Republicans not racist!

My take on Orvis' comment.

When I hear an erudite black/negro/African American/person of color speak with poise and distinction I am, if not impressed, at least somewhat surprised.

Why?

Simply because around here it is not the norm. Consequently, it is noteworthy.

 

One of my best friends in college was a black guy that grew up in a predominently(sp?) white area/school. If you heard him on the phone you probably wouldn't know he was black. When he and I were in the dish washing area at the steak house we worked at he used his normal speech but when it was him around his black friends his speech changed a bit to sound more like the others. I think it was completely subconscious. His speech never changed a lot but it was noticeable.

People tend to speak like the people they learn speech from. I have a German friend that grew up in Germany(dad was US Army but not around) and didn't learn English until he moved to the states with his Grandparents. He learned to speak English watching CNN and Atlanta area TV shows in the summer. He has no accent at all until he gets drunk or he's in Germany.

If you are the black child of a couple of black college professors that speak well then you are probably living around well off people and will probably speak as such.

Italians from New York sound like total fucking idiots to me. Does that mean they are? Hell no. No more than my southern accent means I'm an idiot. The Boston accent is goofy as hell but that is a very educated region. Yes they have idiots there too.

Try the accent from rural MN, ND, SD. That is a goofy accent. Those areas produce some serious rednecks. Not idiots just country folk.

You don't need a college degree to have a farm whether it's in the midwest, south, northeast, etc. so most farmers aren't that educated.

This isn't rocket surgery.

 

True. You have provided us with many other clues.

 

Then again, the folks back home said I sounded like a yankee when I would come home and visit during my Navy days.

 

No, she doesn't use those terms but she has a thick accent. Maybe I shouldn't go to London huh?

 

When you made a comment about the sentence structure of Ebonics my first thought was it's deliberate (and often consistent) so whether it's actually “poor” is rather subjective.

The Cockney accent isn't that tough but the slang is unique in that it cannot be inferred. Those two I remember my mum using mean “head” and “stairs.” There are hundreds more.

 

LOL

 

And why don't "you" have Colin Powell or JC Watts?

Because they couldn't get the nomination.

 

Bullshit, if they wanted it they could.

JC Watts got the hell out of politics a few years ago and Colin won't run. JC was one of the young up and coming Republicans a few years ago then he got out of it.

Colin has said he's not interested.

 

Wrong! It would be even a bigger deal when they named them an Uncle Tom when he did not promote the Jackson, Sharpton, Farrakhan agenda.

 

I think Colin Powell would have run in 2008 if he had gotten some encouragement from Republican national leadership.

But he really doesn't pass the republican base litmus tests.

He's been critical of Bush and the war in Iraq.
He's no bible thumper.
I believe he's pro choice.
He also is black.

Disagree as much as you want, but IMO the Democrats (as a whole) are excited that they have a young, black candidate and it has been a BOOST for Obama. A Republican black presidential candidate IMO would find just the opposite to be the case.

Ask Alan Keyes

 

I think you underestimate the excitement that a truly conservative black candidtate would generate. To date, most blacks running for office have had a decidedly liberal leaning. A conservative is not going to vote liberal any more than a liberal will vote conservative.

As much as you would like to believe it, IMHO, it is more of an idealogical issue than racial.

 

Of all the public figures in this country I trust Powell more than any other. Maybe it's because he refuses to become a politician. If he ran I think I would vote for him even if he isn't a lover of the Second Amendment. He just seems to be a straight up, and honest, person.

 

How come any time a republican has said this they are labeled a racist?

 

Yep, if you're willing to overlook that whole lying at the UN thing.

 

If, and this is a big IF! If I could vote, I would vote for Powell.

I would even vote for him, even if he was white!

 

And I wouldn't vote for Obama if he was.

 

You racist redneck!

Psst - I would not vote for Obama simply due to his ideas about wealth re-distribution. I don't want to use the "C" word because I don't want PC to chime in.

 

Hawk, if you were elected el presidente and eliminated ALL wealth redistribution, my taxes would plummet.

Of course, crime might rise and GDP might fall, butt at least we wouldn’t be headed down that slippery slope towards communism…

 

PC, I am not as hearless as my writings may suggest.

While I may be always on vigilince with respect to Communism or Socialism, I also value some lessons from it with respect to social welfare.

But it must all be second to personal responsibility and we must do away with the entitlement mentality. IMO