Yes that's why I'll never understand why you like the left and their policies so much. They have run cities into the ground. Its also why I get so tired of whites or republicans being called racist all the time since I grew up in a black neighborhood and I had to fight quite often or had my stuff stolen just cuz I'm white. Racism works all around and that's why I go off a lot.
Woodlawn? I have heard of it. What part of Balt is that in?
I'm also so sorry to hear about your brother and father. Life just isn't easy and be cruel in so many diffren ways. I'm glad you shared so I can understand you in the proper light cuz I sure as hell wasn't before.
Do me a favor tho please lighten up on calling people ignorant tho cuz you don't know me neither and the experiences and things I've been thru. I've been given nothing.
I mean, Republicans haven't really done much for poor people or lower classes, either. But truthfully, for me, the bigger issue, which will never resolve itself in all likelihood, is the fact that the drastic change that would need to occur takes more than eight years. You would need like five, six terms of a Republican/Democrat president(s) with the same exact view and a Congress willing to work with those views to actually see if these plans would or wouldn't work. Sure, sometimes something drastic (Stimulus Bill comes to mind) can work, but you can't always been in a position to make these drastic changes and with so many moving parts in government and presidents working to unravel what their predecessor did... Just really hard to get anything.
As for racism, I think that's very much rooted in the south. If you're deep south east, you're against blacks and if you're south west, you hate Mexicans. Obviously a generalization, but just given the history of the south (the Civil Rights Movement was just 50 years ago) and the immigration in the SW, racism is just more prevalent. And those states tend to vote more red, so people just put two and two together. Not saying all conservatives are racist and not all liberals are not racist, but just that the ideology residing in those states will lead to people lumping conservatives into that category.
Now, for why I consider myself liberal- I'm just much more concerned with the social issues, such as gay marriage rights, civil rights across races, pro life, second amendment restrictions, etc. Also, I do align with ideas such as higher taxes on the rich (or simply closing so many damn loopholes) being a necessary way to create infrastructure and thus jobs in the US. Just things like that. The social aspect is really the biggest for me, though.
Honestly, I couldn't tell you. Not a good part; that's for sure. I remember my brothers saying on their first day of school (two oldest are twins) that two girls got into a fight and one pulled out a razor and cut the others face. I remember once hearing that a girl got raped in the stairwell during school hours. One of my brothers had his locker broken into and all his CDs were stolen. Just crap like that. My parents were not about to let a girl go to that school and VA has much better public schools.
You would be very much correct to say that I am very fortunate to live in Williamsburg (and Blacksburg during college). I enjoyed my time in Baltimore, but I don't miss the danger that was ever present and the schools here are generally really well ranked, so I feel like I got a good education, so it worked out well for me.
My brother got into drugs and partying in Baltimore and it followed him here to Williamsburg and during college, he just kinda fell back into that same crowd type and it just spiraled more out of control when our dad died. Really shitty, but I just have to try to take it one day at a time.
The only reason I was calling you ignorant (and it has nothing to do with your stances) was that the last time we talked, I think you called me a hater(?) for my thoughts and when you made it an us-vs-them type scenario, I thought back to that and I thought it was going to go down that road again.
The thing is, if you said I would disagree with their stance, you would be correct. If a celebrity came out speaking for pro-life, I would voice my disagreement with it, but ultimately, they have a platform and if that issue is near and dear to them, then shoot, they have a much better opportunity to reach people than I do. Might as well use it.
For example, I think Ray Lewis is a really big conservative and met with Trump. I wasn't like, "Lewis, you were a football player, stay in your lane and don't go into politics." Did it disgust me a lot that he was throwing his support behind Trump? Yeah, it did. But ultimately, he's another citizen and he has a choice and a voice.
The one time that I was very much on the side of leave politics out of your job is when that Kim... wha was her last name... the one who refused to sign marriage licenses to gays. That one was where I very much would have said to stay in her lane, but that was because her job is to sign over marriage licenses and she flat out refused to do her job.
The thing is, I don't dislike you or have anything against you for the views you have. We are both on the same side- the side that wants America to be better. We just disagree on how to get there and what is best for America. And that is what makes politics... well, politics.