WC 1M Post Challenge - You Ready?!

[Chuck Finley69]

I'm in no mood to go in Laura's doghouse so my Cuban a** is staying quietly on the sidelines.

Don’t worry, i am Tampa Latino with many Cubano friends depending on the day. That said I’m also Miami Cane...for good or bad

 

[Chuck Finley69]

Publix, eh? I know you're in the South, as that chain is in 6 Southeastern states, most notably Florida.

Not everyone has the same level of choices. It feels like you're glossing over the inequalities and challenges that are outside of your direct experience...

Once you hit the Florida/Georgia border, you’re culturally heading North again. Further south you drive, the more north things become...

 

[fatclue_98]

I know you're getting hot under the collar over there. I wonder when you'd surface.

Just reading the comments and thinking back on my personal experience being a 1st generation immigrant in Miami in the early 70s. It matters not one whit if one can "pass" or not. I'm definitely in the paleface side of things with light brown hair (what's left of it anyway) and hazel eyes. My wife is whiter than your tio and has green eyes. But our last name ends in a "z" and that's enough to get the dirty looks. Racism has an uglier face to it when the other side realizes you're not one of them and the treatment changes on a dime. For those who are brown or darker, they see you coming from a mile out and are ready for you.

The workplace can be an interesting phenomenon when they realize you're more qualified, have more talent and possess a better education than them. Sorry, I don't buy the argument that "we've come a long way baby". We're no more integrated now than we were in 1861. Don't believe me? Just go back to the 2nd Dem debates when Kamala slammed Biden with the busing rhetoric. This shouldn't be an issue in 2019.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Just reading the comments and thinking back on my personal experience being a 1st generation immigrant in Miami in the early 70s. It matters not one whit if one can "pass" or not. I'm definitely in the paleface side of things with light brown hair (what's left of it anyway) and hazel eyes. My wife is whiter than your tio and has green eyes. But our last name ends in a "z" and that's enough to get the dirty looks. Racism has an uglier face to it when the other side realizes you're not one of them and the treatment changes on a dime. For those who are brown or darker, they see you coming from a mile out and are ready for you.

The workplace can be an interesting phenomenon when they realize you're more qualified, have more talent and possess a better education than them. Sorry, I don't buy the argument that "we've come a long way baby". We're no more integrated now than we were in 1861. Don't believe me? Just go back to the 2nd Dem debates when Kamala slammed Biden with the busing rhetoric. This shouldn't be an issue in 2019.

Yup. Lay those bars down. We always have had to hustle harder, even in 2019.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I’m saying, why here instead of Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, Norway, France, Netherlands, Denmark, New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, China, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Ireland, South Korea or Russia for example?

I understand why they leave where they’re at. But why spend $5K-$15K USD and risk deportation or death when all those other countries exist?

Immigrants are moving to many of the countries you mentioned here. However, those immigrants are escaping war torn and oppressive countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, rather than Latin America.

 

[N_LaRUE]

Immigrants are moving to many of the countries you mentioned here. However, those immigrants are escaping war torn and oppressive countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, rather than Latin America.

You forgot Africa as well...

 

[N_LaRUE]

I'll stay out of immigration debate for the most part but I'll provide my two cents worth.

I'm as white as can be. So I've not had any of the issues anyone with differences have had. The closest I've come to personal racism and made to feel different was from living in the UK.

So my experiences are not anywhere near what others have experienced.

There is enough evidence to show that immigration is good for countries and the vast majority who immigrate want to contribute positively to society. In western countries immigration is needed. That is truth.

As a person who has a scientific mind, racism makes zero sense to me. We're all human just slightly different in looks and culture.

That's all I can really say. I treat others how I wish to be treated. How you look doesn't matter to me.

 

[worldspy99]

I'm out and about and totally swamped with the latest acquisition.

But I will chime in at some point in detail.
Bottom line is that racism is alive and well.
The proof is the current POTUS - that's the reason he got elected. The Caucasians in the USA are afraid of being just one of the guys instead of the guys in charge.

 

[libra89]

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts. This week including my last post has been a lot on me so I didn't feel like expending my energy on why some of what has been shared bothers me.

My thoughts mirror MIA's. I have issues with the "you have a choice, why stay?" argument. As already said by another, a lot of immigrants do come and want to improve society and themselves.

While I did not personally immigrate from another country, my parents did. I have seen a lot of backwardness towards my parents and me by proxy over the years. Because of their work and sacrifice, I am able to enjoy (general statement) the economic privileges they have worked for. I have no student loans, which is uncommon for my group (millennials) right now.

My father and mother have dealt with so much racism in their professions (my father experienced it from coworkers, and my mother was in healthcare so I don't need to go there with insults she has heard, due to accent). Even though they worked hard and their good work is acknowledged, it's still a thing.

This is a long post so I will stop now. The tl;dr summary is, it doesn't matter if you worked yourself up there. We can't hide our skin or last name. I don't get it as much anymore but every now and then, someone tells me that they are surprised that I don't have an accent

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Racism has never left America. For me, it goes through cycles of being overt and covert, but it has always been alive and well. Even in the most liberal of places if you press in the right spot, it shows up. Lots of people say "we're in 2019/we elected a black US president, so we should be past that" ;I say if we were past that, the commander in thief wouldn't have been elected.

I watch my friends, family members and colleagues have children and I seriously wonder: What kind of world lies before them? Are we really doing enough to equip our brown people to navigate these minefields and how to reach across the aisle and work with the non browns who share similar values?

The truth of the matter is that we still letting old non browns in power who will be dead before the bills for the cluster****s they're writing now comes time to be paid. They're selling the same narrative of digging into their positions of privilege to their offspring, who may be even less equipped to navigate the difficult challenges that lay ahead due to a sense of eternal entitlement. It's gonna get ugly really quickly once the snowball starts rolling downhill.

Not trying to preach doom and gloom here, but I gotta call life in 'Murica for what it is - living in a glass house on a hill in the direct path of an incoming hailstorm. Just have to work and prepare and hope more people get on board with the collective beneficial changes that need to be made.

 

[fatclue_98]

I'll stay out of immigration debate for the most part but I'll provide my two cents worth.

I'm as white as can be. So I've not had any of the issues anyone with differences have had. The closest I've come to personal racism and made to feel different was from living in the UK.

So my experiences are not anywhere near what others have experienced.

There is enough evidence to show that immigration is good for countries and the vast majority who immigrate want to contribute positively to society. In western countries immigration is needed. That is truth.

As a person who has a scientific mind, racism makes zero sense to me. We're all human just slightly different in looks and culture.

That's all I can really say. I treat others how I wish to be treated. How you look doesn't matter to me.

Agreed, racism makes no sense. I taught my autistic daughter never to consider a person’s skin color. I explained to her that just as there are black dogs and white dogs, they’re still dogs and it’s the same with people. It’s probably the thing I’m most proud of doing, she runs up to any black, white or brown person for a hug as if nothing. She describes people by the color of their hair rather than their skin. If only it were so simple.

 

[libra89]

Agreed, racism makes no sense. I taught my autistic daughter never to consider a person’s skin color. I explained to her that just as there are black dogs and white dogs, they’re still dogs and it’s the same with people. It’s probably the thing I’m most proud of doing, she runs up to any black, white or brown person for a hug as if nothing. She describes people by the color of their hair rather than their skin. If only it were so simple.

What a powerful analogy! That sounds so sweet that she does that.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

The argument isn’t why stay in USA now. The argument isn’t why leave your current situation and/or country.

The question is why if this country is so awful, racist, greedy, whatever “supposedly everyone dislikes”, why are people choosing to come here to USA instead of the different 20+ countries, I listed.....

If things are so better elsewhere, than why not choose that elsewhere over this here...... I’m happy that my parent chose here... I’m saying it’s far be it from perfect... But if spending the money it costs to come here and hostility is perceived, wouldn’t a supposedly friendlier country or people make a better choice? If a parent of mine chose today instead of almost sixty years ago, would USA be the first choice?

 

[MSFTisMIA]

The argument isn’t why stay in USA now. The argument isn’t why leave your current situation and/or country.

The question is why if this country is so awful, racist, greedy, whatever “supposedly everyone dislikes”, why are people choosing to come here to USA instead of the different 20+ countries, I listed.....

If things are so better elsewhere, than why not choose that elsewhere over this here...... I’m happy that my parent chose here... I’m saying it’s far be it from perfect... But if spending the money it costs to come here and hostility is perceived, wouldn’t a supposedly friendlier country or people make a better choice? If a parent of mine chose today instead of almost sixty years ago, would USA be the first choice?

You're missing the ENTIRE point. EVERYONE who comes here as an immigrant does so because they feel where they are coming from for their specific individual situation has a WORSE quality of life. I've NEVER met anyone who said "my quality of life is better in my own country, but I'll come to the US instead." The people who choose to come to the US looked at all those countries and stated that coming to the US was the best choice for them. It's that simple.

Not everyone wants to or does come here. If everyone did, the population would be 6+ billion, instead of the current 300+ million.

There are countries that have WORSE situations out there. That's why people come here. I will speak for me and state that if I could have the same quality of life I have now in the US in my country of birth, I wouldn't have come here. It's the same argument of why some people within a country move from one place to the next (rural to urban, etc).

Comparatively for some things, coming here is an improvement. What we are talking about is how to make a relatively good situation here BETTER by working on some of the key flaws (or the costs immigrants face): institutionalized racism, improving immigration policy and border control.

 

[fatclue_98]

The argument isn’t why stay in USA now. The argument isn’t why leave your current situation and/or country.

The question is why if this country is so awful, racist, greedy, whatever “supposedly everyone dislikes”, why are people choosing to come here to USA instead of the different 20+ countries, I listed.....

If things are so better elsewhere, than why not choose that elsewhere over this here...... I’m happy that my parent chose here... I’m saying it’s far be it from perfect... But if spending the money it costs to come here and hostility is perceived, wouldn’t a supposedly friendlier country or people make a better choice? If a parent of mine chose today instead of almost sixty years ago, would USA be the first choice?

Playing the odds. The combined population of those 20 countries is probably equal to or less than the US. Hispanics can get lost in Miami, LA or NYC due to the sheer numbers. Not so much in Bum****, Iowa. The odds of hearing “go back to where you came from” is decidedly less in places with higher concentrations of your own kind.

Which by the way, unless you have feathers in your hair, nobody has any right to say that.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Playing the odds. The combined population of those 20 countries is probably equal to or less than the US. Hispanics can get lost in Miami, LA or NYC due to the sheer numbers. Not so much in Bum****, Iowa. The odds of hearing “go back to where you came from” is decidedly less in places with higher concentrations of your own kind.

Which by the way, unless you have feathers in your hair, nobody has any right to say that.

What I like with the "go back to where you came from" argument I like to counter with is "I'll leave as soon as you get your *** off the stolen land here and back to Europe first."

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Picked up a new watch band that arrived today. Really liking it so far.

It's a Grey Resin band. I'm waiting for the mods to do approve the pics. It's pretty light and blends in nicely with watch. I love the black leather band but I wanted something a bit different but subtle as a change of pace.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

So I like the new computer so far. The screen is as dim as all hell, and I knew that going in. It's also a finger oils magnet. I need to get a sleeve, a pen, a keyboard cover and a black decal skin (carbon fiber preferred) for the lid. The screen protector I bought was an inch too big at the bottom, so I'll trim the replacement. It does seem fast and powerful enough for what I want it to do.

 

[worldspy99]

So I like the new computer so far. The screen is a dim as hell, and I knew that going in. It's also a finger oils magnet. I need to get a sleeve, a pen, a keyboard cover and a black decal skin (carbon fiber preferred) for the lid. The screen protector I bought was an inch too big at the bottom, so I'll trim the replacement. It does seem fast and powerful enough for what I want it to do.

Mine was delayed due to weather. We're out of town so I paid UPS $5 to deliver on Monday instead.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Mine was delayed due to weather. We're out of town so I paid UPS $5 to deliver on Monday instead.

Gotcha. I was lucky enough to have left with mine directly from the store. It was totally unplanned, but I'm glad I did. I'll fully set it up once I get those accessories.