Here is the thing, all you and thrasher are doing is using the white race as an excuse, while those Indians, Chinese and Jewish people, who really weren't treat any better throughout their histories, are getting on with their lives.

While you are going on about trying to maintain your sense of victimhood, everyone else is passing you by and getting on with their lives.

When was Jim Crow ended? 1965. It is now 2007. It ended 42 years ago. And it wasn't simply through the efforts of black leaders like Martin Luther King, but also through the efforts of white people who realised it was wrong. You have people who were born, have gone to school, and have hit the high points of their careers who have never actually had any direct experience with the Jim Crow laws except through the words of their parents.

Now I am not saying that racism doesn't exist or that people don't have disadvantages born of prejudice. What I am arguing against is racism on the black side of the fence that not only holds all whites accountable for something which they didn't actually personally do, but also uses "Racism" as a answer to all criticism.

There is something deeply wrong with what has happened to black culture over the last few decades, and it needs correcting. Whites are no more monolithic then blacks, and nor are latinos, asians, or whoever.

We are people and until guys like Thrasher, who seems to think that his dark skin gives him a license to hate everyone who doesn't share it, grow up and start getting on with their lives racism will carry on.

We need to make the assumption that we are people first, and sides second, otherwise we are going to hit a backlash of our own making, where black failures, on a worldwide scale (And hence why I brought up Africa), are accepted as justifications for racism because even the liberal whites who want to help, feel that if they are going to get the name they may as well earn it.

is that CEOs aren't thinking long term, they are thinking short term growth to boost the share prices enough for them to take their bonuses, sell their shares and go.

This is why you need strict accounting standards when it comes to public companies, because if a CEO can get away with selling off the company's assets and then renting them back (With the agreement of sale being that the purchaser has to only pay for those assets in about 50 years) they will.

The same goes for environmental protection. If they can show greater growth on the books by cutting corners on environmental standards, and hence leading to long term damage to neighbouring settlements, they will because, ultimately, they aren't there for the long haul.

They are there for five years and any lawsuits that result will likely only hit the company after those CEOs have left.

couldn't you replace that Kansas strip with something, well, actually better then having your eyes gouged out with a rusty spoon?

It is only getting the hits its getting now, because the letters page provides links to better comics.

I mean, if I am going to look like a walking billboard I would at least like to be paid for it.

This is not about the social worker. The social worker sounds to have more or less been doing his or her job and simply getting it out of the way before filing this under the "Crank" folder.

The problem here is the LW's trust in her community has been debased by some self-righteous prick.

The whole social worker thing is likely to blow over, but the ill feelings within the community, the feeling of betrayal, is a wee bit more disturbing.

My advice is thus: Don't let it disturb your friendships, and don't let it make you paranoid. In every community of every size you will have people who are just plain asshats, and they normally get treat as such. Don't stress over it and get on with your life.