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[Eugenitor]

oh god this is going to end in a lock isn't it

What was your first clue?

[Max White]

It was going that way since post one. Interesting fact: Racist jokes are on the 'instant evil' list. You can joke about anything but a minority group, because they are under the assuption that everybody hates minority groups, and therefor any joke is a personal attack. As a straight white male aged 18 to 35, I get a fair amount of jokes slung at me for those things, but not once have they ever offended me, because I know that a joke is a freindly form of communitaction. However, were I gay, then any gay jokes by somebody outside the gay community would be an attack, something I should be up in arms about.

If you havn't picked up on the satire yet, I'm steriotyping all minority groups. Most people in minority groups are ok with small jokes at there expence, on the basis that most normal humans are ok with small jokes at there expence. The point of the post is don't feel so bad about small, meanless things, nobody else does.

And if you are one of the few in a minority group who feels offended, and would say that I shouldn't dismiss such 'insults' because 'I don't know how it feels' then you are right. I do not know how it feels, I can guess, but I will never be sure. Maybe there is some genetic trait in people with more melanon in there skin that causes some reaction to certain words and I will never know! But when I can joke around with my freinds, but can;t do the same with you, it singles you out as not being a freind.

[Blargityblarg]

Speaking of racist jokes;

What's the difference between a racist and a bucket of shit?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The bucket.

[Duke 2.0]

 I had better leave one last nugget of light-heartedness before leaving this sinking ship.

 And it's a good one too.

[Shambling Zombie]

Uhm... small side-question, since I don't live in the US. Is the month only about African-American history, or does it go into African history and other groups too?

[Vector]

Before I leave, because I honestly can't take any more arguing right now and I'm promising myself not to give myself a heart attack at 25:

There are people of color here, you know, as well as women and members of the LBGT crowd.  Perhaps you should ask them about what they think about the situation, and why they consider the jokes unfunny--or what they think about the respective "months."

I'll also raise you one.  I happen to think that the culture in which white male property-owning supremacy is king is outmoded.  Does that mean we should iron it out?  Or should we only iron out the inconvenient side-cultures that make that supremacy difficult?

Who decides what ideology is valid?  The ruling class?

Is it really beneficial to keep the ruling class in power forever, rather than encouraging side-shoots to flourish and inform our culture?

[Duke 2.0]

 I'm getting the feeling that Pseudonymous is thinking more along the lines of specific traditions that are part of but not the entirety of some cultures that provide issues with multiple cultures interacting. Like how one culture has a tradition that another culture finds crude and offputting, to remove that one tradition so the two cultures could intermingle peacefully. But even this lighthearted interpretation falls into the same trap of who decides what is right and wrong? Should the culture with the tradition lose it, or should the other culture accept that these people are different but there is no real harm in this tradition?

 I'm not terribly agreeing with him, but he could be pushing for a message that is a bit more innocent than what we are picking up.

[Max White]

I meant finding people who argue for White Pride Month to be irritating, or that all cultures should be washed away for the 'good' of society.

I'm going to put this here to avoid derails on another thread.

I'm sorry but what? Let me go over this.
-You support 'Black History Month' and other such events that promote a unique culture.
-You do not support 'White history month', for some unknown reason.

Are you activly racist against white people? Beleive it or not, but they have a culture too! One that is being forgotten, beleive it or not. What is wrong with a month for listening to classical ittalian music, if a month for listening to native american music is ok? Or eating french food, when there are festibles with aboriginal food are two thumbs up? Why is African art better then Brittish?

What the hell do you have against white culture, and the things it achived?

[Solifuge]

Yes, the predominantly white male legislature establishing a month for Black Americans to celebrate their history and heritage can be seen as a cultural gesture of apology, coming from the privileged who wronged them... but that doesn't make such a celebration any less right, nor valuable to American culture as a whole. It's cool to celebrate parts of the histories and heritages that make up our conglomerated culture. It's also very important to be mindful of the events of the past, good and bad, so we can understand how to move forward today. We're all in this boat together, and it's important to understand the many facets that form our culture.

Still, you don't need the government to designate a month for you to look into your cultural background, and find time to celebrate your heritage and history as well. As a 3rd generation Laplander, I try to cook Finnish food every once in a while, and love reading folk tales, historical events, and listening to music from Finland. Some day, I hope to be able to learn the language too, so I can visit! Maybe you'd feel better if you got in touch with your own roots, and stopped being just White*?

--
_{* If you aren't white, forgive my presumption... feel free to substitute this with your racial grouping of choice.}

[Shambling Zombie]

*groan*

Yes, white culture is being totally forgotten and destroyed. Poor us. 

I'm not going to argue about this, since it's gonna get locked soon probably. Although as for events celebrating french food, italian music and the like, I'm all for them... not sure why you assumed I'm not.

[Max White]

I live in Australia, so the majorty of cultural fesivals were I am are for the native Aboriginals. Were I to ask some people what are some foods enjoyed by the native Australians, they would be able to tell me about how they caught and fished for stingrays on the coast, or how to find a lilly pilly tree, or about honey pot ants being a tasty snack that you dig for... Yet were I to ask what sort of meals were enjoyed by the english as the time of the first landing, I wouldn't get a reply beyond fish and chips.

Also...

not sure why you assumed I'm not.

I meant finding people who argue for White Pride Month to be irritating, or that all cultures should be washed away for the 'good' of society.

That's why.

[Solifuge]

I live in Australia, so the majorty of cultural fesivals were I am are for the native Aboriginals. Were I to ask some people what are some foods enjoyed by the native Australians, they would be able to tell me about how they caught and fished for stingrays on the coast, or how to find a lilly pilly tree, or about honey pot ants being a tasty snack that you dig for... Yet were I to ask what sort of meals were enjoyed by the english as the time of the first landing, I wouldn't get a reply beyond fish and chips.

That may be because the European immigrants were transplanting their culture from their homeland, rather than creating one from the ground up in a new land. I'd assume you'd find your answers back in their homelands. According to a 5-second Google on the matter, however:

Upon arrival in Australia, the early settlers were confronted by a landscape and range of plants and animals that were largely foreign to them. In many places, even fresh water was scarce, especially in comparison to the rain-soaked fields of Britain and Ireland.

There were some familiar animals; wild swans, ducks, geese and pigeons that were similar to their European cousins. The oceans and rivers were full of fish and eels that were not too dissimilar from the European varieties. But other game was foreign and challenging to their British tastes.

Some settlers were driven by curiosity or necessity to hunt and eat the native mammals. Stuffed wombat and fried echidna were on the menu in early settlements in Van Diemen's Land, as Tasmania was known in those times.

But largely, the early settlers set their hands to producing European crops and raising European herd animals for food. Over the years, they introduced European game animals such as deer and rabbits for hunting. Many of these animals thrived in their new home and have since become pests to Australian farmers and environmentalists.

Interesting. Isn't learning about cultural histories fun?

[Shambling Zombie]

Well, it would be salted meats, limes and such to keep disease at bay, biscuits (not cat, sadly) and rations of various forms of alcohol - food for boats on a long trip. It's not very difficult to find out that sort of stuff, and there's never a month without tons of those sorts of documentaries on the TV. There's thousands of books about early Australian history, and such.

I actually have a book somewhere where it gave the exact rations of an early convict, but can't be bothered to locate it right now.

With a little research, you could probably find out not only what was liked by the English back then, but probably the names of the most famous places to eat, the diets of certain historical figures, and so on. English culture is nowhere near forgotten.

[Max White]

While we are eager to document such history in books and documentaries, we seem reluctant to embrace such culture in celebration. Limes and biscuts you say? I wonder what they ate when they got off the boat and good times should happen to roll around.

[Solifuge]

I would like to indicate, once more, this website. Quite enlightening, and maintained by the Australian Government, no less. Sadly, the government can't embrace such culture in celebration for you, so maybe you should track down an Echidna to fry... or baring any violation of ecological protection acts, read up on some early settler's accounts instead.

If you put at least as much time into it as I have so far, I'm sure you'll find something to interest you. But much as I have just spent my time appreciating and understanding European-Australian immigrant culture, you'd do well to take some time to learn about the cultures of others as well. Reciprocity, and all that.