I didn't take that particular message seriously with respect to "prove." And I doubt others did. What I took seriously were messages that signaled very faulty logic, lack of information, and even the suggestion of an apologia for white society's treatment of black people over the decades.
John
John R. Allison
The Spence Centennial Professor of Business, and
Professor of Intellectual Property Law
McCombs School of Business
University of Texas at Austin
-----Original Message-----
From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kurt Schulzke
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 9:46 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Kurt, I'm sure you meant by "prove" . . .
Bill,
Thanks for your note. I used "prove" because you did in your original message. At first, I thought you must be trolling someone and was planning to let it slide. But once it became obvious that others were taking your message way too seriously . . . :-)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Shaw" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Academy of Legal Studies in Business" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, October 15, 2016 8:03:58 PM
Subject: Kurt, I'm sure you meant by "prove" nothing more than an ironic tweak of the popular culture. Other than tilting with my Georgia friend Lee, I meant nothing more.
Fortunately, even un-expectantly, the post has brought out some interesting comments.
=================================================================
-----Original Message-----
From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kurt Schulzke
Sent: Saturday, October 15, 2016 2:55 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Originally I Googled this to prove . . .
As I understand it, Bill originally searched Google to "prove" the relative distribution of racism in the United States.* Not surprisingly, the website that Google returned in response to Bill's quer--Top Tens--appears to be a collection of self-selecting polls like Yelp. Like so much of what Google serves up, this website is entirely unscientific and lacks anything approaching objectivity.
For example, one writer claimed that the majority of whites in Edmond, OK, are "very racist" because "They always blast me with exhaust or try to hit me with their cars while I'm exercising." Seriously? I've never been to Edmond, OK, but I find this unbelievable. For all we can tell, the message was written by a non-black with a political agenda or paid job (or both) to populate the website with stuff to attract clicks.
Without authentication and cross-examination, nothing on Bill's site would be admissible as evidence of racism in court. Worse, the site enthusiastically spreads the very kind of stereotyping that thinking people of all races should shun. The site would have us believe that people who live in the South, whether by choice or necessity, are more racist than people in New York merely by being located farther south. This would be laughable if not so offensive.
In comparative international terms, racism is less common in the United States than in many (if not most) other places around the world. For a serious dose of racism, try Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Cuba, and Africa--Hotel Rwanda, anyone? But even in these locales, if we take time to get to know individuals--instead of engaging in cheap, lazy stereotyping--we find many great folks who look past race. On the Rwandan genocide, Paul Rusesabagina's book, An Ordinary Man, is both highly informative and deeply moving. Every human being on every continent should read it.
In summary, if you want racism, Google it. Google will tell you whatever you want to hear. Somewhere today in the United States, someone is making a decision based on race. Whites, blacks, latinos, and Asians all do it.
Thankfully, the vast majority of Americans see fellows of all skin colors as valued brothers and sisters and strive to avoid racist behavior. To find these people, serve at a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter. Go with them and wade thorugh the muck in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, helping flood victims of all races rebuild their lives. Get to know these people. They're the real America. They're all around you, even in Texas.
Finally, I respectfully object to labeling "ignorant" any good-faith commentary on this list. BLM is a controversial organization, even among the demographic it claims to represent. See http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/09/politics/carol-swain-black-lives-matter-smerconish/. Obviously, black lives matter as much as white ones. This is not disputed. The BLM organization, however, should be fair game for critical examination. Surely, if CNN can debate it, we can. While by mere logical construction the phrase "black lives matter" is no more racist than "white lives matter," the words and actions of many BLM adherents have been. For more (admittedly non-scientific) counterpoints on BLM, try this:
http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/12/cowardly-black-reddit-users-detail-how-they-really-feel-about-the-blm-movement/
Kind regards to all,
Kurt S. Schulzke, JD, CPA, CFE
Associate Professor of Accounting & Business Law Director - Law, Ethics & Regulation Corporate Governance Center Kennesaw State University
+ 1-470-578-6379 (O)
+ 1-404-861-5729 (C)
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtschulzke/
* It might fairly be said that Google searches often prove more about the searcher than the topic searched.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Shaw" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Academy of Legal Studies in Business" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 12:08:58 PM
Subject: Originally I Googled this to prove how superior Texas and Louisiana were to Georgia and the rest of the Confederacy, but that doesn't seem to be working very well. Maybe the Executive Committee can use this to avoid conferences down south.
Most Racist States In the U.S.
samuelMCL7
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