Again, in response to Leilani88's comments about "adopting" children of color. Don't you think it would be so much better if these children's parents could take care of them? As Paul Farmer notes, HIV/AIDS is not a randomized phenomenon--it does not strike all people equally. Poverty and the degree of poverty coincides with one's likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and a number of other diseases that are much rarer in rich countries.

If you really want to help black children in Africa, work to eradicate the unfair trade policies that force poor farmers all over the world to compete with farmers in the US who receive subsidies. Or work to end the predatory lending practices of the IMF and World Bank.

It's great that you send money to help children in need. I get the impression that you think people of color don't. This is strange since remittances--that is, money sent from people from a country who have emigrated to another country back to their home country--account for a large portion of the GDP of most developing nations.

It isn't that you should stop sending money to help these children, but that it would be good to also look at how you can address the root causes of these problems so that there will come a time when there will be no need for you to send your money.

This is in response to Leilani88's comments:

"I believe the whites were technologically superior and that lead to their feelings of superiority in general."

"They were also so much deeper as far as written history..."

White people were technologically behind Asians and Africans for centuries. Africans--that is, Egyptians--are the first people known to have created a written alphabet. The two oldest known mathematical artifacts--the Lebombo Bone and the Ishango Bone--were also created by Africans. Arabs living in what is currently Iraq created Algebra.

Although the last six centuries of white imperialism would predispose one to think it was white people who were technologically advanced in warfare, it was the Chinese who invented gun powder.

The point is that none of this was done by white people. While white people have made significant technological advances, many of these have been at the expense of people of color who have been used as test subjects or who have seen the wealth of their countries used to advance the interests of the west or what we now call the global north. Obviously, it is so much easier to produce great inventions when you have the resources at your disposal.

I firmly believe that, given the contributions that Africa has made to human progress, that were we not burdened by the yoke of neocolonialism--in the form of illegitimate debts to the IMF and World Bank and trade policies that favor the rich nations, you would see more African doctors, scientists and other scholars.

Welcome Annah! Thank you for you thoughtful comments. You bring up many good points. That is why I saw red when Pat Buchanan suggested American blacks should be "thankful" for being enslaved. I will never forget that one. I look forward to your participation here.

is not one of those sites that seeks to “end intolerance” or “end racism”

LOL. having realistic goals is a good thing so I'm applauding that statement.

Frankly I ABHOR the word "tolerance:.
All it really means is.. I notice, I don't like it, I won't bother trying to understand it but I promise not to beat you up..

SC girl uses Heimlich to save friend's life | WCBD Oct 13, 2008 ... SC girl uses Heimlich to save friend’s life. Video; Photo ... Her best friend, Kendyl Gray-McDonald came to the rescue, ...
www.counton2.com/cbd/news/state_regional/articl... - 53k

NBC News
Published: October 13, 2008

It was a scary moment for two sixth graders at Alice Drive Middle School in Sumter, South Carolina.

Brianna Gandy was enjoying her lunch when she began to choke.

“The first thing that came to my mind was, am I going to die?” Brianna said.

Her best friend, Kendyl Gray-McDonald came to the rescue, by using the technique her mom taught her weeks before.

“If it wasn’t for her, I probably would have died,” Brianna said.

“I’m not a real life-saver to be honest,” Kendyl said. “I don’t go around saving people’s lives everyday.”

While Brianna ate her beef stew and potatoes, she began choking during regular lunchtime conversation.

“Someone made a joke and I kind of laughed,” Brianna said. “It was just stuck in there and I was just trying to cough it up and everything.”

Kendyl said she looked over to see Brianna red-faced and unable to talk.

“I just kind of felt dizzy, I remember one point it was just like black,” Brianna said.

Kendyl said she was scared, but she quickly leapt into action.

“I hesitated for like two seconds, then I did the Heimlich,” Kendyl said.

Her Mom taught the Heimlich Maneuver to her just weeks before.

“She told me to put my hands like this, like a fist and my hand over it, and right here where your ribs, right there, put it there and then go like that because it pushes it up and out,” Kendyl explained as she demonstrated the Heimlich.

Brianna says she felt arms around her trying to push the food out.

“With here doing that and me coughing, it just kinda like plopped up in my mouth, and then I had to spit it out,” Brianna said.

Kendyl said she heard Brianna take a deep breath and she knew she was okay.

Brianna’s mother, Lorie Gandy, says she’s extremely grateful.

“I thank the lord that Kendyl was there able to do that, because my daughter didn’t know what to do,” Lorie said. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

Marcia Gray, Kendyl’s mother, couldn’t be prouder of her.

“I was surprised and extremely proud of her,” Marcia said.

Pride aside, Marcia just hopes Kendyl’s brave act gets parents to teach their kids about the Heimlich.

“Hey, if you know the procedure, definitely show your kids,” Marcia said.

Kendyl says she doesn’t think of herself as a hero. She’s just glad to be best friend.

“She’s basically the bestest friend I’ve ever had,” Brianna said.

***********************************************

Brianna's is White. Her "bestest" friend, Kendyl,
is Black. Not too long ago Brianna and Kendly would not have been allowed to attend school together, in South Carolina.

That's change we can believe in.

Whites adopted children through the years - Asians so much here in the west, and then later children of all colors.
Even now, they sponsor programs to help educate children overseas - in desperately poor countries - like Rwanda. I send money to an African child through a program sponsored by a white man. He doesn't ask us what race we are when we sign up to give. He doesn't seek public recognition - and neither do we. We just all send money as these children are suffering from AIDS and other problems.
I ask all of you to contribute to children's programs - not because of YOUR race, but because of ALL children. Nearly all these children are children of color. They are living in shacks and cannot go to school. The children's program I contribute to does give the child the opportunity to go to school.

I would really like to share my stories about my white relatives - who I dearly love. They will remain highest on MY heirarchy because I believe the whites were technologically superior and that lead to their feelings of superiority in general.
They were also so much deeper as far as written history and the exploration of their own feelings. They wrote diaries and left us all a legacy in that respect.
Even now, a well-educated person of color feels superior to a worker in the fields. This is just natural as there are differences in IQ, etc.
Even races have IQ averages. Something not popular with races who have lower IQ averages. But, apparently, in the last election, the educational level, and one could presume IQ, of Obama was something to tout - as superior to his opponent.
You're right. There are many things that people THINK about that they can't say.
I think there is too much prejudice against whites because of envy.

Good work. Count me in.

My thought on Black people.

We are very powerful if we know it, we as black people are some of the most creative people, but we don't know it. We need to regain our roots, self respect, culture, moral values, self-worth back. We must give our self and children and community a sense of you are somebody. We must clean up our neighborhoods, schools, chruches so that we will regain our self-respect and we can become more valuable to this world

Chuck, Val and Lacey - I MISS YOU! Welcome to the conversation. I am so touched that you like the site. I think about you all the time. I am so glad to hear from you. I have not been back to New York (or the East Coast) for that matter since we moved. But I hope to get east this summer. A visit with you guys will be at the TOP of my list. You guys should come out and visit - I mean it. Hugs and love to you. Thank you for reaching out!