Racism in Middletown (Baltimore, Frederick, Cumberland: crime rate, public school, living)

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by blind eye

Let me guess, stprickell. I hit a sensitive subject? lol.

Nope, I'm white and so is my wife.

[blind eye]

Great, then we have nothing more to discuss because you can't relate.

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by blind eye

Great, then we have nothing more to discuss because you can't relate.

You still haven't answered my question. Why is it a problem when Black men date/marry White women?

Are you also saying I'm not supposed to care one bit about police brutality towards Blacks, since I can't relate? Or have you already written all White people as being uncaring/mean/what have you?

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

You still haven't answered my question. Why is it a problem when Black men date/marry White women?

Are you also saying I'm not supposed to care one bit about police brutality towards Blacks, since I can't relate? Or have you already written all White people as being uncaring/mean/what have you?

This is ABS (Absolutely) nothing wrong with interracial marriage etc....

But, those that study interracial marriage in the social context note that interracial couples are "defined" differently. Example, a black man who marries a white woman can sometimes "pass for white". Or this Black man can now gain "membership" into the white group (her white friends). Different views are presented when a white woman marries a black man etc....

Interestingly both parents are interacial as well (yes interracial marriage). Unfortunately since Middletown is a little backwards most disapproved or sneered when they saw my mother/father walking down the street. So you have that dimension that can exist as well.

[MrMaryland455]

What do you expect, FREDERICK is a redneck/racist county...That why Montgomery, Howard, and the D.C. area don't associate ourselves with them

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by steppinthrax

This is ABS (Absolutely) nothing wrong with interracial marriage etc....

But, those that study interracial marriage in the social context note that interracial couples are "defined" differently. Example, a black man who marries a white woman can sometimes "pass for white". Or this Black man can now gain "membership" into the white group (her white friends). Different views are presented when a white woman marries a black man etc....

Interestingly both parents are interacial as well (yes interracial marriage). Unfortunately since Middletown is a little backwards most disapproved or sneered when they saw my mother/father walking down the street. So you have that dimension that can exist as well.

No problem, I have zero problem w/ interractial marriage but didn't like the insinuation that Frederick was bad b/c there *ARE* interracial couples out and about.

Full disclosure: when I was in HS (Front Royal VA) there were a few Black male/White female couples but a majority of the girls were getting back at their ultra-racist fathers -- not until college did I start dealing with interracial couples where the two parties were truly in love/attraction.

You are right about some folks being ignorant in thought AND deed -- and if you've got 97 cool people and 3 morons, the morons will have a disproportionate effect.

I understand in the bad old days, once some Blacks got under 1/8 Black, they'd just go somewhere where no one knew them and just start living like they were White, Native American, or Hispanic. Dwight D. Eisenhower and other Presidents might have had an African ancestor in the 18th/early 19th century, as well.

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by MrMaryland455

What do you expect, FREDERICK is a redneck/racist county...That why Montgomery, Howard, and the D.C. area don't associate ourselves with them

Frederick is much better....

Middletown just bleeds out a bit to frederick.

[jetdoc3037]

I will say that in PG county when busing started racism was all over, of course it was blacks doing most all of it.

[steppinthrax]

Originally Posted by jetdoc3037

I will say that in PG county when busing started racism was all over, of course it was blacks doing most all of it.

Minorities who live in PG county are not going to experience much of these problems.

[KelpJuice]

I hate to drag this thread out of its grave, but as an ethnic minority and 2016 graduate of Middletown High, I thought I'd weigh in with my experiences.

First off, like many posters have said, Middletown has a middle class, family-friendly atmosphere. Most people are drawn there because it's a relatively nice rural/small town type of area with not much poverty and crime, and decent facilities and schools. I got a satisfactory education that, for the most part, prepared me for college-level academics. A bit lacking in terms of AP classes and academic competitions, but still above average compared to a lot of nearby schools.

However, being in a 90%+ white area, I have had my fair share of racial incidents. I moved from a relatively diverse part of Baltimore where there was a decent representation of all different races, so as you can expect there was a bit of a culture shock. It was much harder to relate to people who've had a drastically different cultural upbringing, and I remember feeling a sense of detachment from my peers (who often were entirely composed of white people, besides myself). It was somewhat difficult for me to make friends because many people frankly didn't seem interested in hearing about other perspectives and backgrounds.

There were also a good amount of rednecks - think camo-sporting, pickup truck driving people - who were pathetically misinformed and stereotypical when it came to cultures outside of their own. I got your typical "ching-chong," "squinty eyes," and "dog eating" comments. Now, this wasn't too big of an issue when I was in classes with good, supportive teachers that handled these issues with tact and consideration. However, and I realize this is partially due to the angsty thoughts that come with adolescence, when you're around people who blatantly disrespect the core values of your identity, you tend to take on a more spiteful, negative mindset. Though I agree that the majority of people there weren’t like this; as some have pointed out, a few bad apples can really make your experience quite unpleasant.

Obviously, I've matured emotionally since then, and have learned from these experiences. But, I still wouldn't have gone through that if I didn't have to.

I think Middletown has improved since OP graduated nearly twenty years ago - the area is experiencing growth economically and socially. I feel for his sentiments, having endured similar things, however I encourage him to reconsider his bitter view of M’town, considering it’s still an objectively nice place to live for most people, at least in present-day. My complaints are mainly targeted at a few then-teenagers, as opposed to the place in general.

Conversely, to the people who write off Steppinthrax’s experiences, I do want to point out that your perspective on racism is going to be drastically different from someone who has personally been a victim of it. Much of the bullying that goes on in public schools, racially motivated or otherwise, flies under the radar. This is especially true today, given the advent of social media and consequently cyberbullying. Thus, if you’re not part of the ~10% of Middletown people who have personally experienced being part of a small minority, you are likely not going to be aware of these circumstances, and won’t have to overcome the social adversity I discussed earlier. I do not intend to guilt trip white people, but I do intend to shed light on the experiences they likely have never had to endure.