"Unfair Genetic Advantage"

[Mr. Bloom]

Last year I had the opportunity to meet Chris Gardner ("The Pursuit of Happyness") and hear him speak to a group.

He told an interesting and entertaining story about a Texas Oilman client that he had, but had never met face to face. The man was clearly a "product of rural Texas" on topics of race.

One day, the Texas Oilman was in San Francisco and wanted to meet Chris...and Chris describes with great humor what happened as the "blood flowed from his 'lilly white' face" as they shook hands.

They sat down and went over his portfolio returns and Chris then said "Look, I've done well for you...it's not about Black, it's not about White, it's about Green". The Texas Oilman then picked up the phone and moved the other 2/3 of his investments to Chris' management...and they became friends after that.

Now, if Chris had taken the approach of "let's talk about how you have persecuted black people in the past", would a fight have emerged? Maybe, at best it would have been an uncomfortable moment with very little upside. Would the new business/personal relationship have flourished? Unlikely

Change occurred by locking arms and moving forward from that moment based on what they had in common...not their differences.

Nope. But then, I could just be racist against white people.

You killed my forefathers and raped my foremothers.

Edited to say: I'm sorry if you believe that "I" did that...but I'll not address that comment further.

[shootingstar]

A better way of seeing how some people or a group of people hold power that they don't even realize/forget unless the person places himself/herself in a totally different social situation:

All of us hold the power of the English language. We can participate in this forum, explain ourselves and try to explain about others...especially when some of us have real working/daily 2nd (or 3rd) language.

English is the de facto global language of power in: business internationally, to change law and policy of English language countries you have speak to law and policy changers..in English, noteriety for professional growth in publishing and presentation academically..English rules. English, English.. Not Chinese,.....even though they have a huge population. How many people are reading Chinese in North America and Europe. Come on...

And the Internet appears to be dominated with the huge range of information on many subjects of study..in English.

That is ALOT of power we carry and use daily. An invisible mantle of power..until we get into a foreign language country.
.....................

Is this related to cycling passion? Sure can be. Our message and enthusiasm is only reaching part of the world.

[Trek420]

Edited to say: I'm sorry if you believe that "I" did that...but I'll not address that comment further.

Agreed. On the issue of :your people murdered my people" This again is why I looooooove history. We learn so that we can be a witness so maybe, just maybe these things never happen again.

I remember being singled out on the schoolyard and called a "dirty Jew! You killed Christ " I was 9. This happened way before my time. I was also confused because I knew the dude was Jewish himself so why the anger at me?

Anyway at a certain point we should move on; these things happened in the past, now here we are. What do we do from here? And "where oh where are the cyclists of color? Why so few?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=5529555

[Cataboo]

Edited to say: I'm sorry if you believe that "I" did that...but I'll not address that comment further.

I have a feeling that whatever you edited out was far more amusing.

But if you believe that I believe that you literally killed my forefather and foremothers and that I'm racist against white people... I, of course, have been tracking you through the rifts that your activities are causing through the space time continuum, it took me a while to develop the time machine technology so that I could investigate the murder of all my foremothers, forefathers, and foresiblings... then it took a while to establish a fake online persona on team estrogen so that I could spy on you, but now that I have blown my cover, I have no choice but to challenge you to a duel. On unicycles.