The following words are being written by a 40-year old white male ...

I'd like to believe that the Rev. Al and others that defend their "fellow black man" started doing that for good reason: they were needed to offset the apalling amount of anti-black sentiment. I believe there's still plenty of that sentiment that needs fighting, but any fight must be fought with open eyes and open ears, and a good sense of being able to tell the truth from a lie.

Also, for that matter, what Mace brings up is also true: we must all be judged by our own merits, not the effect of bias due to race, creed, or color. I believe the Equal Employment Opportunity Program had a place, at one time, as well. Probably still does, based on the fact that we still have racial prejudice. But I also think it results in negative impacts when someone is chosen for a job not because they are the best one suited for the position, but because an employer needs to meet a percentage of minority working for them in order to be eligible for particular government benefits. But it's still a necessity as well, as I said. So ... that one is kind of at a stalemate.

Finally, I'm concerned about the concept of hyphen-Americans. People who call themselves African-Americans, or Italian-Americans, or Polish-Americans, or Irish-Americans, or Hispanic-Americans. That's bullsh!t. We're Americans. The French are French. Canadians are Canadians. When we put a hyphen in front of that nationality to differentiate ourselves, we are endorsing segregation on a national level. We are not celebrating the difference, we are creating the difference -- that one group is different from the rest. I don't fight anyone wanting to remember or celebrate their culture, but don't segregate yourself from the rest of America and then complain when America segregates you, too.

That's just my opinion, stated from, as I mentioned above, a 40-year old white male. And also a Polish-Italian-German-Norwegian-Native-American.

-godling