RANT!!! (very long)

[RayLCC]

When the ex-wife was picking up the kids this morning she mentioned that there are signs up along Federal Blvd saying there would be traffic problems from 5/5 to 5/8. THREE DAYS!!! Three days a major artery of the city will be impassable due to one group of people who want to celebrate their "heritage". Fine. Give me an example from a hundred years ago in Mexico City where local youths got in their covered wagons and drove their horses around the town square to celebrate and I'll give you the heritage argument.
The reason this angers me so much, (aside from having to reroute all my driving plans... its not just Federal thats affected.) is that I could call myself... and have been called a hispanic. I've never been comfortable with that as I was raised outside the hispanic community and being a half-breed was always subject to scorn from hispanics in general. I have a tan year round and brown eyes and thick brown hair.(when I have hair) I'm not Mexican, aside from vacations my family's never spent much time there. So we don't celebrate cinco de mayo. But I'm considered a Mexican. If I moved to Florida I'd be a Puerto Rican. I'm ok with that. My real rant... The part I don't understand is stereotypes. I dont live my life as a crusader to change people's opinions of hispanics. I live my life as honestly and fairly as possible. I help everyone I can, when I can and generally try to be a good person and let people think what they will. I'm not blind to the fact that there is predjudice towards hispanics.(I also believe that a lot of it is well deserved.) This is what I see as sad about cinco de mayo. There are good people who work hard all year and are honest decent and law abiding and then for a few days a year thousands of idiots get together and prove to the predjudiced that they were right all along to think the way they do. And I know I'm not the only mexican (or psudo-mexican) who feels this way. Have a parade, have a party with all your friends, have fun! But don't go make an ass of yourself and make everybody who looks like you pay as well.

[mattadams]

If you think thats a long rant, you've obviously never read one of my "true" rants where I really get on a soap box... LOL.
I agree though, I'm not hispanic, and I'd be offended by how some of them act. To me, celebrating ones heritage is fine (although really, all they did was beat the french at a war, and how hard is it to beat the french? LOL) but not when it means shutting down a major street in town for days on end, and giving everyone a negative impression of your race. I work with a few hispanic people and have had hispanic friends in the past, and a lot of them feel the same way as you do... that it's embarassing to their race. To me, its as embarassing as the white skinheads that go torturing and murdering black people, simply because they aren't white. That's a bit extreme, but you get the idea... it's embarassing to be associated with those people simply because of the color of your skin or whatever.

I guess they think of "cruising" as part of their "heritage" because cars are such a huge part of many hispanic's culture. I went out to California for a car show a few years back, and went to another one while I was there... one that was put on by one of hte local gangs... supposedly the "good gang", forget the name of it, Good Guys or something like that, but it was interesting to say the least, to be at a car show with 95% hispanics. Apaprently the show had a history of violence, there was a shooting there the year before that had started when soemone accidentally bumped into someone elses car while taking a picture of another car, no damage was done but it was seen as a threat or something... but I digress...

I am not a racist person, though I do occasionally make a race-based joke, but hopefully everyone knows I"m only kidding its not how I really feel. I believe there are black people, and I believe there are <insert racial black name> just like I believe there are white people and there are white trash.

[RayLCC]

Thank you, Matt. I figured when I posted my thoughts that People would either agree with me or beat me with the P.C. club for daring to have an opinion that doesn't follow the herd.

[mattadams]

we're not exactly politically correct...
I personally find it kind of insulting to wave a flag from a country you aren't living and drape it over your car, like I said I wouldn't do it in another country and find it offensive when it is done here. Like you know what, if you like Mexico so much why the hell are you living here? I know a lot of people with italian heritage, or greek heritage, etc. that wouldn't dream of doing the same, and I'm sure they beat the french at some war too. LOL.
But whatever.

[clavos]

I agree with both of you, and very well written Ray. I have a couple of beefs as well. The other day I saw a business flying the Mexican flag above the American. Its fine if they want to fly it, but in America, it goes below the American flag. And second, whats with all this hispanic stuff? Call it like it is, Mexicans from Mexico, Cubans from Cuba, etc, etc..... very few of these "hispanics" can trace their roots to Spain.

[mattadams]

I agree with both of you, and very well written Ray. I have a couple of beefs as well. The other day I saw a business flying the Mexican flag above the American. Its fine if they want to fly it, but in America, it goes below the American flag. And second, whats with all this hispanic stuff? Call it like it is, Mexicans from Mexico, Cubans from Cuba, etc, etc..... very few of these "hispanics" can trace their roots to Spain.
And why the heck are white people called anglo-saxons. I'd like to make a visit to my homeland of anglo, but I have no idea where it is. LOL.

[Tray]

We're not anglo-saxons, we're asians. Caucasians to be exact, but asian nonetheless.

[mattadams]

Where the heck is caucasia?

[CNTRYCOWBOY]

Directly up your ass you racist bastard!!!!!



































ha ha, just kidding!! :banana:

[RayLCC]

I agree with both of you, and very well written Ray. I have a couple of beefs as well. The other day I saw a business flying the Mexican flag above the American. Its fine if they want to fly it, but in America, it goes below the American flag. And second, whats with all this hispanic stuff? Call it like it is, Mexicans from Mexico, Cubans from Cuba, etc, etc..... very few of these "hispanics" can trace their roots to Spain.

I agree about the flags. What bugs me is when I call a business and the automated answering thing picks up and gives instructions in spanish first, then in english. I hang up and if at all possible use a different company. As far as tracing roots, I had a friend who was into geneology. (I think thats how its spelled) He was also a hard-core mexican that thought it didn't matter if you had flaming red hair, green eyes and you're name was O'malley. If you could get even a minor tan in the summer you were a mexican. I toled him I was spanish and he did the research to prove my wrong and ended up proving me right. (before that I didn't really know, it was just what I had been toled.) Being called hispanic never bothered me, it was the popular names that bugged me. As soon as I got used to chicano I find out that that's not right. It's latino. Next week it will be something else. As a half-breed its even more confusing. I used to be a Chic-honky... Now I'm a Honk-tino! :roll: :lol:

[BLOODBANE]

I hate to say it, but no one else has-----if your born here your nothing but western capitalist devils w/whatever heritage (you know AMERICAN!!!!!). like some have said why do I have to keep hearing the race-card, because of the color of my skin? Some black people bring up slavery, O.K. I get it already, but it happened over how many years ago? I wasn't there alright! Your parents werent there my parents werent there. Just because I have German ancestry does that make me responsible for Hitler? NO!!!!! Treat me how you see fit and I will make up my mind on what to call you, either friend, enemy, or some kind of new and inventive slander about you. But it will be based on how you treat me, not the color of your skin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
O.K. I step off of the soap box also.......

[Walking Eagle]

Directly up your ass you racist bastard!!!!!


ha ha, just kidding!! :banana:

That response got a good laugh out of me.

[clavos]

When I worked at the City of Albuquerque, they came around with their ethnicity survey. I convinced everybody to turn them in marked Native American as we were all born in America, and therefore natives. We recieved new forms about 3 weeks later, and did it again.

[Tray]

Good idea Niels. Think I may use that description in the future.

[mattadams]

I like the idea. Heath used to get pissed at me because when we were talking about our history and our "race" and so forth I always say I am an american. I'm not greek, I'm not french or german, or spanish, or hispanic, I'm american. My parents didn't come here on a boat, nor did there parents, or there parents before them. We've been here enough generations to not be able to remember when we came over, so therefore, I'm an American :).

[RayLCC]

I like the idea. Heath used to get pissed at me because when we were talking about our history and our "race" and so forth I always say I am an american. I'm not greek, I'm not french or german, or spanish, or hispanic, I'm american. My parents didn't come here on a boat, nor did there parents, or there parents before them. We've been here enough generations to not be able to remember when we came over, so therefore, I'm an American :).
Well said. And I love buffalo burgers, so I'd make a great Native American. "Like the clever and resourceful Indian I let nothing go to waste. I use every part of the cheeseburger." :wink: