White History Month

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White History Month
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 Odin.Godofgods
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By Odin.Godofgods 2015-03-04 22:13:58
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The sign in the deli window says, "CELEBRATE YOUR WHITE HERITAGE IN MARCH, WHITE HISTORY MONTH."

Jim Boggess, proprietor of Jimbo's Deli on Main at 22 Main St., says, "No matter what you are -- Muslim, Jewish, black, white, gay, straight -- you should be proud of what you are. I shouldn't have to feel bad about being white."

But a neighbor and former customer, Bhakti Curtis, who is bi-racial, doesn't accept that. He said the sign, is "mocking Black History Month," especially the way the T was crossed in "WHITE." The cross piece was not right at the top, it was lower down, in a style used by the Ku Klux Klan and other white-power groups, Curtis said. That cross piece of the T has since been broadened to make it a more traditional, if top-heavy, capital T.

On March 3, Curtis saw the sign, told Boggess it offended him, but got no satisfaction. So he filed a complaint with the Flemington police. Detective Sgt. William Svard said Cpl. Louis Hribik's report indicates that Curtis said the sign is "racist," that he felt harassed by it and wanted to know what would be done about it.

Hribik went to Jimbo's, looked at the sign, spoke with Boggess and decided that the sign wasn't derogatory or racist and that no further police action was needed.

Boggess agrees with that assessment and believes he's lawfully exercising his right of free expression. He keeps a copy of the Bill of Rights in his establishment for ready reference.

He said reaction to the sign has been mixed. Lots of people have been photographing his sign with their phones and giving him a thumbs-up. But others have objected, including someone from the Business Improvement District who asked him to take it down, he said.

Another critic of the sign is John Puckett, owner of the Main Street Bagel Co. a couple doors away. He said the sign is "an embarrassment" to Flemington "and makes us look like a town full of inbreds."

Boggess said, "If there's any racial discrimination going on, it's by people who are objecting to his sign "because I'm white." He said that while other groups have their own celebrations, "I just want to be included. Why is this such a big deal? I don't get it."

He said, "I love everybody and everybody should celebrate what they are."

But Curtis is not feeling the love. "A business can't go putting racist signs in the window because everybody has a right to go in that store. Everybody! And have a right to buy something from that man and not feel demoralized or degraded."

He said that racial parity has not yet been achieved, as evidenced, for example, by the recent shootings nationwide of unarmed black men by police.

Boggess notes that he didn't invent White History Month; it has its own website, which celebrates it in April. "But I'm having it in March," he said.

So is the sign staying up? Boggess said on Wednesday, March 4, he'd leave it up for as long as he can, "but I'm getting a lot of pressure."

That same morning, Curtis encountered Sgt. Svard and Police Chief George Becker in Cocco's Cafe and asked them about the case. The conversation got unpleasant. Afterward Curtis went to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office to file a complaint that he had been unfairly threatened with arrest. "You can't use authority like that," he said.

Because of the involvement of the Prosecutor's Office, Svard said he could not comment yet on what transpired at Cocco's.

Curtis observed about the Cocco's episode, "I'm big and black and have a loud voice. But that's not against the law." Curtis is determined to stand up for himself and continue his exploration of what is and isn't against the law. On Wednesday morning, he said he was going to see a lawyer to talk about whether his civil rights have been violated by the police and by the sign.

For the record, although Curtis has a problem with White History Month, he is part white. "I'm black, Irish and Polish," he said, "but I look black. I grew up in a white family, and I love white people. I just hate racism."

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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:16:35
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This will end well...
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 Bismarck.Ihina
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By Bismarck.Ihina 2015-03-04 22:17:38
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Celebrating something you were born into is kinda dumb, but that's just me.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:18:08
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Bismarck.Ihina said: »
Celebrating something you were born into is kinda dumb, but that's just me.

So black history month is dumb ?
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 Bismarck.Magnuss
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By Bismarck.Magnuss 2015-03-04 22:21:53
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fonewear said: »
Bismarck.Ihina said: »
Celebrating something you were born into is kinda dumb, but that's just me.

So black history month is dumb ?
Yes it is. Black history is American history. Rather than designate it to a month (the shortest month of the year, mind you), how about honor it every day, instead? When we separate Black history from American history for a month, it's like segregation never really ended.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:22:59
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Thing is when you are white it equates to being racist...even if you think the guy is dumb (it is)for doing this everyone will think he is racist.
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By Bismarck.Ihina 2015-03-04 22:23:47
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If you're celebrating being black, then yes.

If you're using it to shine a spotlight on black individuals who do not get enough recognition in the history books, then no.


If you look at the man in the picture, I'd be willing to bet he doesn't care in the very least about history and is just pushing back against za blackies getting special treatment.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:24:50
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I didn't know the black uprising was a big deal is it 1960 again ?
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By Wickednessss 2015-03-04 22:25:02
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By Anna Ruthven 2015-03-04 22:25:31
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Bismarck.Ihina said: »
Celebrating something you were born into is kinda dumb, but that's just me.
I agree with this, but I can understand why there is a Black History Month and no White History Month and where there are Gay Pride parades but no Straight Pride parades. African Americans take pride in the fact that they can now live free in the U.S. and I think the month itself is kind of in homage to those who died never knowing freedom. For the Gay Pride thing it's more because homosexuality was (and still is) looked down upon, but things are starting to change slowly and many gays are able to be who they are without the persecution of the past, and yes, gays used to be tortured and even killed for being gay.
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 Bismarck.Ihina
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By Bismarck.Ihina 2015-03-04 22:28:13
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fonewear said: »
Thing is when you are white it equates to being racist...even if you think the guy is dumb (it is)for doing this everyone will think he is racist.

Not calling you a racist or anything (need this disclaimer to protect your feelings), but this kind of sentiment is common among people who are actually racist.

It's really all about context. Two different people can perform roughly the same action, yet have that action be perceived in different ways, depending on context and intent. This common fact everyone should have learned from a young age simply by being alive is something racist can't seem to be able to grasp.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:28:19
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He is getting a lot of free advertising for his deli...
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 Bahamut.Ravael
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By Bahamut.Ravael 2015-03-04 22:29:14
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You guys are missing the reason we have Black History Month in the first place. This video from SNL will explain.

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TL;DW
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:30:49
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Bismarck.Ihina said: »
fonewear said: »
Thing is when you are white it equates to being racist...even if you think the guy is dumb (it is)for doing this everyone will think he is racist.

Not calling you a racist or anything (need this disclaimer to protect your feelings), but this kind of sentiment is common among people who are actually racist.

It's really all about context. Two different people can perform roughly the same action, yet have that action be perceived in different ways, depending on context and intent. This common fact everyone should have learned from a young age simply by being alive is something racist can't seem to be able to grasp.

Yea I'm going go ahead and disagree with this.
 Odin.Godofgods
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By Odin.Godofgods 2015-03-04 22:31:14
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Bismarck.Ihina said: »
Celebrating something you were born into is kinda dumb, but that's just me.

Quote:
You see, I've never understood national pride. I've never understood ethnic pride. Because I'm Irish, and all four of my grandparents were born in Ireland, so I'm fully Irish.

And when I was a kid, I would go to the St. Patrick's Day parade, and I noticed that they sold a button that said "Proud to be Irish." And I could never understand that because I knew that on Columbus Day, they sold a different button that said "Proud to be Italian." Then came black pride and Puerto Rican pride.

And I could never understand ethnic or national pride because, to me, pride should be reserved for something you achieve or attain on your own, not something that happens by accident of birth.

Being Irish, being Irish isn't a skill. It's a f***ing genetic accident. You wouldn't say, "I'm proud to be 5'11". I'm proud to have a predisposition for colon cancer. So, why the f*** would you be proud to be Irish or proud to be Italian or American or anything?

Hey, if you're happy with it, that's fine. Do that. Put that on your car. "Happy to be an American." Be happy. Don't be proud. Too much pride as it is. Pride goeth before a fall. Never forget Proverbs, OK?
- George Carlin
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:32:47
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I'm sure he will get a visit from Al Sharpton saying he has no "right" to do this.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:33:36
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But in America you have a right to be offended by everything.
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 Bahamut.Ravael
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By Bahamut.Ravael 2015-03-04 22:34:12
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fonewear said: »
But in America you have a right to be offended by everything.

A right many people exercise to the fullest.
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 Bismarck.Ihina
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By Bismarck.Ihina 2015-03-04 22:35:41
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Anna Ruthven said: »
Bismarck.Ihina said: »
Celebrating something you were born into is kinda dumb, but that's just me.
I agree with this, but I can understand why there is a Black History Month and no White History Month and where there are Gay Pride parades but no Straight Pride parades. African Americans take pride in the fact that they can now live free in the U.S. and I think the month itself is kind of in homage to those who died never knowing freedom. For the Gay Pride thing it's more because homosexuality was (and still is) looked down upon, but things are starting to change slowly and many gays are able to be who they are without the persecution of the past, and yes, gays used to be tortured and even killed for being gay.

Of course. That's because our history is less than clean when it comes to the issues of certain minorities.

In a perfectly fair and free society, gay pride parades and black history month would be looked upon the same way we look at left handed pride(which is apparently a thing). Yeah, it's dumb, but let them have it; I can't seem to bring myself to care one way or another.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:36:13
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This reminds me of the gay wedding cake thing. Guy owns a private business but doesn't want to make cakes for gay people. Gay mafia comes out in full force.
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 Bismarck.Ihina
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By Bismarck.Ihina 2015-03-04 22:37:01
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Odin.Godofgods said: »
Bismarck.Ihina said: »
Celebrating something you were born into is kinda dumb, but that's just me.

Quote:
You see, I've never understood national pride. I've never understood ethnic pride. Because I'm Irish, and all four of my grandparents were born in Ireland, so I'm fully Irish.

And when I was a kid, I would go to the St. Patrick's Day parade, and I noticed that they sold a button that said "Proud to be Irish." And I could never understand that because I knew that on Columbus Day, they sold a different button that said "Proud to be Italian." Then came black pride and Puerto Rican pride.

And I could never understand ethnic or national pride because, to me, pride should be reserved for something you achieve or attain on your own, not something that happens by accident of birth.

Being Irish, being Irish isn't a skill. It's a f***ing genetic accident. You wouldn't say, "I'm proud to be 5'11". I'm proud to have a predisposition for colon cancer. So, why the f*** would you be proud to be Irish or proud to be Italian or American or anything?

Hey, if you're happy with it, that's fine. Do that. Put that on your car. "Happy to be an American." Be happy. Don't be proud. Too much pride as it is. Pride goeth before a fall. Never forget Proverbs, OK?
- George Carlin

I actually had that speech in my head while I was typing that up.
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 Shiva.Onorgul
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By Shiva.Onorgul 2015-03-04 22:38:34
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What's a white?

I'm Scots-Irish-English with some Dutch. My heritage is both very close to me (I still have family back in the old country, given it was my grandparents who emigrated to here) and marks me as different. I grew up in a heavily Italian city, at least as far as the European-descent population was concerned, and that really highlighted that the mere coincidence of pale skin was not much of a cultural touchpoint. Not that Italians are themselves unfamiliar with the long, bitter history of in-fighting and oppression that marks the history of my Kelto-Germanic roots.

I actually don't object to the idea of designating other months as historical months, but, at least as far as I know, "white" isn't a thing. Black is a thing, even if we simplify it down to one designation for a diverse group, if only because of the way that the rest of American culture has responded to anyone of a certain dark-skinned and curly-haired phenotype, and also because the culture their ancestors came from has been lost to them for centuries.

What I think is probably meant by something like "white history" could better be called WASP history. Strange how no one wants to raise that particular flag if it's just about celebrating a particular culture.

Also, I couldn't actually find whatever website this fellow is referring to. There's something on Facebook and Tumblr, but that's hardly credible. As it happens, though, March apparently is Irish-American Heritage Month in order to coincide with that most American-"Irish" holiday, St. Patrick's Day. Calling the Irish representative of white culture would be a laughable fallacy, though, given the history this country and its parent have with us.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:38:50
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The pressure he is getting already he won't have this sign up for more than a week.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:41:09
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As a liberal I feel guilty about all the atrocities "white people" have committed.

That is why I voted for Obama.
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 Shiva.Onorgul
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By Shiva.Onorgul 2015-03-04 22:46:21
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Odin.Godofgods said: »
I noticed that they sold a button that said "Proud to be Irish." And I could never understand that
I know that people like to quote George Carlin almost as much as other people like to quote the Bible, but on this count, he's dead wrong.

Irishmen, both at home and in the US, were subject to considerable hatred. At one point in the United States, during my grandparents' lives and even in Carlin's lifetime, being Irish was worse than being black, because not only were you as bad as those filthy, uppity ex-slaves, but you also had the audacity to wear pale skin, too.

You know what there isn't? A button that says "Proud to be English." And there's a reason for that. It's the same as why there shouldn't be buttons that say "Proud to be straight" (these do exist because people think they're clever). Pride is an important concept, especially when it's in reaction to being told that one should feel ashamed about some factor of birth. I'm sure there's a history of English pride amongst those Anglo-French living in France, though.

Context is relevant.
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:46:59
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Bahamut.Ravael said: »
fonewear said: »
But in America you have a right to be offended by everything.

A right many people exercise to the fullest.

I'm offended wanna fight about it !
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 Bahamut.Ravael
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By Bahamut.Ravael 2015-03-04 22:50:10
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fonewear said: »
Bahamut.Ravael said: »
fonewear said: »
But in America you have a right to be offended by everything.

A right many people exercise to the fullest.

I'm offended wanna fight about it !

Yes! *Heads to the nearest Starbucks to blog about Fonewear in a passive-aggressive tone*
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By fonewear 2015-03-04 22:51:28
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Blogs are good long as they are so smug only you read them !

I almost feel guilty for drinking their hippie liberal coffee too...


As far as the guy boycotting the deli.

If Satan sold me good cake and coffee I'd still frequent his business.
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By barkley1 2015-03-04 23:47:09
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Yes, we do have a month dedicated to black history.

Hispanics heritage is dedicated to contributions made by Hispanics/heritage, and I believe Asians have a month observed in May? (Asking, serious question)

Chinese have their new year and holidays; I mean damn, groups have their celebrations.

The NBA acknowledges the Chinese new year in the U.S, I mean damn; don't see the big deal.

Btw, black guy here, I want a new year (Sarcasm).

As a black guy, if Ol' boy wants to celebrate his heritage/contributions, go ahead. Don't know what he means by "Feeling bad about being white" that is deeper than celebrating one's contributions, perhaps an esteem issue.

Some on this board just want to stir the racial pot; lol. This is the internet, I don't take comments too seriously due to the anonymity of it^^

With that said, I have been on many message boards and know were this thread is going due to the previous comments; just ppl venting; well, vent on. Peace^^
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