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Joe_Cavalry All Day Every Day


Debate Info

35
28
I think so I think not
Debate Score:63
Arguments:47
Total Votes:75
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 I think so (26)
 
 I think not (21)

Debate Creator

joecavalry(40163) pic



Has the race card lost some of its value now that we have a black president?

I think the race card has been over played to the point where people just don't care any more.

I think so

Side Score: 35
VS.

I think not

Side Score: 28
2 points

Utterly and Completely. "Racism" is now nothing more, really, than Bad Manners or Rudeness. Only 12% of the US population can be classified as African American, and President Obama won by a much larger majority than that. That means that ALL races of Americans voted for him. If an African American man can be freely elected President in our society, that is de facto proof that "racism" such as is defined by the repression of a person who's heritage includes that of a minority race by a member of the majority race, is done, finished, finito. Even full blown racists have now been marginalized, making them more buffoons than anything anyone should take seriously.

But we live in a society where nearly everyone wants to feel like they are somehow hard-done-by. Dawn Steel was the President of Paramount Studios years ago, yet many women subscribe to the idea that somehow there is a "glass ceiling" which prevents them from achievement. Indeed, now many white Americans (whatever that terms means) feel that THEY are losing out on opportunities due to their not being Black/Mexican/Insert-your-definition-here.

We have got our kids into the act, too - labeling some "lactose intolerant" or with "peanut allergies" (did kids just DIE when I was in elementary school and they ate peanuts? I can't remember a single one, and neither can the 10 grown-ups I polled unscientifically), with the resultant "special treatment" - peanut butter banned from school, special seating in the lunchroom, etc.

But I digress... The mere fact that our President is literally 1/2 African is an amazing testament to the hard work, sacrifice, and devotion many people (of all races) in this country have taken to ensure that REAL racism (think fire-department water hosing peaceful protesters, or cops setting German Shepherds after people) is a thing of the past.

Any African American who says they can't get ahead "because the White Man" is holding him down needs to look at the shining example we have living in the White House. A man who rose to the most important, powerful position on this earth by the power of his own imagination, will and mind.

Side: I think so
itsnotright(24) Disputed
1 point

How can anyone say that racism is no more? Everytime you turn your head someone is saying that the Mr. Obama is black. Or " He did this because he is black". Or " You don't agree with him because he is black". The very reason he was (elected) is because he is black. That and a more smooth talker than the rest of them. Also the fact that the majority of the people that are on government subsidized programs are black. Why? The belief that they still feel that America owes them restitution for their "ancestors". If you ask if I am racist. No. I am however prejudice towards anyone that can do for themselves but refuse to. No matter what color or where they're from. I have never asked for a handout and will never. Nor will I give one. This is the basis for alot of the problems that plague this Republic. Policy that was enacted many years ago that was meant to give a hand up, not a hand out. But it got abused. Now, I ask you who the majority of those people are? Why are they like that? I'll tell you, it because of racism. Not ultimately the white hating the blacks, but blacks feeling they are owed something. Or just plain laziness. These said programs are just enabling the problems. Again, racism is not gone. It has just taken on a different form.

Side: I think not
Banshee(288) Disputed
1 point

Oh, sure, once we've got tokenism it must mean that the problem is fixed.

If we have one black president out of 44, no female presidents out of 44, 2 black SCOTUS justices out of 111, 3 female justices out of 111, one hispanic Justice and no hispanic presidents, and no Asians anywhere to be found ... well, hell, an average representation of about 2% female to 98% male or of 2% black to 98% white just MUST mean that racism and sexism are things of the past.

The existence of a female executive, likewise, just MUST be evidence that sexism no longer affects women at all, since we can point to that one token woman and say "well, look." Never mind that 70% of Americans living in poverty are female; the fact that 70% of the poor are women must just be some sort of weird aberration if Dawn Steel can head up a film studio (and I believe it was Columbia Films at which she was top exec; Steel was president of production at Paramount for a bit but Ted Nanen was president of the company. Then in 1986 Paramount demoted Steel because she got pregnant -- no sexism there -- and in early '87 Steel went over to Columbia).

Currently, women make up 14 out of the 500 CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies -- that's more women CEOs than ever before. That's almost a whole THREE PERCENT, ladies, c'mon, ain't two to three percent representation in political and economic life GOOD enough for ya? You're only 51% of the population, after all.

AND, there have been eight black CEOs in Fortune 500 companies since they first began indexing them as "Fortune 500" (five are current). That's well under one percent of all the Fortune 500 CEOs that have ever been, but what the hell. Black people have a full-on 1% of Fortune 500 CEO positions now, so racism must be a thing of the past.

Really, now, isn't a fair balance in political and economic life 97-99% white and male versus 1-3% black or female? How could anyone possibly find that kind of balance unfair or nonrepresentative? Sheesh.

No, it's far more logical to believe that 98% of nonwhite or nonmale peoples are just lazy or incompetent, rather than believing in some bolloxed-up idea that systematic disempowerment, sexism, or racism still exist in our society ...

;)

Side: I think not
SupremeLord(44) Disputed
1 point

NOt everything has to be 50%, 50%. That is childish thinking.

Also, if you look at basketball players, how many are white I wonder.

Side: I think so

I think that we may have finally gotten it out of our system. I mean, if any one played the race card on me I'd be like, "Yo homie, you got your boy up there in the white house so don't be giving me any of that crap!" ;)

Seriously though, the U.S. once voted for a Catholic president (JFK)... once!

And now we can say that the U.S. once voted for a black president... once! ;)

I'm itching to find out if the U.S. will vote for Obama again. At this rate.... who knows ;)

Side: I think so
1 point

"Seriously though, the U.S. once voted for a Catholic president (JFK)... once!"

One JFK was a very bad Catholic (the thing with Marylin Monroe). For some reason many people think that if a Catholic becomes President, the US will become a vassal of the Pope. Now if these people realized that the Pope is not the political figure he once was, they would understand that the Pope is a spiritual leader.

Side: I think so

Actually, (as a Catholic) if he was going to fool around, I think Marylin Monroe was a good choice ;)

Side: I think so
SupremeLord(44) Disputed
1 point

Haha nice, I just punch them in the face with my magnetic pulse rifle.

Side: I think not
confused(45) Disputed
-1 points

OMG!!! That's so racist!!! Aren't you afraid you're gonna get shot?

Side: I think not

Are you suggesting that the people who would have a genuine reason to be offended by my comments would do a drive by shooting? OMG!!! You're more racist than me!!! At least I used my smileys to denote that I was only kidding.

Besides, the people who would have a genuine reason to be offended by my comments don't have computers and if they did they wouldn't waste any time on an intellectual site like CD ;)

Side: I think so
1 point

Well, the race card has always been a retarded ploy to try and suggest that black people are never at fault.

But at least they can't blame the man. Well, those like Feracon and the Black Panthers will try to say that Obama doesn't have any real power or that he's only half black; but for most, it's really hard to blame "the man" when "the man" is black.

Side: I think so
cybersomatix(20) Disputed
1 point

Well... we can't blame Attorney General Eric Holder for trying to even the odds

Something I'm thankful for.

Side: I think not

Let us at least hope it has tarnished it well enough so it begins to become extinct!

Side: I think so
1 point

Wait so you want the race card to be extinct? Or did you mean racism?

Side: I think so

Both Jake. The race card right now is more annoying to me than racism because it has been over used but I want them to both go away.

Side: I think so
1 point

First of all, Obama cannot be classified as black or white president. He is half black half white, and it cannot be said he is the first black president. Surely, in many cases it is beneficial for him to say that he is African-American to appeal to blacks for votes, for example. However, in many cases it is more beneficial to associate himself as a white person, and i am sure that if obama openly said that he is neither white or black, he would have lost a lot of popularity from the African-American community is that was one of their biggest reasons for electing him

Side: I think so
1 point

I believe that it has lost some value here in America. African Americans can't continue to complain and make excuses for not giving themselves better lives. Even though I may disagree with most (if not all) of Mr. Obama's views, I admire him for how he overcame so much adversity to get to where he is today. If he can get through that much adversity and become president of the United States, I think the sky is the limit for African Americans. Granted, he is a gifted individual, but that does not mean that any other person of color could not do the same thing he did if they put their hearts and minds to it.

Side: I think so

The race card--or the gender card--is utter bullshit. It's not an excuse for anything, and playing it is just pathetic and not taking responsibility for yourself.

In most cases.

Side: I think so
4 points

The election of an African American president by no means signs the death knell to racism in America. If anything, the fact that anyone could ask such a question as to whether or not we have arrived at a post-racial America only goes to illustrate the very ignorance which remains in this country of just how much further we have to grow when it comes to race relations in America, despite how far we may have come. If you think that insinuating race into political and economic arguments in America is merely the playing of some special interest card which somehow invalidated due to the fact that the 44th president of the United States is less European than his 43 predecessors, take a look at the following facts:

- A typical black household makes just 62 percent of the income of a typical white household - a gap that has changed little in 30 years. In 2007, the median household income was $33,900 for black households and $54,900 for white households.

- Blacks, Latinos, and Indigenous peoples are nearly three times as likely as whites to live in poverty. In 2007, 24.4 percent of blacks had incomes below the poverty line, compared to 8.2 percent of whites.

- Life expectancy among blacks is, on average, about five years shorter than it is for whites. In 2005, life expectancy at birth was 76.5 years for black women and 80.8 years for white women. Life expectancy was 69.5 years for black men and 75.7 years for white men.

- Whites are more likely to have college degrees than blacks. In 2007, 31.8 percent of whites 25 and older had college degrees, compared to 18.5 percent of blacks.

- Blacks are more likely than whites to be sentenced to prison, though incarceration rates for blacks have dropped in recent years even as they increased for whites. In 2006, black men had an incarceration rate of 3,042 per 100,000 residents, compared to a rate of 487 for white men.

- Blacks are less likely to have health insurance than whites. In 2007, 19.2 percent of blacks did not have health insurance, compared to 10.4 percent of whites.

- Blacks, are three times as likely as whites to be poor and twice as likely to be unemployed.

- Black men with college degrees were still earning 30% less than their white counterparts.

- Black men with high school diplomas were still more likely to be out of work than white male dropouts.

- Businesses owned by white men were still receiving about 91% of all government contracts.

When these facts are no longer the case, continued discussion of race relations and racial perceptions in the United States will become less important. Barrack Obama's presidency has not created a post-racial America, it's only made a marginally interesting talking point.

Side: I think not
ThePyg(6738) Disputed
2 points

So basically, once minorities can get their shit together white people will no longer be racist?

That's... retarded.

If you fail at life, it is YOUR fault. Don't try and justify yourself just because you have a different skin color.

I'm glad you brought out these statistics,though. I used to get labeled as a racist for pointing out that African Americans have a 50% high school drop out rate.

Side: I think so
cybersomatix(20) Disputed
1 point

When there is historical evidence within recent history of such statistics being due to systemic social problems I think over-generalizations such as the pure social responsibility arguments are a bit excessive.

Minority responsibility says nothing to the fact that law enforcers are more likely to suspect African Americans of drug possensions when the stats show that whites are ten times more likely, if pulled over to be in possession of illegal substances. It says nothing to the fact that border security spending along the US' southern border far exceeds that along the US' Northern border when stats show there is quite a bit of undocumented crossing in both. It says nothing to the fact that as previously stated, blacks with higher degree of education are less likely to get hired than white high school drop outs.

Do I believe that this is due to overt racism among white Americans? No. I do think, however, that centuries of culturally inherited perceptions of race in America cannot be automatically overturned or changed in the century and a half that these perceptions in which these perceptions have been gradually challenged.

Side: I think not

Yeah, but minorities are more than 90% responsible for drive by shootings (less than 10% for whites). If minorities spent less time in drive bys and more time in educating themselves, then maybe the other statistic will change too. I mean, I know it's a radical idea but maybe we should give education a chance. ;)

BTW, 68% of all statistics are made up on the spot ;)

Side: I think so
cybersomatix(20) Disputed
1 point

That might be a good argument if it weren't for the fact that the number of minorities enrolled in colleges across the US far outstrips the number of minorities who have been involved in a drive by shooting.

Side: I think not
2 points

I think people overestimate the number of times minorities actually "pull the race card". From my experience it's often nothing more than an illusory correlation.

Side: I think not
1 point

no way . the fisrt time a black turns out to be a president and that too, he has not affected the business a lot. i am sure that people who are saying that barack is bad will soon realise that they are wrong

Side: I think not