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Melurkyoulongtime

(136 posts)

109. I am a white woman that grew up in a black ghetto...

Tue Mar 8, 2016, 05:19 PM

Mar 2016

until I was able, in part due to white privilege, to get the hell out. I went to a school where I was 1 of 13 white kids and they had concertina wire at the tops of the fence surrounding the school and we were locked in all day, EVERY day. There were riots and gang warfare, etc when I attended in the 80s... it was interesting times to say the least.

The school is still a dropout factory according to Wikipedia:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_High_School_(Houston,_Texas)

With the above being said, I still do NOT know, even with all my experiences of seeing racism, bigotry, hatred, etc what black folks have to put up with on a daily basis. How can this be since I grew up side by side with them on a daily basis? It's simple really: I'm NOT black. Yes, I SAW it. I saw the cops harassing them, hell, even the black cops harassed the black kids in that neighborhood and still do to this day whether those kids were "doing" anything or not (usually they weren't). Hell, the COPS back in the day wouldn't even come INTO the neighborhood after about 9PM no matter who'd been shot in a driveby that night but the (unarmed) EMTs WOULD. Yes, I'm saying the cops assigned to that area at the time were pussies. Kevlar vests, guns and all and wouldn't come into my ghetto after dark.....

But am I pissed at Bernie for saying what he said?! Hell NO! My reason for not being mad at him? It's simple: I KNOW my experience is in the minority for most white folks. When I tell other white people about my experiences during that time most shake their heads in genuine disbelief even though I'm telling them the unvarnished truth. I've even offered to take them to said ghetto so they can see it for themselves... just guess how many have taken me up on my offer.

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Bernie Sanders: White People Don't Know What It's Like To Live 'In The Ghetto' [View all] big_dog Mar 2016 OP

Bernie grew up in a 3 room Brooklyn apartment. putitinD Mar 2016 #1

yes he did big_dog Mar 2016 #2

That is Luxury itcfish Mar 2016 #91

He was talking about so many things CoffeeCat Mar 2016 #3

Indeed. As usual, desperate Hillfolk take a statement out of context Lorien Mar 2016 #5

PLease itcfish Mar 2016 #92

finally bernie is hitting his stride big_dog Mar 2016 #6

lol I'm on Sanders' side but that's a good one nt anAustralianobserver Mar 2016 #18

I think he's poignant. Cavallo Mar 2016 #7

excuse me!!! jbrooks655 Mar 2016 #57

Excellent point eom noiretextatique Mar 2016 #81

Bernie, I love you, but you obviously never lived in a trailer park in Appalachia Feeling the Bern Mar 2016 #4

I have to totally agree. retrowire Mar 2016 #8

Speak for yourself. I'm white and I have never lived or even been in a ghetto. Elmer S. E. Dump Mar 2016 #70

Well Elmer itcfish Mar 2016 #93

Yes, the world does revolve around Madison WI. At least my world does. Elmer S. E. Dump Mar 2016 #95

Yes! itcfish Mar 2016 #96

And what are you, chopped liver? n/t Elmer S. E. Dump Mar 2016 #98

Sanders can't even call out the very real problem Svafa Mar 2016 #103

Well, we can't discuss issues when there is a SEMANTIC ARGUMENT to be had...[n/t] Maedhros Mar 2016 #106

I agree but I wouldn't call out women with kids from different dads. Cavallo Mar 2016 #13

You read into things way too much. It takes two to tango. Feeling the Bern Mar 2016 #22

I'm not trying to tango, and I would also say, I have no issue with women having children out of Cavallo Mar 2016 #25

Difference is your is a family. I knew way too many people who would date two or three times Feeling the Bern Mar 2016 #30

Many have a strange kind of double standard. Igel Mar 2016 #72

Why do people feel the need to stick their noses where they don't belong? Elmer S. E. Dump Mar 2016 #110

Bernie was answering a question about his personal 'blind spots' around race and FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #47

That's obviously not the context of his remark. Drunken Irishman Mar 2016 #50

Same but different, too. tazkcmo Mar 2016 #53

The difference is amount of space, in a black ghetto you have tiny apartments stacked full snooper2 Mar 2016 #56

In some older Eastern cities this may be true. Igel Mar 2016 #74

This message was self-deleted by its author Chicago1980 Mar 2016 #9

Nobody's smiling alcibiades_mystery Mar 2016 #10

This message was self-deleted by its author retrowire Mar 2016 #11

FULL context of Bernie's remarks... alp227 Mar 2016 #12

Hello Big Dog The Donald here ! Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2016 #14

Is that a REAL illegal stuffed eagle? Cavallo Mar 2016 #21

It's a live eagle Ex Lurker Mar 2016 #24

Isn't it illegal to keep a live eagle? Cavallo Mar 2016 #26

The Eagle knew... MrMickeysMom Mar 2016 #46

Actually the eagle is very much alive. Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2016 #27

Thank you, I didn't know any of that. Cavallo Mar 2016 #29

Yes in fact it is . Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2016 #31

Wing injury catchnrelease Mar 2016 #32

its gonna be YUUUGE! big_dog Mar 2016 #39

Yes Big Dog, The Donald Here ! Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2016 #45

He's right. In the broader perspective of things, white people don't. His (anecdotal) use silvershadow Mar 2016 #15

^^This^^ Gormy Cuss Mar 2016 #34

^^^Yes Lulu KC Mar 2016 #54

My thinking as well. Jews have been forced into ghettos historically. nt haikugal Mar 2016 #78

Yes. I would not judge a man whose family is from a Polish ghetto Mike__M Mar 2016 #88

talk about desperate jpb33 Mar 2016 #16

I think what he means is that a white person of privilege jfern Mar 2016 #17

ALL white people are people of privilege. It's the skin, not the money. jtuck004 Mar 2016 #20

Bernie mentioned the black congressman who didn't take cabs because they wouldn't stop for him jfern Mar 2016 #23

Yup, that's true. Major Hogwash Mar 2016 #28

The point is they don't have to be members of congress. Just you and me, with white skin, have jtuck004 Mar 2016 #35

But in the context of.... Delver Rootnose Mar 2016 #41

Yeah. Except the racism. That's on us, and the people are the only ones who can set it aside. n/t jtuck004 Mar 2016 #43

Racism has to be carefully taught at a young age and reinforced by the prevailing society. haikugal Mar 2016 #80

Yep. Which is why I say white folk can stop it any time they want to. And they are the only ones. jtuck004 Mar 2016 #84

That's true. haikugal Mar 2016 #85

That's all we can do. I dropped out of high school in a big mid-western town jtuck004 Mar 2016 #89

Again kudos. haikugal Mar 2016 #90

sometimes it's the teeth greymattermom Mar 2016 #36

All times it is racist white people, the dominant culture. Not the victim. n/t jtuck004 Mar 2016 #37

Well bluestateguy Mar 2016 #19

Cops actually believe it's their JOB to hassle black males.... Spitfire of ATJ Mar 2016 #33

Yea once the bus I was with.. Delver Rootnose Mar 2016 #40

Imagine how they feel when they call for backup and the responding cop is black. Spitfire of ATJ Mar 2016 #42

Well it is more than.... Delver Rootnose Mar 2016 #38

If you were the wrong color in the wrong place you might still be in jail. Spitfire of ATJ Mar 2016 #44

Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2016 #48

This is why he is not getting the African American vote. John K Mar 2016 #49

Sanders dropped the ball on this question--like he has in the past. riversedge Mar 2016 #51

I love Bernie and what he stands for. However, he should know that white people ladjf Mar 2016 #52

This message was self-deleted by its author Orange Butterfly Mar 2016 #55

Please, you know damn well that Bernie is not so inept as to think that all dinkytron Mar 2016 #59

my post is misunderstood, i will pull it down Orange Butterfly Mar 2016 #61

Fair enough. In my defense, I just woke up. I will re read your post too! dinkytron Mar 2016 #63

I am a huge Bernie fan & was trying to be respectful Orange Butterfly Mar 2016 #65

I was waiting for that idiotic talking point noiretextatique Mar 2016 #82

Though I knew the intent behind the statement... iandhr Mar 2016 #58

They both should try to open a low income bank account & see how people with less money pay all fees Sunlei Mar 2016 #60

The outrage on this one .... Rebkeh Mar 2016 #62

It is a major distaction but more importantly, counter productive. Blackjackdavey Mar 2016 #75

Exactly Rebkeh Mar 2016 #77

A Lot of White People itcfish Mar 2016 #64

As the GOP Says, All Lives Matter? TomCADem Mar 2016 #73

Could Be itcfish Mar 2016 #94

No white person knows what being black feels like noiretextatique Mar 2016 #83

I would like to see Bernie win the nomination, but this won't help FLPanhandle Mar 2016 #66

I posted this before the debate. I am adding the italics now DemocratSinceBirth Mar 2016 #67

James Blake Bayard Mar 2016 #68

A blind spot is as described . . . Erda Mar 2016 #69

Spot on! You don't post often, but when you do, it's incisive. FailureToCommunicate Mar 2016 #71

Exactly right -- it takes courage and self awareness Blackjackdavey Mar 2016 #79

I guess Bernie just lost Eminem. Jester Messiah Mar 2016 #76

White poverty exists in the USA Koch Ebola Mar 2016 #86

Bravo!! lark Mar 2016 #87

Don't assume my skin color makes me uninformed Sen. Sanders The Second Stone Mar 2016 #97

I guess I missed that in the post... Cavallo Mar 2016 #101

News Flash Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2016 #99

I think that no matter what he says will be misconstrued as racism and he needs to just quit Cavallo Mar 2016 #100

Bernie is largely correct in the bigger shame of things. White people are privileged to have silvershadow Mar 2016 #102

It won't but there is a force against him because he is a white man. Cavallo Mar 2016 #104

I agree he just needs to stop talking about it. nt silvershadow Mar 2016 #105

Oh, for the love of everything tha is holy - can you give it a REST??? n/t Peregrine Took Mar 2016 #107

I'm poor and white and never lived in a ghetto or been in one except to work ghostsinthemachine Mar 2016 #108

I am a white woman that grew up in a black ghetto... Melurkyoulongtime Mar 2016 #109

What's wrong with calling the inner city what it is? mackerel Mar 2016 #111

I do know what it is like to be poor and to live in a poor neighborhood, my skin is white. Dont call me Shirley Mar 2016 #112

Mich. voters seem to be speaking to the issue and Sanders is hanging in there real good. Wash. state Desk Jet Mar 2016 #113