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Racism in Buddhist America
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And, of course, sometimes I'm kinda whack (although not for the same reason many people are out here in Colorado...pot).
I beg to differ. I think SOME Americans have a preoccupation with guns. I've never known anyone anywhere who had a preoccupation with guns, and I've lived in 3 states. And I don't define hunting as having a preoccupation with guns. There's a high rate of hunting rifle ownership in Sweden and Norway, for example, and Germany and France. But those are the "cultural cousins" who you characterize as not having a preoccupation with guns.
So I don't know who, or where, all these gun-preoccupied Americans are. They're not anywhere, where I've lived. Oh, wait--certain neighborhoods in Oakland, CA. I'll give you that. And military and some ex-military like yourself and that mom who just got shot with her own gun by her 3-year-old toddler. She was in the military, and kept one of her guns under the living room sofa, right where a little toddler would find it.
But gun owners in the US are in the minority, and if you don't count those who only have hunting rifles, you're down to even a smaller minority. So the sweeping assumption that Americans have a preoccupation with guns is quite disputable.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/04/a-minority-of-americans-own-guns-but-just-how-many-is-unclear/
Some rather interesting poll research by Pew on the topic.
Unfortunately, institutionalized racism is harder to get rid of than simply teaching your kids to not pay attention to skin colour. It's integrated into the fabric of society and conditions us whether we want it to or not. I think it'd help to have people more conscious of if so that we can counter that conditioning and confront it, but that alone won't solve the problem.
Many white people don't seem to realize how privileged or non-discriminated against they are in our society compared to non-whites. Just recently, for example, the Portland Police Bureau (where I currently live) admitted that racism may actually be part of the persistent disparity between how often whites and blacks in Portland are stopped and then searched, with blacks and hispanics being twice as likely as whites to be stopped and searched yet were less likely to have drugs, alcohol, or weapons when searched. In fact, only 6% of the city’s population is black, but they account for about 1 in 5 of all pedestrian stops. And nationally, most of the black men in jail are there for drug offenses, offenses that white people statistically receive little-to-no jail time for.
Quite often, whites (including myself) don't notice or realize these things since we don't have to experience them on a daily basis. Privilege here doesn't mean everything's great if you're white, male, straight, etc. It doesn't mean you won't face hardships or harsh treatment from others. Ultimately, privilege manifests itself as a lack of discrimination that isn't always readily apparent until we take a broader look at Western society as a whole, or the historically classist, racist, and sexist socio-economic paradigm the US was founded upon in particular, which from the start was created by, and mainly for, white, heterosexual, Christian, male property owners.
That said, I've found that white people seem to have a tendency to automatically get defensive and declare they're not racist or privileged, resenting either implication, and/or invoke 'reverse racism' along with examples of blacks, hispanics, etc. being racist and unfair towards them. The problem, I think, is trying to get the average white person to realize just how pervasive racism still is in our society, as well as the kind of things non-whites have to endure that whites often don't, not to mention the power dynamic involved. As one person put it :
Many of the white people I've talked to about racism, for example, often point to affirmative action and complain that non-whites actually have an advantage in society, not realizing that affirmative action, as imperfect as it may be, was put into place because so many people (e.g., employers, colleges, etc.) were discriminating against blacks and other non-whites. It's simply an effort to make things more equal, attempting to counter the damage done from things like slavery, Jim Crow laws, etc.
Unfortunately, a lot of people assume that just because Jim Crow laws were overruled in the late 60s, racism must no longer be a problem, and that any non-white who isn't successful must simply be lazy or a born criminal since everything's handed to them on a silver platter these days (as if). But just because we're no longer legally segregated in the US doesn't mean the ideas and prejudices that went into racial segregation aren't still lurking around and a factor in how non-whites are treated in our society, from they way they're treated by police to the linger affects of redlining, a policy whereby investment to certain areas, mostly black neighborhoods, was restricted, artificially devaluing the properties within these areas.
In the 50s, for example, the Albina neoghborhood in Portland was home to a vibrant community despite disinvestment by the city, primarily due to the large black population funneled there by economic segregation. But because of the lack of investment, the properties in Albina were devalued and relatively cheap; and by the early 60s, gentrification drove in like a bulldozer (literally), sweeping the jazz hot-spot into the obscurity of history. Much of the area became home to Memorial Coliseum and the Lloyd Center, a sports venue and shopping mall. And at the intersection of NE Russell and Williams, there's nothing but an empty lot, which has been vacant for 20 years.
Although gentrification is arguably less overtly racial today as it's increasingly being filtered through the market, targeting and affecting the poor in general, race is still an issue since many living in poorer areas are people of colour who continue to suffer the effects of institutional racism. And the evidence of it is still there, often hidden in plain sight. In Hillsdale, for example, a suburb of 'liberal' Portland, OR, deeds often still have overtly racist language in them, though now defunct, forbidding the sale of the property to non-whites.
It's been a slow struggle to change the historically classist, racist, and sexist socio-economic paradigm this country was founded upon, which from the start was created by, and mainly for, white, male property owners; and there's certainly been progress: the move in the mid-1800s to expand the right to vote to include all white males instead of just white, male property owners; black males winning the right to vote in 1870; women winning the right to vote in 1920; the repeal of Jim Crow laws in the mid-1960s, ending state-compelled segregation; etc.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that blacks and other non-whites are still disproportionately discriminated against in our society, especially within the criminal justice system (as Katheryn Russell-Brown documents in her book, The Color of Crime), with studies suggesting that many Americans (particularly white males) still have unconscious biases against blacks and the poor, e.g., "Discrimination Against Blacks Linked To Dehumanization", "Unconscious Race and Social Bias Among Medical Students", etc. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
For what it's worth, I don't think it's fair to say that all whites are overtly racist, or that racism is to blame for everything bad that happens to non-whites in the US. But I do think that many of us, regardless of our skin colour, are influenced by racism, consciously as well as unconsciously (just as we are by things like sexism, patriarchy, etc.), and it's intellectually dishonest to deny that it exists, or that the history of institutional racism in this country makes it disproportionately harder for blacks and other non-whites to succeed (e.g., see History- Race in the U.S.A.).
Yes, there are certainly opportunities for blacks and other non-whites to succeed; but we shouldn't kid ourselves and pretend that they have an equal chance at succeeding in our society, or gloss over the roles things like class and race play in keeping them from succeeding. It's not an excuse, it's a reality that needs to be challenged by all us, not just those facing it in their daily lives.
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Military wife or not, she wasn't the brightest bulb doing that. For starters, yeah the spot she chose to put it in was all wrong like totally, plus you're supposed to keep the guns and ammo separately and if you do keep a loaded gun, by all means find a smarter place to put it!
Well, not to mention the fact that you're supposed to keep guns under lock and key, with the key well hidden.
This is true...this is very true.
We all know what an imperfect world it is, and I realize that people are going to get ideas about what to do in a 'what if' potential scenario in their homes or wherever, and in the case of the mom shot by her 3-year-old, she probably should've discussed her thoughts and ideas about this course of action with her husband or whomever - she probably would've gotten some good feedback on it.
The thing is, people can do all sorts of things that they think are constructive, but sh*t happens anyway sometimes.
I'd sure like to know what went through her mind about why she thought that was the best location she could come up with.
Yes, it's definitely one of those "what was she THINKING?!" -type occasions. Unfortunately, we'll never know. And that poor child will really have some psychological fallout to deal with at some point, once the impact of his actions dawns, and he comes to understand what happened.
On the OT, I wonder how many of you would consider it your duty as a Buddhist to step in if you saw an out-of-control cop beating on someone? Would you be willing to risk being arrested for interfering with a police officer? How about a couple of racist bullies picking on someone?
I honestly don't know what I'd do because I'm not the bravest person in the world. But I believe my practice would call on me to try.
Fascinating stuff. Overall, there's been a downward trend in householders owning guns. Not much of one, but it's there.
Gun culture in America is not pervasive, it condenses itself in pockets and areas. It happens to be that there is huge money and votes to be had in perpetuating citizen ownership of guns. Leave it up to an American to vote based upon high drama rhetoric like gun ownership, abortion, gay marriage. They come out in DROVES just for those issues. There are too many to number who'll vote against their own food stamps and state funded health care just to keep their guns.
I'd worry more about getting shot by the cop nowadays.
I think what's happening is that fewer people are owning guns, but those who do are owning more guns. It really gets to be an obsession for many.
I would step up. Not just because I'm a Buddhist, but because it's wrong and I hate seeing people abusing positions of power.
But I firmly DO believe that stepping in is a Buddhist thing to do.
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The problem may not be so much whether citizens can own guns or how many or even what kind of gun. The problem is that the guns are unregistered and really easy to get. So unbalanced people can have an arsenal of military weapons. Or individuals can purchase many guns to be smuggled out of the country, and no one is keeping track.
The gun lobby wants to keep it that way because they don't give a damn who gets the guns as long as business is good. For some reason a lot of Americans buy into it. Mainly because the NRA has convinced them that any kind of control will lead to their guns being taken away.
That's the way I've read it from all the recent discussions about gun control that happen after each latest mayhem in your schools down there
If someone can't sleep at night or cut their lawn without a loaded gun at arms reach, that's their problem. They should have as many guns as they need to feel safe, I suppose.
It becomes my problem when no agency is keeping track of gun sales and ownership and unregistered handguns and other illegal weapons are pouring across the border into Canada and Mexico.
According to Chaz the guns will come from somewhere if not the US. I ask, where is that?
The USA is the source.
I've read articles in the past where lots of different places manufacture guns, like Russia, Israel, Germany, all sortsa places. I'm sure there's a brisk trade among them all.
I think one would have to have some awfully skillful means to diffuse a situation like that. I think in most cases I wouldn't be up to the task. Though I have stepped in in minor situations. It's a matter of assessing the situation and deciding if one has something effective to contribute, or whether the situation is beyond one's capacity to do anything. Proceed with caution. I'd say that being a witness to an incident could be helpful, if police are called. Someone wrongly accused could use an impartial witness.
I thought the topic was "Racism in Buddhist America" (though why America should be singled out on such a multi-national forum begs further question....) :wtf:
I don't even know what "Buddhist America" is. But it's still been an interesting thread.
Yeah, me neither....I've enjoyed it.
We have meandered a bit, though.
It means America's Buddhist communities (sanghas, whatever). Racism in Buddhist communities in the US. But the topic could just as easily apply to Buddhist circles anywhere: Australia/NZ, England, Europe, wherever there might be sanghas where there could be a lama who's neither of European heritage nor of Asian heritage, but from some kind of marginalized community. The backdrop for the topic was the recent unrest in relation to racial issues in the US.
He's an exactin' kind of guy that vinlyn . . .
In Europe – what I have seen - there are hardly participants in Buddhist groups form “marginalized communities”.
Maybe that’s a cultural thing.
Buddhism appeals to Westerners who are looking to fill the spiritual void left by Christianities decline. People with Caribbean or Islamic roots have different problems and need different solutions.
I’m just guessing here.
That's very stereotypical.
If you have bettter ideas I'm open to them.
Not every Buddhist practitioner in the West is a disillusioned Christian.
A better idea might be to not generalise.
Right, well, I know it's a bit late in the day (I have had my mind on other stuff) but can our American members please bear in mind that other countries exist and this forum is extremely varied in its membership? We get quite a few threads on USA internal matters which I for one find a bit insular and exclusive. Racism is a global issue and I have never come across racism or any subtle hint of it, with specific regards to Buddhist communities. I personally think sexism is a more serious issue....
And I hope I can mention “cultural differences” without being politically incorrect.
Yep, you were doing well till the next sentence. I didn't consider it politically incorrect, just plain ignorant. _ /|\ _
Well, people like that are fairly rare in Buddhist sanghas in the US, too, but they're a growing group. And now we're getting to the point of even having teachers from minorities other than Asian. I think Buddhism can appeal to anyone. Look at how popular Buddhism is with people raised with Judaism. The potential is certainly there.
I would suggest in the UK, Buddhist groups are predominantly not representing the local chav populace. Buddhists tend to be white and middle class, even when situated in very working class and ethnically not lily white areas.
Why do certain groups feel less able to attend?
Racism, class (in the UK) is sometimes very subtle.
In some parts of Europe we have a sense of other that might baffle. Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Catholic and Protestant Irish and so on.
Degrees of prejudice are unbelievable. For example my brother in law can identify an Irish Catholic by demeanor, gait, use of language etc. As a Protestant he has to know 'the enemy'. His mother refused to sleep under the same roof as his best friend - a Catholic. Buddha and Holy Mary Mother of Cod protect us . . . His friend had to leave.
Demonising 'other': police, child, parent, alcoholic, crazy, gun owner, white trash, banker (those accursed scum - oops
) etc is a human trait. We can not see racism or demonisation or acknowledge it because on some level we have blind spots . . . I am sure I do . . . for example those accursed non cushion lovers . . . 
Group mentality. Mob mentality. Think how many groups you belong to. On some level we exclude and include based on our circumstances. Who do we identify with?
. . . and now back to other issues . . .
Hee. The subject of the new conversation reminds me a very funny comedian Reginald D Hunter (a black man raised in the US but living in Britain) and what he says. "They have racism in Great Britain, but they're not very good at it."
I like Reginald, very dry humour. It came up "This video is not available in your country", very ironic that.
The youtube link worked for me....I did get a snow screen at first....
I wouldn't call this racism, but at some Theravadan temples there's been a little bit of an attitude of how can you be Buddhist, you're not Asian.
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To be honest, I don't know why you wouldn't consider it racist, because a person doesn't have to be beaten or shot to prove racism.....the attitude is one exclusivity and rejection.
I guess because when I think of racism I think of looking down on or hostility, or denying rights. Where this is more a duh, I don't get it attitude.
"Racism in Buddhist America"
Where people (and isms) are involved, there's bound to be conflict....
I don't get it!
I guess I figure that no matter what the scenario is, between what two types of people, the ones making the other ones feel unwelcome, is a stone's throw away from common courtesy and respect, and denial of basic human rights, etc. ?
yup...I ain't getting the Reginald Hunter video either. How ironic is that? Can't be the real reason.... It's a UK video..... isn't it?
Someone, put a shilling in the meter!!
Ah, you see, these were Thai Theravadan temples, and even though there was the feeling that I couldn't be Buddhist because I wasn't Thai/Asian, I was still welcomed in.
Okay ... They welcomed you - but you sensed that feeling some how? I'm just curious and am trying to understand the fleshed-out scenario - how you got that feeling.
Well, there were a few times when people actually said, "How can you be Buddhist? You aren't Asian." Or "How can you be Buddhist? You're American."
Other times it was just a tad bit of awkwardness, but once I would tell of my time in Thailand they would relax and it would be a fairly nice encounter.
I've found over the years that when Thais speak English it's often a rather unfiltered version. "You're fat." "You're bald." "How much do you earn in a year?" "How much did that shirt cost." There isn't a connotation to many such statements, it more just a statement.
Try going to youtube and searching for him. You might get a version your copyright gatekeepers let you watch.
I checked him out on You Tube. I wasn't bowled over. He was okay.
I have a bunch of clients who I see once a year who are cops from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Every passing year seems to have them all feeling a bit more isolated from their neighbors than the year before.
I do sometimes wonder if this is actually more of a human phenomena with population densification like those experiments with aggressiveness in rats when they are overcrowded.
I have to say, he do play 'de black/racist' humorous card a lot.... "Oh, dat's a white thing, innit...?" and "Yeah, us blacks do the bowing thing real good...."
Do they ever think it might them? Or do they always assume it's the general public?
There is always hope . . . but it has to be generated . . .
http://boingboing.net/2014/11/28/white-cop-black-boy-hug-at-po.html
I don't know @vinlyn
This is just me spending an hour with them where they often conversationally speak of job stress, being overwhelmed by the paperwork requirements, feeling unsupported by both the judicial system and the public at large and having to be more careful with whom they socialize with.
I do not see specific blaming so much as them feeling an ever increasing need to better protect themselves from everyone else.