It Still Happens

[TN_Vixen]

One of my Dad's best friends who he played ball with has been at Magnovox for many many years. This year he was up for a huge promotion and felt confident after putting in 25+ yrs, he would get the position, however, one of his coworkers warned him that the white CEO's would gather together and vote in a white person into the position and leave him and his seniority hanging. My Dad's friend didn't believe him. He said... "That doesn't still happen these days, it'll be alright."

Guess what?

Yep, the black man got the shaft. That's just wrong. AND it goes to show that all you white men who believe that the playing field is level are wrong wrong wrong. We still have far to go to level the field.

 

[penguindance]

 

[miles]

The playing field will be level when everyone agrees it is level.

 

[Bob Peale]

*momentary lapse of reason*

 

[#1tankcomander]

That goes to show....

you that people don't think in terms of the whole big picture, instead of invivid color of individuality.

 

[TN_Vixen]

Y'know, about 8 yrs ago when I was in college, all the young white males in my poly sci classes argued vehemently against AA primarily because they felt that 30+ yrs had passed since the civil rights movement and that the playing field was level.

I frothed at the mouth during several class sessions arguing against that very fact. I really don't want to get into a huge discussion about the pros & cons of AA, but I was simply amazed at how many young, white, middle class men felt that their position in America was being usurped by African Americans.

 

[miles]

many young, white, middle class men felt that their position in America was being usurped by African Americans.

And isn't that the point?

I'm not saying the guy didn't get hosed.

The playing field will never be level because some people will always believe someone else gets preferential treatment. It's human nature. I wish I had ten bucks for every time I counseled an employee or manager who thought they were passed over when they thought they were more qualified, when in reality, they weren't. It had nothing to do with AA, but everything to do with their perception.

 

[TN_Vixen]

miles, for a white boy, you're kinda cool

 

[ksmybuttons]

Seniority can be a hinderance, too. It is a frequent occurance that large organizations want "fresh blood" when it comes to filling vacancies. New people can be less expensive.

He must be feeling beat up and unappreciated. That is sad.

 

[TN_Vixen]

I'm surprised that this thread hasn't generated more discussion about the obvious prejudice in workplace management.

 

[dreamer]

It's frustrating regardless of what they're discriminating against. We have to keep reminding ourselves of how far we've come and continue to focus on the good people out there instead of the ugly stories.

As for AA, it's the places that have REALLY screwed up in the name of AA that have ruined what could have been an appropriate response to racism. Just as there are good minority <cringe> people being passed up for jobs and promotions there are good white males being passed up when they NEED a woman, or a minority to keep their numbers in order.

Dreaming of a day when people just see each other for the people they are regardless of skin colour, sex, of whatever.

At almost 30 I can still remember not knowing racism existed and how strange it was to me that people saw other groups of people as different. I hope I never forget.

 

[EX-Member]

Try working for a "Family owned" organization when everyone in your department is a member of the family......
























.... except you.

 

[miles]

Try working for a "Family owned" organization when everyone in your department is a member of the family......



























.... except you.

Well, gee. It is their business. Open your own and you can do whatever you want.

 

[JazzManJim]

I can't speak about other realms of employment, but I can say that in the 13 years I've been employed with a couple different police departments, that the hiring and promotional quotas have been hugely, horribly bad.

I've seen, time after time, minority officers promoted over white male officers. I would estimate, based on the ones I worked with directly, that 85 percent of those promoted were just plain old incompetent for the jobs for which they were promoted. Unfortunately, there's no way around it, based on what's happened in these departments in the past.

There was a lot of racism in hiring and promotional preferences. The courts ruled that there had to be a certain percentage hired and promoted every time. That meant that, many times, the promotional board had to skip a hundred or more places on the promotional list in order to hire a particular minority (and there were percentages of blacks, women, and "others").

I wish I could say this is hot air, but it just isn't. I've been there and I've seen it. I've seen rules turned on end to get to where a minority officer - any minority officer - was to get them promoted to meet the percentages. The common talk when promotion time comes is who the next group of minority officers to be promoted wil be, and that that leaves for everyone else.

One of the unintentional problems this has caused is that there have been several very competent "minority" officers who didn't even attempt to get promoted because they didn't want to be lumped in with the incompetents and they didn't want to be perceived as being promoted for that reason. That's a shame, and it really is an example of promotional and hiring preferences gone very bad.

 

[miles]

I'm surprised that this thread hasn't generated more discussion about the obvious prejudice in workplace management.

Maybe it's not so obvious because it's not as rampant as some would think.

 

[miles]

JazzMan

No matter how you slice it, you can't give preferential treatment to one group without discriminating against another.

 

[ScarlettRose]

a lot of things happen you might think are behind us. I know a few towns around here with signs that say ________ (pick your racial slur) don't let the sun go down on you here, and i've been followed down the highway by good ol boys in pick up trucks after my brown hubby stopped in the wrong texas town for gas in the middle of the night. (he noticed after a cop and some of his buds turned to stare at him as he went in to prepay that there was a similar sign on the door)

 

[JazzManJim]

Re: JazzMan

No matter how you slice it, you can't give preferential treatment to one group without discriminating against another.

Oh I absolutely agree. That's why I so adamantly oppose giving any group preferential treatment over any other.

 

[miles]

Re: Re: JazzMan

Oh I absolutely agree. That's why I so adamantly oppose giving any group preferential treatment over any other.

Absolutely. Unless it's in my favor.

 

[JazzManJim]

Re: Re: Re: JazzMan

Absolutely. Unless it's in my favor.

Nah, not I. Fair is fair.

 

[Liontamr]

The playing field will never be level because some people will always believe someone else gets preferential treatment.

In my mind that's what it boils down to, and I think it's safe to say a good majority (thinking 90% here) of the human race has been guilty of that school of thought at one time or another. Racism and discrimination will not ever have a hope of disapearing until people as a whole stop assuming and expecting for it to happen before it even gets a chance to show itself.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it's far easier to say "It's because I'm _____" than it is to say "They just didn't think I was the right guy for that position."

Maybe the man in question was discriminated against, but as I myself have found out - seniority in a company doesn't not insure a higher position when it becomes open.

 

[Liontamr]

Re: Re: Re: Re: JazzMan

Nah, not I. Fair is fair.

I used to feel that way. But I'm starting to learn that sometimes you have to look out for #1 above all else.

Not to say I'll bend rules and backstab to get what I want, but if I get handed a cash bonus I'll take it with no objections even though someone else in the same store may have deserved it just as much if not more.

But to take the sting out, the beers that night might be on me.