All this discussion about Africa and immigration raises a good point...
Have you realized how completely complacent we are as native-born Americans (as a whole)? I know that I'm nowhere even close to rich by American standards but compared to many people, you and I are very privileged. I know we've discussed the fact that we don't take advantage of all of the benefits we have but this kind of brings awareness to another level.
There are people in the world who sail here in the bottom of ships, cross burning deserts and row here in makeshift rafts just to have the same things that most of us are born with. Not to mention those who endure hardships that we can't even imagine, to be able to arrive here and have a fair shot.
Imagine for a moment that you were not born here, but somewhere else where it is much more difficult to prosper. So for most of your life, your days are taken up by school, which in most places is more rigorous than our curriculums here, somewhat equivalent to taking AP level courses in every subject. Afterwards, you work an 8-12 hour workday, and return home to study and prepare for tomorrow. Remember, education overseas is more competitive- in order to be successful, you not only have to compete with US students, you also have to compete with your classmates who are fighting for their own opportunities. Since foreign job opportunities and scholarships are scarce, school is serious business.
Have you ever looked at a rich person over here, lounging around in his pool or expensive car and said to yourself, "If I had what he had, I could be twice as productive with it.."? It just occurred to me that people all over the world are looking at you and me like that. And it's the truth.
Let's be real. We've got problems, but compared to everyone else's problems it's nothing. We have a hard time getting business loans but in reality this is the easiest place in the world to start a business. The United States is the most capitalist nation in existence. There are libraries and offices, and counseling centers dedicated specifically to helping people start a business, and they are all free, and all under-used. We know the weight our college degrees will carry, but there are still too many people who we go to school with who have yet to see the inside of a classroom. For them, college is just a very expensive hotel stay.
I think the problem is that we are not willing to humble ourselves. I don't think I am being hypocritical or judgmental because I include myself in this category also. The guy who just came here doesn't worry about who made his clothes, or who's going to see him working a supposedly menial job, he is more worried about building his future. That's why you see people from India who are working at dunkin donuts and living with their coworkers because they know that in the meantime they are saving money, getting an education, and they only have to scrape for a couple years to have a good future down the line.
Too many people think they're too good to work a hard job or be out of fashion but it is this mentality that is keeping us from really taking advantage of what this country has to offer. I know that if I had to go through what some people did to get here, I would be up 23 hours a day... studying, working, investing.
Just my perspective. Any thoughts? Holla
Once again you make a valid, and extremely well spoken point. I think that we do take many of the things that we have for granted. If one was to think about it, there are people all over the world who would **** just to go to the smallest no name unheard of HBCU. Its just that they don't have the opportunity to do so. Another point, has anyone else ever noticed that the majority of all the math and science professors are either Indian or African? I remember one time one of my professors told us how while he was getting his education in India, that he had to study in an almost pitch black room for hours, just so he could learn everything that he needed to in order to be successful. Yes he could have done something else other than study but he didn't because he knew that it would all pay off one day.
I think that we have to realize that we are about to fall behind the rest of the world intellectually, and some countries (i.e. Japan) are already way ahead of us academically. Just like you said they have to be very competetive with their education, and to them it is very serious business.
I wish that I saw more of our own people taking advantage of all the resources we have as it is instead of bitching and moaning that there are enough. As long as we don't make do with what we have, then we won't get anything more. It makes no sense at all. Not only that, but it makes us look bad. That's all I got to say right now... :roll:
All this discussion about Africa and immigration raises a good point...
Have you realized how completely complacent we are as native-born Americans (as a whole)? I know that I'm nowhere even close to rich by American standards but compared to many people, you and I are very privileged. I know we've discussed the fact that we don't take advantage of all of the benefits we have but this kind of brings awareness to another level.
There are people in the world who sail here in the bottom of ships, cross burning deserts and row here in makeshift rafts just to have the same things that most of us are born with. Not to mention those who endure hardships that we can't even imagine, to be able to arrive here and have a fair shot.
Imagine for a moment that you were not born here, but somewhere else where it is much more difficult to prosper. So for most of your life, your days are taken up by school, which in most places is more rigorous than our curriculums here, somewhat equivalent to taking AP level courses in every subject. Afterwards, you work an 8-12 hour workday, and return home to study and prepare for tomorrow. Remember, education overseas is more competitive- in order to be successful, you not only have to compete with US students, you also have to compete with your classmates who are fighting for their own opportunities. Since foreign job opportunities and scholarships are scarce, school is serious business.
Have you ever looked at a rich person over here, lounging around in his pool or expensive car and said to yourself, "If I had what he had, I could be twice as productive with it.."? It just occurred to me that people all over the world are looking at you and me like that. And it's the truth.
Let's be real. We've got problems, but compared to everyone else's problems it's nothing. We have a hard time getting business loans but in reality this is the easiest place in the world to start a business. The United States is the most capitalist nation in existence. There are libraries and offices, and counseling centers dedicated specifically to helping people start a business, and they are all free, and all under-used. We know the weight our college degrees will carry, but there are still too many people who we go to school with who have yet to see the inside of a classroom. For them, college is just a very expensive hotel stay.
I think the problem is that we are not willing to humble ourselves. I don't think I am being hypocritical or judgmental because I include myself in this category also. The guy who just came here doesn't worry about who made his clothes, or who's going to see him working a supposedly menial job, he is more worried about building his future. That's why you see people from India who are working at dunkin donuts and living with their coworkers because they know that in the meantime they are saving money, getting an education, and they only have to scrape for a couple years to have a good future down the line.
Too many people think they're too good to work a hard job or be out of fashion but it is this mentality that is keeping us from really taking advantage of what this country has to offer. I know that if I had to go through what some people did to get here, I would be up 23 hours a day... studying, working, investing.
Just my perspective. Any thoughts? Holla
This is all so true (& all that I enlarged, I found particularly intriguing to think about)...& I agree with what Dat Man & Larry said as well....
I know I definitely fit under the category as well...taking things for granted...not making the most of opportunities (those that are smack-dab in my face and those that seem far-fetched...but are still there)....
A lot of times I don't really take what all you've said into consideration until I hear about the constant struggle overseas to get to America...the "land of opportunity"...
It's almost exactly like one not making the most of the ability of sight until he or she is blind....or sound until he or she is deaf...
I always wonder how Blacks today would survive if all of a sudden we were all sent into a timewarp...into the days of slavery...hmmm...
we're so used to living a life of luxury....and when I say luxury...that doesn't mean drivin' hummers & benzes...going on $10,000 shopping spree every day of the week...etc....i mean just being able to generally "have"...have everyday items or even everyday ideas/policies...like civil liberty and the right to make one's own decision without...fatal consequences....
it's so hard to take a step back...when you've never experienced the lowest of low...i mean even if u've grown up in the ghetto ya whole life, food stamps, & tha whole nine...i think the idea is that everyone in America does have that extra opportunity to prosper...dream...to succeed ultimately....to go from rags to riches, literally....
whereas...it's not so easy to say the same about those living in the "less fortunate" countries...under hostile environments...
goodness...didn't even mean to go off on a tangent like that....but anyway, I just really do feel what all has been said before me....
All this discussion about Africa and immigration raises a good point...
Have you realized how completely complacent we are as native-born Americans (as a whole)? I know that I'm nowhere even close to rich by American standards but compared to many people, you and I are very privileged. I know we've discussed the fact that we don't take advantage of all of the benefits we have but this kind of brings awareness to another level.
There are people in the world who sail here in the bottom of ships, cross burning deserts and row here in makeshift rafts just to have the same things that most of us are born with. Not to mention those who endure hardships that we can't even imagine, to be able to arrive here and have a fair shot.
Imagine for a moment that you were not born here, but somewhere else where it is much more difficult to prosper. So for most of your life, your days are taken up by school, which in most places is more rigorous than our curriculums here, somewhat equivalent to taking AP level courses in every subject. Afterwards, you work an 8-12 hour workday, and return home to study and prepare for tomorrow. Remember, education overseas is more competitive- in order to be successful, you not only have to compete with US students, you also have to compete with your classmates who are fighting for their own opportunities. Since foreign job opportunities and scholarships are scarce, school is serious business.
Have you ever looked at a rich person over here, lounging around in his pool or expensive car and said to yourself, "If I had what he had, I could be twice as productive with it.."? It just occurred to me that people all over the world are looking at you and me like that. And it's the truth.
Let's be real. We've got problems, but compared to everyone else's problems it's nothing. We have a hard time getting business loans but in reality this is the easiest place in the world to start a business. The United States is the most capitalist nation in existence. There are libraries and offices, and counseling centers dedicated specifically to helping people start a business, and they are all free, and all under-used. We know the weight our college degrees will carry, but there are still too many people who we go to school with who have yet to see the inside of a classroom. For them, college is just a very expensive hotel stay.
I think the problem is that we are not willing to humble ourselves. I don't think I am being hypocritical or judgmental because I include myself in this category also. The guy who just came here doesn't worry about who made his clothes, or who's going to see him working a supposedly menial job, he is more worried about building his future. That's why you see people from India who are working at dunkin donuts and living with their coworkers because they know that in the meantime they are saving money, getting an education, and they only have to scrape for a couple years to have a good future down the line.
Too many people think they're too good to work a hard job or be out of fashion but it is this mentality that is keeping us from really taking advantage of what this country has to offer. I know that if I had to go through what some people did to get here, I would be up 23 hours a day... studying, working, investing.
Just my perspective. Any thoughts? Holla
This is all so true (& all that I enlarged, I found particularly intriguing to think about)...& I agree with what Dat Man & Larry said as well....
I know I definitely fit under the category as well...taking things for granted...not making the most of opportunities (those that are smack-dab in my face and those that seem far-fetched...but are still there)....
A lot of times I don't really take what all you've said into consideration until I hear about the constant struggle overseas to get to America...the "land of opportunity"...
It's almost exactly like one not making the most of the ability of sight until he or she is blind....or sound until he or she is deaf...
I always wonder how Blacks today would survive if all of a sudden we were all sent into a timewarp...into the days of slavery...hmmm...
we're so used to living a life of luxury....and when I say luxury...that doesn't mean drivin' hummers & benzes...going on $10,000 shopping spree every day of the week...etc....i mean just being able to generally "have"...have everyday items or even everyday ideas/policies...like civil liberty and the right to make one's own decision without...fatal consequences....
it's so hard to take a step back...when you've never experienced the lowest of low...i mean even if u've grown up in the ghetto ya whole life, food stamps, & tha whole nine...i think the idea is that everyone in America does have that extra opportunity to prosper...dream...to succeed ultimately....to go from rags to riches, literally....
whereas...it's not so easy to say the same about those living in the "less fortunate" countries...under hostile environments...
goodness...didn't even mean to go off on a tangent like that....but anyway, I just really do feel what all has been said before me....
