In reading articles about the Hartford beer distributor shooting I could not help but become overwhelmed by some of the comments about racism charges being overblown, made up, reverse discrimination and the like.
Shooter says he handled the problem
The MONEY QUOTES from this article are:
Michael Cirigliano also spent three decades working at the warehouse before he retired two years ago.
He said the company had increased its hiring of minorities in recent years.
"They've been bringing in more and more minority people to fill the positions," Cirigliano said. "You could almost go as far as that's reverse discrimination. They were hiring the groups to balance the workplace, because that's what we are in America, there's a balance."
The article states that the warehouse had 69 dock workers 14 minorities (4-black,9-Hispanic, 1-asian) (20%). Interestingly, according to the 2000 census the population of Hartford, Connecticut, was 42%-Hispanic/Latino, 37%-black, 17%-white, 2%-asian, 2% other.
These are definitely the kinds of stats the lend credence to "special treatment" for minorities (NOT!!)
Many of the commenters would prefer society be more like it was when Shirley Sherrod's father was shot to death in front of witnesses but the perpetrator was never even charged.
When a white man goes on a rampage and kills up a bunch of people because the black President is going to take his guns and make whites' slaves (i.e. Pittsburgh last year) the overwhelming commentary is "he must have snapped," "he's off his meds," etc. (By the way did you leave a comment for that one). Why is it any different in this case?
This idea that blacks are given special treatment makes me laugh. How much "special treatment" are we getting when unemployment in our community is over 20%?
I think it is horrible when anyone loses their life to violence but it should not be used to push this "we've done enough for the coloreds agenda." Those who do this see the crumbs that are often handed to blacks and disregard the cake that is being eaten by those who would keep all of us (black, white and other) enslaved. We are on the same team.
It is time we stopped allowing them to divide us along racial lines. Throughout society the have nots have overthrown the haves but America has perfected a system where the have nots are blaming other have nots for their problems. What we should do is start insisting on our Government providing things that benefit the 98% of us (less than $250,000/yr) and not the 2% (over 250,000/yr)
WAKEUP PEOPLE the only color for capitalists is GREEN.
That means stop the trade agreements that allow our jobs to go elsewhere so some rich person's stock price can increase. Demand that CEO pay be put more in line with the employees. If companies want to pay more than 20 times the average workers salary, fine but there should not be a tax deduction for the excessive amount. If executives want a retirement plan (SERP) on top of the plan they also share with the employees, fine but they should not be allowed tax deductions for these amounts either. Bonuses paid to executive when they've laid off workers should not be tax deductible AND should be taxed at higher rates. Executives that create jobs should be allowed tax incentives on the bonuses that they receive.
Often I see comments without solutions these are just a few but we can get our fiscal house in order by eliminating the breaks for the big corporations and wealthy and focusing on "We the People."