Racist

[csr]

The local population is 70% black and the Fire Department is mostly white. When I was with the Fire Department is was a common occurrence to have patients, family or bystanders make racial statements. I just ignored them and did what I had to do.

[captainstandup]

There is a huge difference between being a racist and a realist. And really what you are asking is has anyone ever thrown down the "black card" on us. In our world of political correctness if anyone mentions an undeniable truth that involves someone other than a white person then we are considered racist. As far as this "respecting everyone" vomitus, the way you truly respect others is to admit we are culturally different, have different value systems and life experiences. This isnt an opportunity to dislike someone simply based on race, its an admission of the truth and a basis for learning and respect to develop in the proper setting.

Have you ever noticed the liberals are always screaming the loudest about "diversity". They have pimped and whored the word and the minorities out for political gain since this country began. Now ask yourself if you or they are so culturally sensitive why will you not take the step of moving your family into a more "diverse community"

Wouldnt this be an incredible statement of your dedication to the cause of diversity; for you to live among those so disenfranchised by white man. Just imagine your little girl walking alone to the bus stop at 7 am near the housing project. You could be so proud of the diverse classrooms and good grades that all of the children have because they make sure the tests arent too challenging and never hurt anyone's feelings.

All of their pissing and moaning and tossing out the race card when they get into trouble simply serves to galvanize those opposed to diversity. How do we fix this? Beats me but I can tell you the friends I have who are black are educated, articulate, hardworking and would never think of throwing down the race card. They dont need to as their personality, values, ethics and professionalism speaks for itself. We have had numerous conversations about race and guess what? We agreed that black and white folks are different in many ways but we also agreed not to be too serious about our differences and just enjoy learning from each others perspective. Oh and did I mention that every single one of them has a mother and FATHER in the home helping raise the children. We decided to celebrate our differences and to laugh a lot insead of being mad.

[Asysin2leads]

Hey, captainstandup, I was raised by a single mother and I may have my quirks but I turned out pretty well. But you know what the hardest part of growing up in a single parent household was? It was pompous, self righteous "family values" types who look down on families that weren't like theirs. So, you and your 700 club buddies can go screw, as far as I'm concerned.

[Scaramedic]

Hey, captainstandup, I was raised by a single mother and I may have my quirks but I turned out pretty well. But you know what the hardest part of growing up in a single parent household was? It was pompous, self righteous "family values" types who look down on families that weren't like theirs. So, you and your 700 club buddies can go screw, as far as I'm concerned.

Oh, OK. That explains a lot. :wink:

[AnthonyM83]

No, I haven't been called that while working EMS, but I have had a number of EMTs tell me the job has made them racist. Another reason why a stronger educational background would help (in pinpointing what they're feeling and what they see is a result of socioeconomic culture etc).

I did though get a comment when we carried a patient out to the gurney from a hotel room where the family was living. "I guess people like us can't expect the same treatment" in dejected, rather than angry tone. Guess that's how they're used to being treated. Captain had to explain that it's faster than carrying gurney into the apartment.

[Asysin2leads]

Oh, OK. That explains a lot. :wink:

Its okay, I talked to God this morning and he said he was cool with it.

[Scaramedic]

Its okay, I talked to God this morning and he said he was cool with it.

Was this before or after he talked to Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts and Benny Hinn?

[captainstandup]

Hey, captainstandup, I was raised by a single mother and I may have my quirks but I turned out pretty well. But you know what the hardest part of growing up in a single parent household was? It was pompous, self righteous "family values" types who look down on families that weren't like theirs. So, you and your 700 club buddies can go screw, as far as I'm concerned.

I didn't say anything about you or your single mom, but since you brought the issue up. The last statistics I read indicated that 70% of black children grow up without the father in the home. It probably just a coincidence that prisons in the US are filled with young black men that more often than not had no father in the home. I'm sure this too is the fault of white men in some abstract manner or wait Its Pat Robertson’s fault! Where did the whole religion rant come from anyway? I don’t like any of the TV Preachers that allege to sell God’s word but give you their address to send the check to.

Like I said I'm a realist, not a racist. All of the self-righteous liberals scream diversity from the highest peaks and the public stage then return home to gated communities. Consider, for example, the opportunistic criminal liars Hillary and Bill Clinton. It's easy to be so diverse when you have multi-million dollar Secret Service Protection 24/7 for the rest of your life. Hell with this level of security I could live in the “Pork and Beans” neighborhood in Miami.

It's unfortunate that the minorities have fought so hard for civil rights only to be enslaved by liberal politicians who knowingly perpetuate their "dependant class" status in society to ensure a continued constituency. The liberals tax the hell out of the rest of us and create welfare programs that instantly cut benefits if dad returns home (unlikely) and low rent public housing that is taken away if the folks living there get a job which reports income to the state and feds.

Once these folks are in the system they are slaves of the very system that purports to be their benefactor. Their only alternative is illegal enterprises such as high yield drug trade, prostitution, theft etc. There are of course those who do not choose this alternative but, when times are desperate and they are by design prevented from working hard to improve their situation legally, what are they going to do? If my family were hungry or sick, and I was in this situation, I would resort to almost any measure to take care of them.

This is where EMS most often enters the equation. In a group of people that, by liberal public policy is relegated to wait for the handouts from “the man”. This often results sedentary lifestyle and along comes morbid obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, renal failure, stroke etc. This is accompanied by extraordinary crime rates, especially violent crimes often against those of their own race. In these situations emotions are high, even on otherwise routine medical calls (C/P, SOB, etc). Enter stage left, the whitest of white paramedic crews. If the crew is in any manner inattentive to "cultural differences" such as when they are trying to get the 5 screaming relatives out of the room to allow proper assessment of the patient, an entire deck of race cards take flight.

Then there are the opportunistic parasites of the black race, The Rev. Al Sharpton and The "Rev" Jesse (the illegitimate baby daddy) Jackson leaping in front of TV cameras to cry about how their people are being treated unfairly because they are black. One might note both of these losers are wealthy charlatan liberals that wouldn't be able to buy lunch if it weren't for their disenfranchised followers. Oh and do you think these guys live in the "hood" among their people?

In every situation where Sharpton and Jackson show up to raise hell, as soon as the TV cameras pack up and leave these idiots are drafting off the rear bumper of the satellite truck as it leaves town.

My point is this, minority children, and we are really speaking of black children, (how many Asians, Chinese, Latino’s have thrown down the race card? NOT MANY) are indoctrinated into the belief they are being treated unfairly from a very early age? This message is reinforced by the "black leaders" in mass media along with the liberal mouthpiece of mass-media dba. CNN, rap music and certainly the liberal print media.. All of these folks have a financial interest in keeping black Americans subservient to them in one way or another.

The OP asked if anyone had been called a racist. In my opinion the objective was to begin a broader discussion of how race issues impact EMS and not simply a yes/no question.

The race issue in public service is much larger and more complex than can be addressed with sensitivity training or little pink diversity policy books in EMS, Fire LE. Until we as a society can agree to be different while not using this as a basis for hate ON EITHER SIDE of the equation, this issue will remain at a low boil ready to spill over without warning.

[Eydawn]

Just on the single parenting thing... there is a distinct difference between a family that ends up in that situation, for whatever reason, and accepting single parenting as a parenting ideal.

Not saying that single parenting is bad, or that a single mother or father can't raise a child correctly, lovingly and more than adequately, but most single parents that I know have attested to the fact that it would have been nice to have a significant other to help with child-raising. We know that it always helps to have 2 sets of eyes on a situation... and I can't imagine that the care and well-being of one's own child is a situation where that is not important.

In some areas of the United States, single parenting is the cultural norm because one parent is assumed to have the responsibility for the children. Ergo, you get a culture where fathers just take off because their dad didn't stick around to help raise them, and everywhere they look it seems to be acceptable to bail on the child you helped to conceive. Sometimes mothers bail too, but by and large most single parents are women (I'll try to find some stats on that).

I don't think captainstandup was trying to attack those individuals who end up as single parents or say that they're bad people or don't raise their children well. From what I can see, he's trying to point out that in many cases, the optimum is a dual-parent household, and that the cultural normalization of deadbeat dads is not a good thing. Sometimes it IS better to have a single parent household, especially when the other parent is abusive, totally emotionally absent, etc. But one would hope that both parents could take interest and invest in bringing up their children.

We all make do with what we've got. No one is criticizing a single mother or father who works their butt off trying to support their children. It's the idea that single parenthood is wonderful and should be encouraged that scares many people. And the fact that it happens all too often for no good reason (again, especially in certain areas, especially where ignorance and poverty are rampant).

Just my 2 cents on the matter... as always.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[spenac]

I was called racist for refusing to start CPR on a guy in rigor.