation.


Thats OK.

It was dark and I didn't know that the people or crowd of people were black and even if I did know at the time I prbably would have still done it. I was on my way to the movie theater. At the same time, I didn't have the fear of being jumped. Combine all of that and you get me, an innocent kid who just wanted to see a movie. :)

[Blackadar]

Interesting, maybe thats a regional thing or something. What exactly were you doing in this "darker" part of town. Why were you walking into the gang of black males? Sorry for these question Im just trying to understand this whole situation.

What the fuck does it matter?

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

Well thats good that you were able to forgive, I was particularly interested in that situation.

[Desnudo]

American isn't a race (at least not for a few more thousands of years). The second one, how do you know they wouldn't have jumped you if you were black? The main lesson: don't walk into large groups of threatening men of any race. The last one, I understand that guy was in the wrong, but I echo Glengoyne's sentiment. I think it's better to take the high road. At worst, the other guy looks like a jerk for making you uncomfortable and being an idiot.

[maximus]

American isn't a race (at least not for a few more thousands of years).

True. I guess I should have used "national".

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

Hmmm blackadar how about you look at the last sentence of that quote before you curse at me.....thanks

[rkmsuf]

Hmmm blackadar how about you look at the last sentence of that quote before you curse at me.....thanks

Could be college discrimination.

[maximus]

Well thats good that you were able to forgive, I was particularly interested in that situation.


I had no choice but to forgive because I had friends that were black. Sure I was pissed off but wht. Heh, I even dated a nice fine black chick in high school after all that. So, what had happend just wised me up. People are people. White folk do that same thing to others.....I'm just not apart of that hatred.

[Blackadar]

The one that bothers me the most.

The racially Serbian discrimination came a few years ago. I was here in the United States. I attended a wedding with my girlfriend at the time. We were supposed to meet her cousin and her date. Well, we got there and we met up with her cousin and her date. Upon meeting the other guy who was there with my girlfriends’ cousin, I introduced myself to a person named Ahmet. When introducing myself and fully knowing he was Albanian I told him my name, Milutin (which is also a name of a former Serbian king). Right away he pulled his hand back and said I cannot shake the hand of Serb. I knew why but I asked him anyways. He explained that we, the Serbs, are the ones who are killing thousands of people in Yugoslav even to this day. I then asked him if he ever read history books or even learn about his own roots. I told him about World War II and about the Albanian support for the Nazi regime. Furthermore, I told him about how the Albanian people killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs during World War II and how the Serbs had to hide in their own countries away from “neighbors and friends”. Anyways, the whole thing got heated and I had to be restrained because of this ignorant human. My father was in the World War II hatred. At the age of thirteen my dad had to hide and run for his life. He told me stories where the Germans would come to their houses and he even saw his friends executed hiding not even one hundred yards form the execution point.



This was the only discrimination act I have not totally forgiven yet. Not to shake my hand as that hand were in combat and killed but yet Ahmet forgot that his roots were apart of the most violent and hated regime in recent history and maybe all of history. The case is not closed on this one because I have undergone some other discrimination acts recently by Muslims, who also hate the Serbs.

Thanks for hearing me out.

And this is the kind of reactionary response that solves nothing. It kind of reminds me of the Jews and Palistinians.

"You Zionists kicked us out of our homes"

"You Arabs attacked us"

"You Jews stole our homeland"

"You Arabs stole it from us"

"You Jews keep us down"

"You Arabs keep attacking us"

Blame, blame, blame. Yadda yadda yadda.

[Blackadar]

Hmmm blackadar how about you look at the last sentence of that quote before you curse at me.....thanks

Again, what did it matter about the situation? He was walking. It was in town. Why does it matter if it was a "black" part of town or not? Why does it matter if he was walking towards some black guy? sThe nature of your questions start to make it sound like an inquisition.

Some black people jump white people because they're white. Some white people jump black people because they're black. Both kinds only do so when they have the vast numerical superiority because both kinds are bigoted cowards.

[maximus]

And this is the kind of reactionary response that solves nothing. It kind of reminds me of the Jews and Palistinians.

"You Zionists kicked us out of our homes"

"You Arabs attacked us"

"You Jews stole our homeland"

"You Arabs stole it from us"

"You Jews keep us down"

"You Arabs keep attacking us"

Blame, blame, blame. Yadda yadda yadda.


You have to understand, I didn't escalate the issue. He was talking back. He didn't just stand there and take what I said. However, I didn't justify the killings but at the heat of the moment I have someone telling me that "my people" are apart of the killings and that we are pigs, ECT. This guy had no clue what my family was like. Did I do wrong, maybe to an extent but I had to stand my ground because at that moment all I knew was emotion. I knew that I had family in that war that didn't want to be in it.....

[Sharpieman]

Again, what did it matter about the situation? He was walking. It was in town. Why does it matter if it was a "black" part of town or not? Why does it matter if he was walking towards some black guy? sThe nature of your questions start to make it sound like an inquisition.

Some black people jump white people because they're white. Some white people jump black people because they're black. Both kinds only do so when they have the vast numerical superiority because both kinds are bigoted cowards.
No shit, but thats life for now, using common sense is better than getting beat up. If I was walking down the street at night and I saw a group of black guys, white guys, asian guys or whatever, I wouldn't walk up to them. Its common sense, you don't walk up to a group of people you don't know in the dark because you know that there may be trouble if you do. Now I'm not saying that it was right for those guys to beat maximus up or that he deserved it, all I'm saying is you just don't do that. Not because its wrong to walk up to a group of people who are a different race, but its just a matter of being safe at night time in a neighborhood you normally don't go into.

[maximus]

Let me make a correction here. I didn't walk right into the crowd of people. That was just a figure of speech. I walked into that direction and near by them but not right into the center of their crowd. About four of them split from the crowd and walked my my. I continued walking like it was ni big deal. I was about 20 feet away from them.

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

Blackadar what is your issue? Again I ask you to read the last sentence of the quote. I know none of my questions matter as to him getting jumped and I also know I asked the damn question because he was being vague about the whole situation so I wanted clarification. Get off my back, he understood and didnt take offense so how about you back off.

[Chief Rum]

I learned to out grow that and wised up and in fact had many good friends who ended up being black. Cased Closed.

I don't mean to sully a serious thread with humor, and what obviously means a lot to maximus, but I just had to laugh at the way the above sentence went.

I know what he meant, but it reads like he had a group of white friends who, over time, became black. :D

I didn't know we could do that. Will have to be sure to look for signs my skinner is getting darker. :)

[maximus]

I know what he meant, but it reads like he had a group of white friends who, over time, became black. :D


Now that you mentioned it and I re-read what I wrote, that is pretty funny. lol :D

[GoldenEagle]

Can You futher explain this whole getting jumped in the "darker" part of town thing. How do you know it was racially motivated and what was the exact situation? I am with Blackadar here. It sounds like you were trying to justify the fact that they jumped him. If the guys were on the street walk I was walking on, then of course I would walk by them. I do not ever think about getting jumped. I would like to think that society is better than to jump a man just because of what color he is.

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

What is wrong with you people? I was asking the question in order to get a clear picture of the situation. How many times must I repeat this? Maybe thats why I said


Sorry for these question Im just trying to understand this whole situation.

[Axxon]

The racially American discrimination came when I was in England, of all places. I was there with my mother for a month long vacation. Of course not used to their customs, I retained all of my American manners/customs, ect while I was there. While on a bus going site seeing I had apparently not done something that these two “lads” had approved of so they questioned my taste and threatened to “beat me to a pulp because of my American scum manners”. I responded by saying that yes, I am an American and that I would be willing to show them some of the United States fire power right there (speaking of my fists of course). After plowing through some of their threats, they quieted down and took my threats seriously. Case Closed.




I am not referring to your situation in particular but I spent a month and a half in Europe and the only really stand out American custom that I saw from the tourists was being an asshole. It was painful to watch because you knew it was going to only make things worse for the non asshole Americans. You may have been punished simply because of who they had run into earlier that day/month etc.

When I was in England, which at that time wasn't really "America friendly", I only had one experience that could have been bad. I was in the hotel pub when a group of lads from Manchester were in London to party. They were a rowdy bunch and at one point one of them looked at me and said very loudly "America sucks."

"Why the hell do you think I'm here?" I asked and they all laughed.

To make a long story short, they became very friendly and decided to show me how the English party and I had an amazingly fun night and wasn't allowed to pay for one thing.

To answer the burning question, they party very very well and I'd party with them any day of the year. :D

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Well thats good that you were able to forgive, I was particularly interested in that situation.

Here's an idea to try if you are white... Do some intense research. Buy this t-shirts: http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?productid=228&style=b&color=41&size=3%3A+CHOOSE+A+SIZE

Next, go to Dayton and just walk around any area where you are unlikely to see any white-skinned people.

If you see a group of young black men sitting around a car that is playing some loud music with many offensive words in it, walk up to them and ask if they have registered for the klan rally yet.

:D

[Blackadar]

What is wrong with you people? I was asking the question in order to get a clear picture of the situation. How many times must I repeat this? Maybe thats why I said


Sorry for these question Im just trying to understand this whole situation.

Look, I already told you! I deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don't have to! I have people skills! I am good at dealing with people! Can't you understand that? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

I guess thats supposed to be funny. Ha Ha, Now leave me alone

[BigJohn&TheLions]

I guess thats supposed to be funny. Ha Ha, Now leave me alone

Actually the funny thing is "Teddy Ginn for Heisman" Will he even be on the team, or hangin' with smart-guy Maurice??? :D

[maximus]

I didn't intend for this thread to be a flame war. I apologize to you guys who are getting flamed or doing the flaming.

It is kinda of ironic and while although this thread is about racial discrimination a separate, different type of argument broke out not even related to the main topic. This time the judgment and perception of others takes on a new face....

[Dutch]

Finally, a thead that allows me to reference the Kentucky Fried Movie, yet, sadly, I'm afraid of referencing the scene that popped up in my mind while reading all this. :)

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Finally, a thead that allows me to reference the Kentucky Fried Movie, yet, sadly, I'm afraid of referencing the scene that popped up in my mind while reading all this. :)

Cleopatra Schwartz?

[Dutch]

Actually. Rex Kramer - the "stunt man". :)