Re:All these race questions and how they impact the 2016 Democratic primary and general election

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Let me preface my remarks by saying you can learn more by listening than lecturing. If you are concerned about what people of color think why don't you just ask them, in real life, instead of asking members of the majority population what they think or what they should think.

I have had the two most fascinating conversations with Latinos, one from Chile and one from El Salavdor... They both started the conversation by asking me what I thought about Donald Trump. I said he was a racist. They both said they loathed him and elaborated.

Thank you.


Have a great day.
DemocratSinceBirth

[99Forever]

1. Why do you assume that the rest of us...

... don't communicate with our friends (guess what, lots of us have friends that are POC. Go figger, eh?) about what they think?

[DonViejo]

2. I don't know how you got the idea DemSinceBirth was assuming...

anything, 99Forever. I read her comment as little more than a fact of life, "you want to know what people of color are thinking, ask them." It's kind of like, if you want to know something about a car, you don't go to a roller skate manufacturer to do the learning. If anyone is assuming something, I think it is you. DemSinceBirth made no comment about white people not having friends that are PoC or communicating with friends; you did in your assumptions of what DSB wrote.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. DSB is a he and DSB is white. I never want to misrepresent myself.

Have a great day, compadre.

[DonViejo]

4. Oops. Please accept my apology...

I know you are white but, for some reason, I thought you were a woman. Sorry about that!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. No need to apologize.

You don't have internet vision.

[Cosmic Kitten]

9. Huh... me too? Wonder why we both got that impression?

Humble apologies DSB

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. Accepted...Have a terrific day...

[Thinkingabout]

6. Good point, also I noticed you did not preface your statement with "I have a lot of ----- friends.

Sure most of us has a broad field of different ethnic groups, in Houston we are very diversified population, in fact Caucasians are in the minority so I know many people of different groups. I get lots of input from different ethnic groups. I observed in the elections starting in 2008 from a election clerk point and found many people other than Caucasians was voting and was there to vote for Barack Obama. Harris County republican judges was defeated in big numbers because of the votes drawn in by Obama. It was a good year. If you don't think poc can not change the outcome of elections, just stick around and see the results. They are tired of the old angry white men who hate poc and are out to prove a point.

[ismnotwasm]

7. I think that's a great idea

I even check in my workplace co-workers--when appropriate, not everyone is political or wants to discuss it if they are-- it's a teaching hospital and VERY diverse. I also talk to people all over the economic scale. It's a good thing to listen to people from a variety of backgrounds. I believe it helps with understanding and dialogue, and listening to people of color enriches me far more than I can express.

[1StrongBlackMan]

8. But why listen when clearly I am right? ...

I hope I don't need this:

[London Lover Man]

10. I bet you threw Hillary into the mix without even mentioning Bernie..

Bernie does more for minorities than Hillary will ever dream of.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. I specifically didn't mention any candidates.

I speak for me, only. If I started pushing a candidate on someone I barely know that would make me a "lecturer" and not a "listener".

[yuiyoshida]

11. I agree with your Latino friends...

Donald Trump is clearly a Racist.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. One is a friend. The other was somebody I never met...

I met them in the sauna at the gym. Lots of interesting conversations there and since it's L A it's a diverse crowd... Lots of interesting convos about race but I notice the tone changes the more diverse it gets... That's not to suggest I hear a lot of racist comments because I don't but the tone still changes...But at least people are talking. That's important!!!


The guy that's a friend has a selfie he took with Mike Tyson when Tyson was working out at the gym I go to but I was never there at the same time.

[yuiyoshida]

15. I went with a friend once to the Gold's Gym

in Venice Beach. OMG, I was so nervous, because a huge bunch of Hollywood Celebrities go there to work out. So many of them, and I would see people I would recognize, and couldn't remember their name. It was weird though, because I got really self conscious using the equipment thinking some celebrity would run me off because, you know they are important, and have to get ready for some movie role. I didn't go crazy running around asking for autographs, cause I knew that was the wrong thing to do there. I told my friend, lets go..I don't want to be here...but I have to admit, I saw a lot of strong people, who were working out to compete in bodybuilding contests, and not that they were intimidating, but I didn't certainly want to be in their way... So we left, after a short work out and headed to another not so well known gym in the area.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. I go to the L A Fitness in Woodland Hills...

The only actor I regularly speak to there is Nestor Serrano but there are several people who work out there who are in the "business". I don't make it to Venice much because I don 't have a car...That's pretty far south of me. My friend who was a competitive bodybuilder did the whole Venice "Muscle Beach " thing in the late 70s when CA bodybuilding was at its apex with Arnold.

[yuiyoshida]

21. OmG..thats so cool, cause

My best friend used to live in Woodland Hills, there in the San Fernando Valley..and probably went to the same gym as you. She passed away about a year ago, from heart failure, but we think it was pain killer overdose.. she had been jogging one night with a friend and fell into a pothole and hurt her back really badly. She was taking those same drugs that Rush Limbaugh had been on, and told me she thought she was becoming addicted to them...I bet that is what killed her...I miss her badly..but she used to workout at one time and had a great physique.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

22. I am lucky...My gf and I live in a rent controlled apartment building near Warner Center.

I am lucky...My gf and I live in a rent controlled apartment building near Warner Center because it can be expensive to live here.


Sorry about your friend.

[Cheese Sandwich]

16. I talked with a bunch of mexicans yesterday

They had some interesting ideas.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

19. Would you like to share them with us ?

We learn by listening and observing.


Thank you in advance.

[calimary]

17. Two of our closest friends are from Mexico.

They're a couple. HE liked Obama in the primaries while SHE'd voted for Hillary. We all watched the 2008 Election Night coverage. We were all happy about the outcome.

We had a hilariously fun night. Everybody brought something topical for the buffet table. Arizona iced tea, Delaware punch and clam dip, Chicago-style pizza, and so forth. My contribution was the "Chocolate Moose" in honor of everybody's favorite, sarah palin.


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[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. Yeah, we had an election night party in 08 and a debate party too in 08.

[Mnpaul]

23. I used to work with immigrants from all over the world

We had two groups at the last job, mechanical and electrical. The mechanical group was mostly white with a few Hmong. Our electrical group had one guy from Liberia, one from Nigeria, two Somalis, two Hmong, one guy from Jamaica, one from Guatemala, one from Belarus, one from Guyana and two from America. It was like the UN every day at lunch. Most of them leaned left(the one from Belarus and the one from Guatemala were rabid RW'ers). The Somali was the most interesting one to talk to. He could always give the inside scoop on Somali leaders in the news.