Anyone who has non-American ancestral ties...

[Synful*Luv]

Anyone who has Un-American ancestry ties...

almost everyone can count a minimum of three generations, and usually substantially more than that. what disturbs me about your post is that you regard being american as a default when you are unable to delineate more exotic heritage. listen, i am american and i am even more proud of being american than my ability to pick out a nation i have never even been to and claim some sort of allegiance. if you think it's cool to be non-american or to always be american but not really because you're also this, this, and this, then i'd prefer not even have you in my country. it's a total cop out for responsibility and as pseudo revolutionary as you can possibly be.

i hope you vote.

The thing is, I just happen to know a lot of Americans who do not think of themselves in terms of an ethnicity, so I left it out. And there's nothing wrong with being "American" I don't know how that interpretation of my post came about and I apologize to anyone it might have read that way to. Your being proud to be American is the same as my being proud to be Afro-Latina or someone else being proud to be Canadian, etc. And sure, I can understand your point about people being proud to be from a place they've never been to, etc. But if that post what about me specifically, not only was I born in my own country, I also have dual citizenship here and the Dominican republic and residency in Haiti. So, i'm not blindly pledging allegiance to countries I know nothing of. I'm very much aware of the going-ons of both countries. I respect the fact that you're proud to be who you are, but you should be able to do the same in return. Respect the fact that someone else who lives in "your country" is proud to be whatever nationality or ethnicity that they are. I didn't think that my post in anyway sounded "Anti-American." And I do vote as well as encourage others to do so.

 

[The.Menace]

Some think I'm weird to be upset by what happened to the native Taino of my island by the French and Spaniard.....and i'm not mad really. But it bothers me that it did in fact happen. It bothers me that some felt it okay to wipe out an entire group of people in their own homes. It's a weird feeling that i've found it hard to explain to anyone who hasn't had a similar thing happen to their ancestors.

I completly understand your point here and yes, I do think a lot about the past and the cruel things that happend. Of course no one can change the past and so you are not supposed 2 be mad at anyone, but it would be nice to have at least an appology or some actions that are meant to show, that people know things were wrong back then. So basically, yeah, I do feel the same way.

 

[The.Menace]

Exactly... I can only be resonsible for me and my actions... If my ancestors raped and killed yours do you feel taking revenge on me would help?

Of course you can't be responsible for actions that happend ages ago.... but then again, ex Nazi coutries payed jews people millions for what was done for them in the past. Those that pay now taxes don't have nothing to do with the past neighter but still, everybody feels like it's just in this case for those countries to pay.... so, what do you think? Should nobody pay? If you feel like it's just to pay for Germany, you actually do think that people are responsible for the actions of the past, at least in a certain way. (responsible is the wrong word, like I said above, I'd considered it a try to show that people know that things that happend were wrong - and I consider it a good thing, I just think more countries should go through their history cause so much bs happend u know, it's not only the jews)

 

[Pittsey]

Of course you can't be responsible for actions that happend ages ago.... but then again, ex Nazi coutries payed jews people millions for what was done for them in the past. Those that pay now taxes don't have nothing to do with the past neighter but still, everybody feels like it's just in this case for those countries to pay.... so, what do you think? Should nobody pay? If you feel like it's just to pay for Germany, you actually do think that people are responsible for the actions of the past, at least in a certain way. (responsible is the wrong word, like I said above, I'd considered it a try to show that people know that things that happend were wrong - and I consider it a good thing, I just think more countries should go through their history cause so much bs happend u know, it's not only the jews)

Germany is modern history though... I don't blame German's of my generation for Hitler's actions... But a lot of Nazi's and their supporters are still living...


Same with Osama... I'm sure a lot of people would want him to pay for his crimes...

 

[Dante]

^^ and michael bolton

 

[Tekneek]

As I have blood from the oppressor (Spainards) and the oppressed (Native Americans, Africans & Irish), yeah it bothers me what happened, but if it didn't happen, I wouldn't be who I am (Spainards raping Africans and Native Americans=Puerto Ricans). Not to say it was right, but you just have to let go of the past sometimes. Also, I hate to generalize people, but it really bothers me that MOST white people still have subliminal racist tendencies. At least in the area I live in. For instance, just look at comments in any hip-hop related youtube video. Racism is still very alive.

 

[Tekneek]

............

 

[Pittsey]

^^ Of course Racism is still alive...

Be it a positive or negative discrimination... We will never get rid of racism.

 

[The.Menace]

Germany is modern history though... I don't blame German's of my generation for Hitler's actions... But a lot of Nazi's and their supporters are still living...

Sorry Pittsey, that's not true. We have the year 2007. The end of the Nazi regim was 1945. That's 62 years. But in order to be responsible you'd have at least to be 18 years old right, plus 1945 was the end...so bascially we are lookin for people that were at least 18 years old in around 1930-1945.... No, to say that a lot of the Nazi's and their supporters are still alive is wrong and if the are alive, they don't pay taxes, those that pay taxes right now are 30, 40, 50 years old and as shown before can't be hold responsible in your view....

Plus, what is modern history? When is something old enough to be forgotten?

Plus, do the US and the British owe money to the victims of crimes in Irak for example commited by the soldiers? Why not?

Does the US own Vietnam money? That war is even more recent that the second WW, people in Vietnam still suffer...for example form that use of Agent orange, today - today. People still die, today. Still the US doesn't feel responsible enough to pay money to Vietnam.....


The truth is simple in my opinion. Everyone is for reparations, as long other people pay. It's ok for Germany to pay cause they are the evil Nazis.... but as soon as it comes to everyone's own paycheck, it's suddenly history and no one can be responsible no more.