Cozmo D

Still excited huh... why don't we try to keep your blood pressure down... You used the word "nucular" in comparison to the word I used, "irrespective." The problem with this is that "nucular" is not a word in writing, nor is it a word in pronunciation. You won't find it in the dictionary under "nucular" nor will you find it as an alternative phonetic pronunciation of the word "nuclear." However you will find "irrespective" in most dictionaries. And of course, as I've already explained, I know how to use the word, and employed it just fine in the context it is used. But... but I do admit that I failed to put it in bold as I regularly would. You guys know how fond I've grown of doing that... a little extra emphasis in case it wasn't properly conveyed by the "ir." Did you have other people do your homework for you when you were in college too? You know, you could have looked this up yourself... It would have saved you a little embarrassment... :therain: ← Embarrassed? Please! By a kid playing on the internet? None of this means anything to me. I stopped caring when I realized I was trying to engage in a serious conversation about race with a 21 year old! Now, put your daddy on the computer and run along and do your chores! There's a fine young man! :lolsign: :rofl:

For the record, I'm here because Tim ASKED me to come through. I've got a reputation on the other forums that I frequent for being willing to "argue with a stump", but I have a just as well earned reputation for admitting when I'm wrong and only arguing things that I know about. I've actually been a member here for a while, but since it's mostly fan talk here I've stayed out of it. I'm an admin at pmdawnonline.net as well as my own fan board and even there I don't participate in the fan stuff unless it's a question that I can answer or a thank you that I need to say. I guess I've just never cared but so much for fan stuff and hero worship. Now that I see that some of you like to get into some serious discussions I was actually planning to frequent here more often. Believe me, I know how to roll with the best of them and let it roll right off of my back as well, though I can be somewhat sensitive at times about my "loved ones", my family, my people and my music. I tend to get over it rather quickly though. However, if I sense that my presence is not wanted here, rest assured. As you said, I won't stick around. EZ, Coz

Awwwwww... :blush: :wiggle: Thanx sweet, I've missed ya! :1-say-yes: You've got a PM. :)

Just being persistent in an argument doesn't make you correct. :) ← No, no, no, he's absolutely wrong, but he get's some credit anyways. :) ← Yeah, trudat. He must be a Babylonian, 'cause he's got the babblin' on part down to a science! :lol:

Just being persistent in an argument doesn't make you correct. :)

It was a joke, and of course I was using a phonetic spelling of the word 'nuclear', as made popular by a certain chief executive that we all know. It wasn't meant to be taken literally, just to express that they are BOTH words that are only in use due to their popularity, not to their correctness. To use either makes you look poorly educated (or presidential)...or better yet... edumacated! :smart: If the best you can do in fishing for a retort is to pick on my joke, when it was YOU who ADMITTED using a word that was unacceptable in educated circles, all while you were trying to look soooooo smart, I suggest you just pack up your books and go home. Better yet, go call your daddy. I'm sure he and I could swap some stories about raising some smartass kids who THINK they're grown! :gettinjiggywitit:

That didn't say anything about wearing dreads means you can't date white people. ← Well... I think "hatred for the white race" may set some limits on relationships between the two races... Tim, if it is possible, could you post whatever media Common's statements are in or on. Rappers are starting to say more and more stupid things, and it's like... Et tu Common... ← "hatred for the white race" has nothing to do with the wearing of dreads. I'd also like to point out there are different groups of Rastafarians, so don't think all Rastas hate white people. ← No, all Rastas don't hate white people, just as all Jews don't forbid mixing with gentiles. However, perhaps the Rastas that do hate white people consider those that don't not to be true Rastas, just as the Ultra Orthodox Jews shun the Jews that allow mixing. :shrug: The Rastafarian movement WAS founded on racial grounds though, so it just makes sense that those Rastas who are purists would be more than a little upset at dreadlocked black men dating white women. Again, my question to ANYONE who would don dreads, why would you emulate the most visible aspect of a religion if you did not wish to IDENTIFY with that religion? Hmmmm.....? :stickpoke:

irregardless adv : disregardless; regardless; In spite of everything; without regard to drawbacks; a combination of irrespective and regardless sometimes used humorously It's not standard English, but it is indeed a word... one that's actually quite widely used to stress points, as I was doing, irrespective of the obvious double negative. It's not a word I would use in a thesis or on a job application, but then again, this is a Jazzy Jeff-Fresh Prince messageboard... Now I understand that the matters that we have been discussing can be quite volatile, but don't get too excited and lets not make personal attacks. At the end of the day, this is still the internet. You will have your strong beliefs, I will have mine, but never assume that you know anything about me and never presume to lecture me. You have no idea where I've been, what I've seen, what I've experienced or who I've experienced it with. No idea where I've traveled or what experiences have brought me to the place that I am now. Please don't pretend to. It simply leads to a back and forth that adds nothing to the original debate. As for experience being the best teacher, that's actually true, however I offer a caveat. Even as some students fail to learn from the best teachers, some people fail to learn even from the most profound experiences. It's not so much having the experiences as it is learning from them. Intellectual judo is fun, but you don't really want to go in that direction with me. It wouldn't be fair for others who would much rather discuss the topic of this thread, and it wouldn't be fair to you. ← Wouldn't be fair to me? Who's making assumptions now. Irregardless is a word just as much as nucular is. Bring it on kid! I was correcting my college professors 7 years before you were born! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

The real shame is that black people will always look at the world through race tinted glasses, not because they are forced to but because that's what they choose to rely on. Things are always made into an issue of race, irregardless of the facts, irregardless of the situation. The problem is not that we stand up for equality in all facets of society. It is not that we create controversy when controversy is what is needed. It is not that we show outrage and speak the truth when the situation calls for it. Those are noble and courageous things. Those are the things that many of our predecessors fought and sacrificed their lives for. The problem arises when we, in our quest to be "enlightened," cheapen their sacrifices with ignorant accusations and unproven theories, when we let our bias get in the way of our better judgement. The problem is when we think the worst without proof or just rationale and when we create controversy at a time when it is the last thing the situation calls for. If we, as a people are to conquer racism, we need to remain vigilant, yet at the same time, we need to remain credible. If we cry "racism" where there is none, if we scream "discrimination" where there is none, looking foolish on national television isn't the biggest thing we'll have to worry about. ← Son, please do not presume to lecture me on race, something that you obviously know very little about. Get out and see the world first, or at least go out and experience some of the many different cultures that make up this great nation of ours. You were born after most of the great racial battles of this nation were fought and won, so don't think that the books you've read or the TV shows that you've seen have equipped you to tell those of us who have witnessed and fought in those battles the way things are. Yes, it's true that intelligence is not measured in years, but it's also true that experience is the best teacher. The world can seem mighty simple and safe behind that monitor in your nice little room in your mommy and daddy's house. Do not presume to battle intellects with me either. By the way... irregardless is not a word.

Nope, I've never met any of them, though I know a LOT of people who know them all very well, especially JJFP.

No spin. Kanye voiced an accusation. Not a concern. If Martial Law was to be fully implemented in NO, shoot to kill orders would have been the same. The shoot to kill orders were passed down by the governor of Louisiana, not the federal government. The decision is certainly not arbitrary. There is hard evidence that the step was needed, regardless of the race of the people. If buildings set on fire by arsonists and shootings taking place in the streets aren't evidence of the need for such a measure, what is? Troops aren't roaming around shooting people taking food. They are trying to keep the peace in a place where lawlessness is hindering search and rescue efforts. There have been no reports of troops shooting victims, innocent people, or people taking food. I have heard of troops shooting and killing men who shot at navy core of engineer workers and stopping arsonists. In hindsight, they have done an excellent and fair job in reestablishing some level of peace in NO. Why is it that people are afraid to look at the whole picture. So then I ask you, how was the mayor of NO's slow response prior to and after the disaster OVERTLY RACIST. HE IS BLACK! If the entire situation in New Orleans is overtly racist, his action, or lack thereof have to be grouped with the rest of the failures as overtly racist. However, the problem with this is that he is black. Now if he were of a different race, it is almost a certaintly that someone somewhere would attribute his failure to act immediately as having to do with race. Unfortunately, what you don't seem to understand is that there is no evidence of racism in the events and failures in New Orleans. Your argument seems to intimate that racism is "so imbedded in the crux of the American System" that even if there is no evidence for such an accusation in the case of New Orleans, racism is what we will blame the failures of the local and federal governments of anyway; because black people are involved, racism has to play a role. ← I just addressed everything you replied in the very post you replied to. Obviously, you don't believe that anything is racist or has racial connotations unless somebody is burning a cross in the middle of it. Damm shame, because you appear to be intelligent. I won't waste my time with you any further.

Heheheheh...YOU, I like! :lolsign:

But, if you take an aspect of somebody's religion and turn it into a fashion statement, don't they have the right to complain about it? And from what I got from Hero's post, he's not saying that these black guys shouldn't date white girls, just that they should cut off their dreads if they do.

Then, you're calling ALL Rastafarians racist. It's WORSE in Australia! :stickpoke: ← 2 entries found for racist. rac·ism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rszm) n. 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race. Sounds like being racist to me. ← Fine, then you're calling Rastafarians racist. No skin off my nose. Just don't go wearing dreads and not expect them to complain about it. :1-say-yes:

Waitaminnit! You guys are talking about a current group calling itself Black Panthers?

Yeah, y'all just keep on warning him! :lolsign: Personally, I think he has a death wish, he's getting married in 2 days! Hey Tim, you ever seen the cartoon "Super Chicken" over there? "YOU KNEW THE JOB WAS DANGEROUS WHEN YOU TOOK IT!!!" :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

LOL!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I have to agree. I don't know if Common is racist, but I think that his ideology is totally off. ← Perhaps it's not his ideology, but he just respects the culture of others. Do you use the phrase "peace"? Did you know that phrase originated with Black Muslims and 5 Percenters? When I was a teen here in Brooklyn, if you used that phrase but couldn't break down your mathematics (5 Percent Ideology) you were liable to catch an ass whoopin.

I don't know if he is, but maybe he's pointing it out because it's true? I never understood why people would take something from a religion and simply adapt it because they think it looks cool. Suppose people started wearing yarmulkes for the fun of it, or priest's collars or nun's headdresses. Hey, how about we all run out and get the latest in Klan robes. :shake:

Then, you're calling ALL Rastafarians racist. It's WORSE in Australia! :stickpoke:

I don't think any of you actually understand the nuances of race in American culture, since you're not American. I also doubt that you have any insight into rastafarianism, which is where dreadlocks originated and what they are SUPPOSED to represent. Now, I have no knowledge of what Common said other than what Hero posted, but I will point out that he spoke about "blacks with dreadlocks", not blacks in general. He also said it was "going against what the dreadlock's purpose was", which is correct in the Rastafarian religion. It's akin to sporting Hasidic Jewish dress and hair but then eating pork and fornicating with gentiles. So, in essence, what he is objecting too is not that these black men are dating white women, but that they are desecrating Rastafarian Culture by wearing dreads while doing so. If you are calling him a racist for that then you should call every Rastafarian a racist as well, and every person that wears dreadlocks a racist sympathizer. ;)

And the connotations of the "refugee" label is now becoming apparent, as the governor of Texas is now talking about how his state cannot take in anymore "refugees". Imagine, an American state turning away American citizens. :ponder:

I think some of you guys are under the impression that this was just petty crime and shoot to kill orders are too strident. Lets clarify. Here's a short quote from ABC. Thousands of troops have struggled to counter armed looters and help tens of thousands of refugees flee New Orleans, where chaos reigns three days after Hurricane Katrina. Here is what the black mayor of Louisiana did... The lawlessness distracted from frantic efforts to evacuate the city, where Nagin took hundreds of exhausted police off search and rescue duties to fight the looting gangs. Does someone want to say that the mayor was motivated by race to go after these looters? Here's another quote... There were reports of gunbattles and rapes with gangs of looters and carjackers roaming in the streets and bodies lying by the roadside. Some helicopters bringing relief supplies were shot at and arsonists set fire to some of the few buildings still standing in the city. I just want to clarify that these weren't isolated incidents... One shooting here... one raping there... This was widespead. So when the governor of Louisiana (not the federal government) gives shoot to kill orders, I don't think she's being whimsical. Also, you asked why Kanye would need to balance what he said on air. He mentions that troops are being sent to shoot black people. Does he mention why troops have been given shoot to kill orders. This is where the bias becomes glaring. In the face of the arson, looting, raping and general unrest in the city, his beef is with the fact that troops are being sent in to regain order, even if they have to use force. He doesn't have any beef with those who are hindering relief efforts. The mayor of New Orlenes made mistakes. He too, like the federal government, was slow to act. He failed to evacuate much of his city. As a result, many people drowned in their homes. The mayor of New Orlenes is black. What are the racial connotations of his failure to act quickly? ← I don't know about "some of you people" but I understand completely what was going on. What YOU don't seem to understand is that black people realize that when the orders to shoot to kill are pointed in our direction we all tend to look alike. Almost every black American understands this, and Kanye was simply voicing this concern. I myself have not said and am not saying that ANYONE was racist. I would appreciate if you read what I write instead of making assumptive interpretations. What I am pointing out are the RACIAL IMPLICATIONS that are rife within the New Orleans situation. There may not have been a single racist person involved or a single racist act committed, but the entire SITUATION in New Orleans was OVERTLY, YET PERCEPTIBLY RACIST! They were almost all black, and were left to suffer and die for DAYS! They were almost all black, and those who COULD have saved them REFUSED because the situation was dangerous. They were almost all black, and the media and many of their fellow Americans are calling them refugees. They were almost all black, and THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES first ignores their suffering, then addresses it with an unmoving, smirking speech about law and order. Of course, white people will then say "but it could have happened to anybody"... but black people will answer, "but naturally it happened to us!" What you don't seem to understand is that racism is so deeply imbedded within our culture that it no longer needs racists to survive. Racism does NOT have to be intentional. Racism does NOT have to be institutional. Racism does NOT have to be personal. Racism does NOT even have to be directed. Racism is so imbedded in the crux of the American System and the depths of the American Psyche that it does not even have to be implemented, it simply implements itself!

Yes, in the case of Louisiana, the governor should be first in line for blame. The mayor needs to line up right behind her. But, the most DISGRACEFUL performance was given by our president! When we saw how the Mississippi coast was wiped out on TV he was nowhere to be seen. When the levee broke in New Orleans he broke out for a party. When outrage and outcry finally demanded that he make an appearance he gave a smiling, smirking speech about law and order. What a total waste of space!

Yes, Georges Bush in inept, but he doesn't seem to be racist. The govenment was stuck on stupid for the whole of 2 days. They will answer for their incompetence as well as the govenor or Louisiana and the mayor of Louisiana. The post was just too much to respond to, but I think I'll address this statement, and perhaps a few of the others at another time. I never said "since these black people are being attacked by black people they shouldn't be rescued" nor is that what I tried to convey, nor is that what I believe. The violence was brought up as a contrast with Kanye's statement that troops are being sent to shoot black people. Troops are being sent to quel the violence and to reestablish order in the city. People are shooting at rescue workers. That is unacceptable. Kanye's statement intimated that troops aren't needed and that they are just being sent down there to shoot and harass black people. That statement is utterly ludicrous given the violence and disorder than is taking place in the city. In hindsight, we can see that violence has decreased and that a certain level of order has been established in the city. Troops have not been needlessly shooting at and harassing black people. I'll leave it to some of you as to what to make of Kanye's statement now... ← Sorry MaxFly, I tried to make it clear that most of what I posted was C&Ps of my replies at other forums. Yes, people shooting at rescue workers is unacceptable. People shooting at ANYBODY is unacceptable. Kanye was reacting to the "shoot to kill" orders that were issued, because he and every other black American knows that when it comes down to us it's "shoot first, ask questions later". You said that Kanye should have balanced his remarks by adding a message to the criminals who were preying upon the victims. Why? First of all, why the hell would these degenerates listen to Kanye West or anybody else? Second, why is it that black people have to always address what other black people are doing wrong when they are complaining about being wronged themselves? Nobody else EVER has to do that. Kanye spoke what was on his mind and in his heart, and I applaud that. Yes, the choice of forum was poor, but it served as a wake-up call for some about how most of Black America is forced to view this. To think there are no racial connotations involved in this, whether intentional or not, is to stick your head in the sand.