Do white people have a mostly positive or negative effect on America?

[Mark1031]

What is your initial reaction to this question? Anger, amusement, confusion? OK how about this question:

As you know U.S. Census projections indicate that African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and other racial and ethnic minority groups are likely to become a majority by 2043. Do you think the impact of this demographic change will be mostly positive or mostly negative?

Do you have the same reaction as this one that was professionally polled and is essentially saying do you think racial minorities have a positive or negative effect on America? Does the preface about demographics make it more legitimate, less offensive? Is either question offensive?

Anyway, someone polled the white people question on twitter and got some very angry responses and wrote about it here. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-poli...44/racial-diversity-poll-twitter-white-people

 

[Birdjaguar]

It depends upon how you score positive/negative. Money, economy, social issues, education issues, cultural issues, etc. You also have to consider some specific time frame: last 10 years, last 30 years, last 50 years, last 100 years etc. Without some parameters, any answer is too simplistic to have real meaning. Good question though.

 

[Hygro]

I think most people have a positive effect and white people are people too.

 

[Ryika]

Does Vox have a mostly positive effect on America?

[ ] Yes
[x] No

 

[Synobun]

It is a loaded question in which the answer is unhelpful.

The comparison isn't sound. They are asking different things.

 

[Mark1031]

This is not really an exercise in assigning value to people based on race. It is more about the social constructs we have in our heads. So my first response to the question with the demographic preamble is that it seems like a perfectly reasonable social political question. Things like will this trigger more racial resentment, what is the economic impact, effect on social cohesion etc. occurred to me. All make it seem like a reasonable thing to think about. The second on white people caught me by surprise and made me chuckle. Why? I think this means I unconsciously framed it as white people are the default person in the US so unquestionably positive and other groups are a scientific curiosity to be considered for their impact on the default US person.

 

[Cutlass]

Good to see you again, Mark.


Despite the fact that conservative Americans keep doing horrible things, I'm still a F*** Yea America kind of guy. I think America has done vast good for the world. Without discounting the bad which has been done, and continues to be done. I think it's a neutral thing that America is becoming less white. Except that it may have a positive in making America less conservative.

 

[Zkribbler]

Not a well thought out question. White people are not a unified group.
I believe people should be judged by the content of their character not the color of their skin.

 

[Berzerker]

dont matter to me what my neighbor looks like, how they think and act does matter and race or skin color is quite irrelevant

jerks come in all colors, so do good people

 

[Valka D'Ur]

dont matter to me what my neighbor looks like, how they think and act does matter and race or skin color is quite irrelevant

jerks come in all colors, so do good people

Exactly.

There are a lot of non-white people in the building I live in. Some were born here, some immigrated, and some were refugees. I've had issues with some white neighbors and some non-white neighbors. Mostly it's been due to excessive noise and their kids running around the halls (which is a violation of their lease; kids are not allowed to do that). And once was a case of their kitten coming over to my balcony to get away from the excessive noise she had to live in (four people constantly crying, screaming, and yelling).

 

[Berzerker]

I should correct myself, what my neighbor thinks aint really relevant, just how they act - but the two are somewhat linked.

poor kitty

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I should correct myself, what my neighbor thinks aint really relevant, just how they act - but the two are somewhat linked.

poor kitty

Indeed. I should clarify: the kitten came over fairly often throughout that summer and fall. I'd let her in on the really hot days, to make sure she could drink and use a litter box (the neighbors would often let her out on the balcony and then take off somewhere; I'd leave them a note on the door saying, "Your cat is visiting me; come and get her when you get home").

Some people have said that their cat was not my responsibility, but I couldn't have just stood by and watched her out there, without anything to drink and she'd sometimes ask to come in since she was hungry and thirsty, or just wanted a quiet place to be.

Maddy and Chloe weren't very happy about it; Maddy in particular had her nose out of joint, and in fact her hissing at the kitten through the balcony window was the first indication that there was even something going on. I was flabbergasted when I looked outside (expecting a bird) and instead found a kitten who could only have come from next door.

I might have offered to adopt her, if my lease had allowed it and if Maddy hadn't been so upset. That's why it's taking so long (over a year) to decide about getting another cat after Chloe died last year. I don't want a cat feud, so I really wish Maddy could sit with me while I browse the adoption ads and tell me which cat she would like as a new friend - she misses Chloe, misses having a cat friend, but it's hard for me to know how to make everything work out.

 

[Berzerker]

Thats too bad about Chloe, after 30+ years in one place we dug a dozen or so graves. If I sell the place I'll have to let the new owner know where not to dig.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Thats too bad about Chloe, after 30+ years in one place we dug a dozen or so graves. If I sell the place I'll have to let the new owner know where not to dig.

Thank you, Berzerker.

When I moved from the house to my apartment, I left a note to explain that there were four cat graves in the back yard, and which trees they were under, and please don't disturb them.

I don't know if that was respected. I hope so, but unfortunately some people don't respect pets' graves.

I had Chloe cremated, as I no longer have anywhere to give my cats a respectful burial when they die.

 

[Hehehe]

As you know U.S. Census projections indicate that African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and other racial and ethnic minority groups are likely to become a majority by 2043. Do you think the impact of this demographic change will be mostly positive or mostly negative?

It depends. Positive or negative in terms of what, exactly? In terms of crime rates, it will be a negative change. In terms of budget impact, it's going to be a negative change. In fact, in terms of pretty much everything, it's going to be a negative change (I'd love to argue this in detail with statistics, but I'd probably have to have every statistic pre-approved by a moderator).

But US will be better off in terms of diversity, and you can't put a price on diversity so it's all going to be worth it. Besides, all it takes is socially engineering a new multicultural man free of racism and all the negative effects of diversity will disappear. I'm sure that's doable, it seems to be working so well already

 

[Kyriakos]

Depends on who "white people" are.
If greek, spanish, italian etc americans: they have a positive effect
If white is only germanics: negative effect, cause of slavery and ongoing racism etc etc

 

[Zelig]

I bet America would be improved if you were to magically turn all the white people black overnight.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Depends on who "white people" are.
If greek, spanish, italian etc americans: they have a positive effect
If white is only germanics: negative effect, cause of slavery and ongoing racism etc etc

Do we have to remind you that modern Italians are descended from people who were part of Ancient Rome, and the Romans very definitely owned slaves?

There aren't many areas of the planet that didn't have slavery at some time in history.

 

[Kyriakos]

Do we have to remind you that modern Italians are descended from people who were part of Ancient Rome, and the Romans very definitely owned slaves?

There aren't many areas of the planet that didn't have slavery at some time in history.

Oh come on, wasn't it obvious i was joking?
Aren't you also "germanic"? I don't view you as racist. Though i do view you as cat-ist

 

[luiz]

I think the Native Americans were a bit upset when they became the minority in their own land