Alejandro Villanueva has highest-selling gear in past 24 hours

[arglebargle]

I remember a Texas where some high schools had marble counters in their bathrooms, while others didn't have running water. The billionaires comment was just carrying out your assumption to its logical extreme. Not everyone can do what someone else can. The amount of effort it takes to succeed varies from person to person. The blanket claim of 'anyone-can' just hits a hot button for me.

There are tons of young kids who'd want to play in the NFL. But less than 1% of those who play organized football will ever start a game in the NFL. For almost all of them, no amount of iron will will get them there, no matter the circumstance.

 

[jwooten15]

The problem with a higher min wage in 1 city is that the businesses can choose to move their operation out of the city to avoid paying this wage which hurts the local economy. If this living wage was country wide then the businesses would have no where to run and the impact on a local market wouldnt be so significant. The income inequality gap is continuing to widen in this country. The McDonalds worker in Norway who makes $22 per hour doesnt crush their economy or lead to mass inflation like the rich try to scare us with here. In fact putting money into the hands of poor and middle class workers is the key to growing the economy because poor and middle class spend the money they have where the rich can only buy so many pants, food, and yachts.

That's because most of Scandinavia is a Socialist economy and everybody pays astronomical tax rates. Which in theory, works really well, but when a doctor takes home roughly the same amount of money as that McDonalds worker, what motivation is there to "better themselves", in a traditional sense? That would completely discount the "American Dream" idea.

I'm not completely against that type of system - I think it has its perks. But trying to say it would work the same here in America if minimum wage was $15 is comparing apples to oranges, in my opinion. Wouldn't pan out.

Its not just about race i agree. Poverty is the problem....its just poverty disproportionately affects some communities more than others. We can debate many reasons why.
Try asking why your government keeps us in a state of perpetual war and spends more than the next 12 countries combined on "defense" when we have no real enemies..the only enemy we even has doesnt even have a plane. That money would provide housing for many vets and education to so many people. Yet we dont even ask why we are spending almost a trillion of dollars each year blowing up sand and fighting an enemy that doesnt even have an air force.

Glad to hear that you agree on poverty being the root of the problem. And you're right, there are many many reasons for blacks being disproportionately poor. I just don't think its because whites or the government has made concerted efforts to make it that way.

with spending, that's another point we agree on. American has gotten away with spending beyond its means - on things that serve basically no functional purpose. That money could DEFINITELY be redirected into better causes.

I'm glad we had this discussion. We aren't all that different, after all.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Well then in that circumstance, it comes down to the environment that person grew up in. The culture in which they were raised.

No governmental entity systematically prevented them from getting out of that situation.

I've never said the government prevents anyone from succeeding, but there are certain barriers that make it much harder to succeed, based on the income of your parents, based on your race, gender ect. And just because you were able to succeed despite them, doesn't mean it was just as likely for everyone dealt a similar hand, to have similar success. Did you ever have sex while you were a teenager? Well if so, maybe you were smart enough to use a condom, which may be the result of your parents or someone in your life actually telling you how to prevent a teenage pregnancy as opposed to abstinence only education. Did you ever smoke marijuana? If so, the you can certainly consider your self lucky that you were never pulled caught and if you were, fortunate that the officer showed mercy. A lot of successful people, and not just the elite 1% you referenced earlier used recreational drugs as a teenager and simply were lucky to never get caught. Also, did you have a job as a teenager to help teach you how to behave at a job? If so, those again aren't opportunities afforded to all, and a lot of times can be decided based off the neighbor you live in.

But I already know your response to that... Well, their family was oppressed all the way back to slavery days, so of course they can't do anything anymore. Big bad wolf is there to make sure they stay down. This is why I try my hardest to not engage in this type of discussion.

Well at this point, if you're going to create arguments for me, so you can shoot them down, when I have no intention of arguing that, I would say you really aren't engaging in this type of discussion.

 

[jwooten15]

Wow, you really can look at something like this and believe that it has nothing to do with outside factors? You must think that these races are just inferior somehow then, right?

I think there are lots of factors. But I don't believe the two I mentioned are ones that apply.

 

[LocimusPrime]

What a controversial topic! It's posting these outta respect for the former army ranger!
Thank you sir!

I got no comment on the other stuff. Go cowboys!

 

[Manwiththeplan]

That's because most of Scandinavia is a Socialist economy and everybody pays astronomical tax rates. Which in theory, works really well, but when a doctor takes home roughly the same amount of money as that McDonalds worker, what motivation is there to "better themselves", in a traditional sense? That would completely discount the "American Dream" idea.

I'd be asking to much for you to cite that, correct?

 

[jwooten15]

I've never said the government prevents anyone from succeeding, but there are certain barriers that make it much harder to succeed, based on the income of your parents, based on your race, gender ect. And just because you were able to succeed despite them, doesn't mean it was just as likely for everyone dealt a similar hand, to have similar success. Did you ever have sex while you were a teenager? Well if so, maybe you were smart enough to use a condom, which may be the result of your parents or someone in your life actually telling you how to prevent a teenage pregnancy as opposed to abstinence only education. Did you ever smoke marijuana? If so, the you can certainly consider your self lucky that you were never pulled caught and if you were, fortunate that the officer showed mercy. A lot of successful people, and not just the elite 1% you referenced earlier used recreational drugs as a teenager and simply were lucky to never get caught. Also, did you have a job as a teenager to help teach you how to behave at a job? If so, those again aren't opportunities afforded to all, and a lot of times can be decided based off the neighbor you live in.

I'm not saying that it's the same path for everyone. No doubt, some people have/had it much harder than I ever did, and they will be a much better man that I ever will be. Reverse for that, as well.

I definitely made quite a few wrong choices growing up (and a pregnancy scare, as well), but never got caught. Some people aren't so lucky. They do get caught or they do get that girl pregnant. There are so many variables in a person's life. I'm not saying it's easy, because it's not.

I just don't like race to be a card that's played in determining your potential. It all comes down to choices, work ethic, opportunity, and even a little luck. But there are people of every ethnicity who have it rough. For all kinds of different reasons. You make a great argument, and I enjoy hearing your perspective on the issue.

Well at this point, if you're going to create arguments for me, so you can shoot them down, when I have no intention of arguing that, I would say you really aren't engaging in this type of discussion.

My apologies for that. You're right.

 

[arglebargle]

Well then in that circumstance, it comes down to the environment that person grew up in. The culture in which they were raised.

No governmental entity systematically prevented them from getting out of that situation.

But I already know your response to that... Well, their family was oppressed all the way back to slavery days, so of course they can't do anything anymore. Big bad wolf is there to make sure they stay down. This is why I try my hardest to not engage in this type of discussion.

I moved to Alabama in the early '60's. There was systemic oppression there. Even as a young boy, it was absolutely evident.

 

[jwooten15]

I'd be asking to much for you to cite that, correct?

I did a study a few years ago on it. My mom lived in Denmark for two years and got me interested in it. But yeah, too much effort to find a good article right now. I've caused a stir in here and I'm trying to keep up with all the responses

 

[jwooten15]

I moved to Alabama in the early '60's. There was systemic oppression there. Even as a young boy, it was absolutely evident.

Oh, absolutely! Pretty prevalent in those days, in certain areas of the south.

And I am 100% against that. Would you argue that the ripple effect of those days are still being felt, which is what these athletes are protesting for?

 

[JoeKing]

The silent majority speak with their pocket book and there vote. I like it!

 

[jwooten15]

I remember a Texas where some high schools had marble counters in their bathrooms, while others didn't have running water. The billionaires comment was just carrying out your assumption to its logical extreme. Not everyone can do what someone else can. The amount of effort it takes to succeed varies from person to person. The blanket claim of 'anyone-can' just hits a hot button for me.

There are tons of young kids who'd want to play in the NFL. But less than 1% of those who play organized football will ever start a game in the NFL. For almost all of them, no amount of iron will will get them there, no matter the circumstance.

Fair enough, man. You're right, this topic is a hot button for a lot of people. I wish there were an easy answer, or at least a middle ground

 

[LocimusPrime]

 

[LocimusPrime]

 

[jwooten15]

That's priceless! It's my next Amazon Prime purchase.
Free shipping, baby!

 

[LocimusPrime]

 

[xwalker]

I'd say its the not so silent minority.

Don't you just hate when you want to pretend everything is great for everyone in the world and some person has to remind you that life isn't so awesome for so many people.

Why can't these people just shut up and let so many suffer in silence..gawd..
Bootstraps right?
When you want to drink another beer, yell at your wife, kick your dahog on sunday and these guys have to actually make me think about the 40% of African American children who live in poverty.

Look man I am with you. Why can't the NFL recognize that some of us are angry and want to determine for someone else what they are protesting and then don't want to be bothered thinking about the oligarchy we live in or the trillions we spend invading countries or the 17 years we have been fighting in Afghanistan and still cant beat an enemy who has surrendered several times....an enemy that doesn't even own an airplane...

Come on NFL...

The protest are not about children gowing up in poverty. It's all about the police.

The police that get shot at for low pay are expected to make perfect decisions when people resist arrest.

The reason the children grow up in poverty is that people like Kaepernick convince their parents that everything is someone else's fault and their lives are hopeless.

People from other countries come here with less and prosper at much higher rates. Those people don't have Kaepernick telling them that their life is hopeless and that everything is someone else's fault.

Tell people from Mexico your sob stories about the police and they'll laugh you out of the room.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

I'm not saying that it's the same path for everyone. No doubt, some people have/had it much harder than I ever did, and they will be a much better man that I ever will be. Reverse for that, as well.

I definitely made quite a few wrong choices growing up (and a pregnancy scare, as well), but never got caught. Some people aren't so lucky. They do get caught or they do get that girl pregnant. There are so many variables in a person's life. I'm not saying it's easy, because it's not.

I just don't like race to be a card that's played in determining your potential. It all comes down to choices, work ethic, opportunity, and even a little luck. But there are people of every ethnicity who have it rough. For all kinds of different reasons. You make a great argument, and I enjoy hearing your perspective on the issue.

Some people lean on the race card too much, no doubt, however, when you look at a population on a whole, not on an individual basis, yea, it does make a difference. Is a police officer racist because he busts a black kid for a joint, but later on, let's a white kid go, because the kid looks like and reminds him of his son, no of course not, but if something so small as that can be such a big factor in determining success, then we need to look at these policies. Property tax is the biggest factor when deciding school funding, so is it racist that black kids who come from a lower income family aren't getting the same resources as other kids, no, but it's something we need to look at, if we really care about equality.

My apologies for that. You're right.

way to make me feel like a jerk for calling you out

 

[LocimusPrime]

 

[LocimusPrime]

Rangers lead the way