Greeting. The perfect bureaucrat everywhere is the man who manages to make no decisions and escape all responsibility. I am from Wales and learning to write in English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Holiday train second-in-command, a first case for team transportation 1950s." With best wishes :-(, Dorie.

I don't think that Obama (whom by he way is half black & half white) has changed the views of all black men & woman. I believe this not for the skin color aspect but from the way that many of them continue to act. There are still way too many blacks acting like fools. When I see a black acting like a fool Obama or no Obama it will not change my opinion of the particular black person I am seeing. Please don't get me wrong, there are many good & intellegent blacks out there, my husband being one of them. However there needs to be more blacks acting like good & intellegent people, not thinking that it is cool to act foolish. What I am thinking & hoping will happen with Obama being in office is that he will be a good role model for black & white youth to follow besides some hip hop artists or actors or sports players.

The way I see it is that black males are stereotyped as either thugs or men that harm women or others. But what most people fail to see is that there are more amazing, inspirational and respectful black men and women (tyra). The fact that Obama was elected shows that MOST people are starting to believe in the african american race. He is such a respectful and classy man with a amazing family. He is a great example of what most black families are that nobody takes the time to realize.

My comment is to the "Perception of a Black Man." First, I must say that we as black people are not taught racism, we experience it! As I was veiwing the show in my area on 3 Aug 09, I was some what amazed by the comments made about black, or what white people thought about black people... Well before we speak we need to think, because white people at the turn of this country nearly wiped out an entire race (Indian), brutally oppressed and murdered within another, as well as inflicted slavery upon them (Black). I hear them say "what their parents taught them." My guess is that they did not tell them about what their grandparents or great and great-greatgrandparents have done in past history.

I have skimmed over just a few comments but must say that Antman was very interesting.I know you point out the problems which is basically right on but I am one for solution as well.As a teacher myself,I see no resolution in the future to make a dent in motivating a high percentage of young black males in public schools(especially urban)because of environmental factors.No quality teachers who care enough are there in the school and home and the public school system is designed not to care anymore.Plus there are not a lot of male black teachers.We as black men need to never forget where we came from and teach these young men not to look at color but also recognize the struggles that went on so we could further educate ourselves and become good human beings.I think parents should be held accountable(whether hardworking or not for how their child performs in school behaviorally and cognitively. Accountability will serve a greater purpose for all if we become less selfish about our own lives and care about all children especially those who are lacking parents that love them.By the way I do both(spank and talk to my children) depending on the action.

I believe it will change A little. I say this because it will be a while before we have another one and he will be remembered always by everyone but he will eventually fade away into history. 1 man can't change the perception on our race, we gotta do it ourselves. Where I'm from black males except so much but do so little. Our whole community needs a change, we need better role models, more fathers, and less excuses. The killings need to stop, the shootings, making all these babies, filling the prisons needs to stop now. Until that does we will always be stereotyped and judged. When a cop been on the force 15years and most drugs dealers are black males who's he gona stop 1st? I'm black myself, have a child been to jail and have 5 tattoos, 3 dead people on me, I got stories for days, seen it all and its a shame. We need to stop making excuse and help eachother because w/out jesus and my mentor who basically saved my life when I was 16 i'd be dead or in prison right next to my father, or have 5 baby mommas like him. When that changes the perception of us black males will change.I still struggle everyday, but I start college this fall. I beat the 33% of black males graduate odds and I'm going to beat the stereotype of us also. Jimmie.jackson03@gmail.com tell me what you think

I believe it will change A little. I say this because it will be a while before we have another one and he will be remembered always by everyone but he will eventually fade away into history. 1 man can't change the perception on our race, we gotta do it ourselves. Where I'm from black males except so much but do so little. Our whole community needs a change, we need better role models, more fathers, and less excuses. The killings need to stop, the shootings, making all these babies, filling the prisons needs to stop now. Until that does we will always be stereotyped and judged. When a cop been on the force 15years and most drugs dealers are black males who's he gona stop 1st? I'm black myself, have a child been to jail and have 5 tattoos, 3 dead people on me, I got stories for days, seen it all and its a shame. We need to stop making excuse and help eachother because w/out jesus and my mentor who basically saved my life when I was 16 i'd be dead or in prison right next to my father, or have 5 baby mommas like him. When that changes the perception of us black males will change.I still struggle everyday, but I start college this fall. I beat the 33% of black males graduate odds and I'm going to beat the stereotype of us also. Jimmie.jackson03@gmail.com tell me what you think

No matter what any social scientist does, the human will always practice some form of discrimination. Discriminating does not necessarily mean playing "the bad, narrow-minded person". It can also be deciding to sit next to someone who has curly hair just like you do instead of someone who has straight, red hair. People discriminate for a variety of reasons, but the motive is the most important element. My grandmother honestly thought that I may inherit much darker skin due to my dad's lineage and African American heritage. I'm a pale as they get! Due to miseducation or ignorance, people will always assume until they are made aware. Honestly, I think Obama's got a good start. In order for the American people to continue to elect fellow Americans who have varied heritages, other than just Caucasian and little dashes of Native American, Obama needs to remain consistent and finish strong!

what species of animal do any of you know that has only 1 color? cause if you say oh, polar bear - that's a type of bear - and there are black bears and brown bears as well. think about it, not one exists. well, okay, i don't know that for a fact - but we are simply the highest on the food chain. yes, [a] God may have put us here, but he put everthing here. ignorance is a sure way to earn yourself a hard life, filled with loneliness and anger. a little bit of cognitive dissonance as well. if we cannot but work together with other human beings [because that's what we all are by the way..just incase you thought white people were like, of a different type - cause we're not] then why are we here? our minds, the gateway to the numinous, encompasses everything we will ever need to know or have known, as a human race. [thanks, jung] we are here to learn, to further this society on a planet that as far as we know, is the only one with life ever to exist. we cannot ask the elephants for help, or the water, or the books if you think about it - we can't read every book to ever exist.. we utilize people EVERY day, in EVERY way. from the people that made the blanket you wake up on, or the street corner you sleep on, we would be nowhere alone. we are in this TOGETHER. unity in diversity. who cares about the "black" man or the "white" people - STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP THIS DIVISION. what we have in common, is a much better place to start. love one another. and listen to bob marley - maybe he can show

what species of animal do any of you know that has only 1 color? cause if you say oh, polar bear - that's a type of bear - and there are black bears and brown bears as well. think about it, not one exists. well, okay, i don't know that for a fact - but we are simply the highest on the food chain. yes, [a] God may have put us here, but he put everthing here. ignorance is a sure way to earn yourself a hard life, filled with loneliness and anger. a little bit of cognitive dissonance as well. if we cannot but work together with other human beings [because that's what we all are by the way..just incase you thought white people were like, of a different type - cause we're not] then why are we here? our minds, the gateway to the numinous, encompasses everything we will ever need to know or have known, as a human race. [thanks, jung] we are here to learn, to further this society on a planet that as far as we know, is the only one with life ever to exist. we cannot ask the elephants for help, or the water, or the books if you think about it - we can't read every book to ever exist.. we utilize people EVERY day, in EVERY way. from the people that made the blanket you wake up on, or the street corner you sleep on, we would be nowhere alone. we are in this TOGETHER. unity in diversity. who cares about the "black" man or the "white" people - STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP THIS DIVISION. what we have in common, is a much better place to start. love one another. and listen to bob marley - maybe he can show

Your poll questions are very misleading. I certainly think that President Obama has uplifted the expectations of what black men are capable of in America and the perception of how a black family interacts. But even if his Presidential win didn't change anyone's opinion of black men and families that is still not the fault of racism. It's the fault of africa american parents and families for exhibiting that negative perception in action. I am a school teacher in a predominatly african american community. Over the last 15 plus years or working with these kids and their familes I have seen obvious signs that concern me as to the black family value system, lack of parental participation in the educational process and no support of the child and lack of professional upward mobility. Most of the kids that we work with are supported by a strong family unit including a mother and father. This is usually not the case with black families. Occassionally grandparents or aunts are parenting these children as birth parents are incarcerated or abusing subtances. More often than not black parents still physically "correct" their children opting to spank or slap the child over inteligent discussion that teaches a child pro's and con's of positive and negative behavior. I rarely have a black parent visit my room on open house evenings. Many of the mothers of black children that I work with are hardworking yet their male partners are often unemployed or involved in criminal activity. Many male parents have left the home or never assisted the mother in raising the child. Along with that environment often comes the attitude of exclusion where the child is encouraged to not allow anyone outside of the immediate family to know what is occurring in the home. The term "snitches

Racism will never be gone completely from this world it is fuel by fear and hatred, so many times in our personnal lives we hate the thing we fear the most. There were white people that helped with the underground railroad, there were white people who endanger their lives and that of they families to hide slaves, we can face it or not but white people all along the way have been fighting for the rights of the black man. To this day white people continue to do this but we( yes i'm black) cannot let go of the pass. Our pass should be looked on with pride and diginity a sense of achievement that we are no longer seen as cattle and treated that way, but all we see when we look back at our pass is all the pain, shame and injustice we focus on the negative, that is why i know racism will not be going anywhere.

It is up to no one else but the black men to take some responsibility for their negative image and stop making excuses. I am white and live in an all black neighborhood, and I am so sick of seeing all of the lazy punks around me who continue to use slavery as an excuse. Get over it! I did not enslave you and you were never a slave. If slavery had never happened than many black people would not have the opportunities that are available to them. It has been their CHOICE not to rise above the past and make something of themselves. Pres Obama did not need a black president before him to have some motivation to be someone, so why should he be the reason why NOW black people feel they can become something. Take some blame for the perception and image of negative stereotypes and stop blaming white people. I realize racism exists, but it exists both ways. I feel very separate in my home and community and no one socializes with my family, except for maybe a wave. My husband was told to "Get out" in notes left on his vehicle when he moved into our house. I voted for Obama but a black woman conducting a poll seemed shocked when I told her. What do black people think they are the only ones who voted for hiM? Like he's their president and not mine too? And why do black people never talk about the white people who fought for them...Pres Lincoln, Pres Kennedy, etc....it's always MLK and Malcolm X. Not that they weren't important too, but whether you like it or not, white people have been fighting for your rights too. As a white person I do NOT owe you ANYTHING! Put the past

Can we all please stop and realize what we are passing on to this next generation. Do you realize that as little preschoolers they don't see color . They get along as playmates( ok I know it's a peculiar example) But, this is reality RACISM EXIST) You must live and rise above this . I am a Black woman with a twin brother and he vows to never date another black woman, and my family is there for him, even through his hurt and pain . I realize he has to deal with his hurt from past relationships. My love is still here because they have three beautiful triplets and we get the stares and comments. And I explain to them to show love because people don't know better it stems from your parents . Yes, some black men may down black women,and black women do the same . And because our race has fought each other for the longest. We put each other down for succeeding in life as education or moving to the suburbs, or how you may dress. or you just for being different.What I have found is most people just don't know . We as black people MUST STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER BEFORE WE CAN CONQUER RACISM! Martin Luther King and Harriet Tubman , Malcom X stuck it out they fought with protest and education, singing we shall overcome do you understand what those words mean? First we are human beings created by God. LOVE has no color. You must love yourself first and foremost stop blaming other people or circumstances rise above it and step over it don't letit BREAK YOU . The only person to judge you is the creator. Be the very best you can be and love who ever you fall in

I believe that racism is still very prevalent today even with our black president. I am a white woman the majority of my friends are black, and I've always dated black men. Due to my personal preferences I've always had to put up with certain family members such as my father for dating black men. I just wish people would be honest with themselves that it all comes down to the color of the skin, and get over it. A black person is just as much a human as a white person. We are all offspring of the same man that God created in the beginning!