What is the ratio of minorities to Caucasians that play vital roles in the government

I understand, especially as first generation Americans can have different opinions on how things work due to their unique perspective. I'm not criticizing your dad. I'm suggesting you smile and nod when he informs you about the "way things are", and then form your own opinions about what you see in reality.

Rephrasing your questions repeatedly and arguing with people who are telling you the way things are today in the military isn't helping. You're doing the right thing by seeking answers from those who know. Where you're going wrong is not believing them.
 
Have you ever thought that maybe there are few minorities in the military simply because thats what they are - a minority of the population? Military culture is also not strong among many minority populations.

You seem to place extreme attention on the issue of race and I can tell you right now that you're wasting brain power. I don't care what a leader looks like as long as he/she can get the job done - and you shouldn't either.
 
Let's play this out. Do you really think you're going to find some argument that is going to get your Dad to change his opinion? That one day you will find the right words and he will say "Eureka!". I don't think so.

So, if your Dad is just trying to make sure you understand his perception so your not disappointed, then I say declare victory and leave it at that.

BTW, I expect if you were to ask your Dad about his opinion of how things are outside the military, you would get a similar response. So what's the point? I say make both yourself and your Dad happy by giving it a rest. You also might try to prove him wrong in the course or your time in the military. That would do more to convince him than anything else.
 
Isn't assuming a trait (e.g. racism) about a whole group, based upon skin color pretty much the definition of racism?

If you really think minorities or women cannot advance to high levels of government, you need to look at the current composition of the Cabinet, and the President.

It is true that a lot of minorities come from economically poorer areas, and that affects their chances of having a stable family that can support their education, the quality of schools they will likely attend, and the types of jobs they will likely find initially. There is a lot of historical baggage that caused this, and our nation hasn't fixed it yet. Most of those current effects are caused by family composition and economic factors rather than skin color exclusively.
 
The only way to rise to the top in your dad's worldview is to put yourself in some environment that has a majority of people who are of the same race that you are. Then when you are successful, it will be because you are good at your job and deserving of the success. Your dad will know that you deserved what you achieved.

If, however, you rise to the level of success in an environment where you are in the racial minority, there will always be some reason attached to the success that has nothing to do with your achievements, like racial quotas or affirmative action. Conversely, if you are not as successful as your dad thinks you should have been, he has a built-in, convenient "told you so" excuse. Actually, he has given himself a built-in, convenient "told you so" excuse no matter what you do.

Stop talking about this with him. Be the change you want to see in the world. Do not judge people by their skin color. This is exactly what your father is doing, and what he is trying to get you to do too.
 
payitforward said:
The only way to rise to the top in your dad's worldview is to put yourself in some environment that has a majority of people who are of the same race that you are. Then when you are successful, it will be because you are good at your job and deserving of the success. Your dad will know that you deserved what you achieved.

If, however, you rise to the level of success in an environment where you are in the racial minority, there will always be some reason attached to the success that has nothing to do with your achievements, like racial quotas or affirmative action. Conversely, if you are not as successful as your dad thinks you should have been, he has a built-in, convenient "told you so" excuse. Actually, he has given himself a built-in, convenient "told you so" excuse no matter what you do.

Stop talking about this with him. Be the change you want to see in the world. Do not judge people by their skin color. This is exactly what your father is doing, and what he is trying to get you to do too.
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Great insight and excellent advice from payitforward.

It's hard to think of any country that isn't troubled by some sort of tension and prejudice, whether racial, ethnic, religious or sexual, and that includes Ethiopia, land of your forefathers and one of the last countries on earth to abolish slavery.

But your generation of Americans is more free of these prejudices than mine, and mine is freer than my father's. So don't let yourself be snared by a victimization mentality.
 
payitforward said:
The only way to rise to the top in your dad's worldview is to put yourself in some environment that has a majority of people who are of the same race that you are. Then when you are successful, it will be because you are good at your job and deserving of the success. Your dad will know that you deserved what you achieved.

If, however, you rise to the level of success in an environment where you are in the racial minority, there will always be some reason attached to the success that has nothing to do with your achievements, like racial quotas or affirmative action. Conversely, if you are not as successful as your dad thinks you should have been, he has a built-in, convenient "told you so" excuse. Actually, he has given himself a built-in, convenient "told you so" excuse no matter what you do.

Stop talking about this with him. Be the change you want to see in the world. Do not judge people by their skin color. This is exactly what your father is doing, and what he is trying to get you to do too.
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Well said.

To add my two cents, I came to America when I was 12 years old. Managed to attend West Point, have a successful military career that is still going in the National Guard. In a position to get promoted to the next rank. There are some folks ahead of me and but there are more folks behind me. Many times in a group setting when I am performing military duties, I am the only one from my racial group. When I don't get what I want, can I say it's a racism? Possibly, but I still don't get what I want.

The reality is you could say or think whatever you want, but if you want something you have to work for it and sometime you won't get what you want regardless how hard you work. Blaming it on racism might make you feel better, but you are still not going to get what you want.
 
aglages said:
So after asking the SAME questions 4 or 5 different ways on this forum and supposedly receiving biased answers; you've decided to ask the same question on the same forum in "hopes" of now getting non-biased answers from the same people?
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I think a 'troll alert' may be in order.
 
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