Singer Lauryn Hill Blames Slavery For Not Paying Her Taxes

[houstonwhodat]

It never ends does it?

http://hiphopwired.com/2013/05/08/la...es-on-slavery/

“I am a child of former slaves who had a system imposed on them,” the New Jersey native told U.S. Magistrate Madeline Cox Arleo.“I had an economic system imposed on me. Someone did the math, and it came to around $600 million. And I sit here before you trying to figure out how to pay a tax debt?”

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Unless you're a trained genetics expert, your answer here means precisely dick.

Oh sure, we can try to take the kind, cuddly approach to it and say "well hell no!" but what the hell do I know?

Whites are more genetically predisposed to certain diseases and physical maladies. Blacks are more predisposed to others. There are physical distinctions as well.

There might be behavioral or cognitive distinctions as well. I don't know. I don't claim to know - I know exactly jack shit about the biological makeup of the respective races.

Which is why your question is clearly little more than a trap question. None of us are even remotely qualified to answer it. Everyone knows the answer they should give, but their basis for giving it is based on...well nothing really.

Personally, I think if you dropped 100,000 black babies on Mars and 100,000 white babies on Mars, after several generations you'd see some kind of split in where they excelled and did not. I don't think there would be a predisposition towards criminal conduct, no. I don't know what the differences would be - but I'm confident there would be quite a few of them.

I also don't think that's terribly relevant to this discussion. I don't think biology is the problem in this instance.

Which proves my point, precisely!

The issues that have arisen do not have a basis in biology. They have a basis in society.

African Americans were not born genetically predisposed to being criminals and dead-beat dads. Those are learned behaviors. Nuture, not nature. It has everything to do with environment and nothing to do with genetics.

Now that we have agreed that (all things being equal) these issues would not arise in our society on Mars (ruling out biology) we can begin to analyze the reasons why they exist in America. I have asserted that it has to do with the previous ills of our society. Do you have any other ideas?

*Also: I have a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and know a fair bit about genetics. I can tell you with 100% certainty that blacks/whites/asians/hispanics are all members of homo sapiens (meaning our genetic makeup is nearly identical).

[Donger]

Originally Posted by the_spatula

Which proves my point, precisely!

The issues that have arisen do not have a basis in biology. They have a basis in society.

African Americans were not born genetically predisposed to being criminals and dead-beat dads. Those are learned behaviors. Nuture, not nature. It has everything to do with environment and nothing to do with genetics.

Now that we have agreed that (all things being equal) these issues would not arise in our society on Mars (ruling out biology) we can begin to analyze the reasons why they exist in America. I have asserted that it has to with the previous ills of our society. Do you have any other ideas?

*Also: I have a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and know a fair bit about genetics. I can tell you with 100% certainty that blacks/whites/asians/hispanics are all members of homo sapiens (meaning our genetic makeup is nearly identical).

As long as you aren't saying that ALL of Black societal ills can be traced to slavery and racism, I'm with you.

I think we have some Black people on CP. What do you people say?

[Radar Chief]

Originally Posted by Donger

What do you people say?

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by the_spatula

Which proves my point, precisely!

The issues that have arisen do not have a basis in biology. They have a basis in society.

Slow down there, sport - this is where your leap in logic falls apart.

These things absolutely have a basis in biology but it's not biology that's exclusive to the black community.

They started in a hole - they've stayed in the hole. 'Society' has done its damndest to stop digging and I think by and large that has been done quite well. Additionally, 'society' has also taken steps to try to throw some dirt into said hole and help raise people out of it.

But the folks in it aren't doing a hell of a lot of scooping on their own. Had you taken whites out of Europe, tossed them into Africa, disenfranchised them for 200 years and then set them free - well they'd probably be in shitty shape in comparison to the 'native' Africans as well. I don't subscribe to an idea that white's would've done this any better (afterall, look at backwoods Kentucky).

What I am saying is that you're claiming that the system is getting in the way and that's simply not the case. The system is trying to take measured, reasoned steps towards leveling the playing field and all to often those people they are trying to help go limp and act as dead weight.

At this point, the efforts are being made. It's time to set down the axes that people like Lauryn Hill are grinding and help yourselves as well. The die has been cast; it can't just be undone. Sorry - just as I wasn't born into a the Vanderbilt clan - some people just have a shittier path than others. Such is the way of it.

Now take ownership of where you are, where you can be and more importantly, where your children can be.

Quit blaming 'society' for everything. Society can only do so much and at some point you're just going to have to help yourselves or {gasp} make hard choices and sacrifices for the benefit of your family.

[exterminator]

Chinese and Vietnamese people come to this country with nothing and can't speak English. Within a couple of years they own restaurants, nail salons and laundries.

Indian people come here with nothing and also can't speak English. They go on to get degrees, become engineers and their children win spelling bees.

IT'S CALLED WORK ETHIC.

This is not a blanket statement, but more often than not it seems that some black communities are content with letting the government fund their lives.

So what does that make them? Slaves to the government. They complain about slavery yet they participate in it willingly.

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Slow down there, sport - this is where your leap in logic falls apart.

These things absolutely have a basis in biology but it's not biology that's exclusive to the black community.

They started in a hole - they've stayed in the hole. 'Society' has done its damndest to stop digging and I think by and large that has been done quite well. Additionally, 'society' has also taken steps to try to throw some dirt into said hole and help raise people out of it.

But the folks in it aren't doing a hell of a lot of scooping on their own. Had you taken whites out of Europe, tossed them into Africa, disenfranchised them for 200 years and then set them free - well they'd probably be in shitty shape in comparison to the 'native' Africans as well. I don't subscribe to an idea that white's would've done this any better (afterall, look at backwoods Kentucky).

What I am saying is that you're claiming that the system is getting in the way and that's simply not the case. The system is trying to take measured, reasoned steps towards leveling the playing field and all to often those people they are trying to help go limp and act as dead weight.

At this point, the efforts are being made. It's time to set down the axes that people like Lauryn Hill are grinding and help yourselves as well. The die has been cast; it can't just be undone. Sorry - just as I wasn't born into a the Vanderbilt clan - some people just have a shittier path than others. Such is the way of it.

Now take ownership of where you are, where you can be and more importantly, where your children can be.

Quit blaming 'society' for everything. Society can only do so much and at some point you're just going to have to help yourselves or {gasp} make hard choices and sacrifices for the benefit of your family.

We're on the same page, dude. I agree with you.

[Oxford]

Originally Posted by Cave Johnson

Don't know. But it stands to reason that if blacks are stopped and searched more frequently than whites (3x as likely) and arrested at higher rates (think this is also true), that would result in more priors for the judge to consider at sentencing.

It'd be a snowball effect.

Oh GOD, it's racial profiling

Priors=Prior convictions which implys evidence presented before a judge or judge/jury. Of course that evidence and witnesses were a frame up, because of some lingering racial bias.

Tickets/Charges by Police Officers are just allegations until signed by the prosecutor and filed with the court. At that point it is a "charge" which is adjudicated and then if a finding of guilty is rendered it becomes a conviction. If the charge is dismissed, found not guilty or some other disposition it is closed to public scrutiny.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by the_spatula

I know exactly why the 3/5 compromise came to be. The point remains the same.

Our constitution did not recognize blacks as citizens until the 15th ammendment. Even free blacks in northern states were denied citizenship/right to vote.

The point was that our own constitution was systematically racist up until the 1880s and into the 20th century.

Do not confuse the point.

No, the point is that you either didn't know what you were talking about, or you were lying in order to further your argument. Since you claim you knew "exactly", that means you're a liar.

[Setsuna]

Originally Posted by Radar Chief

[Coach]

Rule of thumb....

Pay your taxes on time. Simple as that.

[Deberg_1990]

She won't pay her taxes and rails against the evils of the US.......... but didn't have any problems taking advantage of this countries freedoms and capitalism on the way to being a multimillionaire and reaching the top of her profession?? This slavery thing is just an excuse.

[Sorter]

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

She won't pay her taxes and rails against the evils of the US.......... but didn't have any problems taking advantage of this countries freedoms and capitalism on the way to being a multimillionaire and reaching the top of her profession?? This slavery thing is just an excuse.

Oh yeah, no doubt.

Instead of taking responsibility of her own actions, she's blaming it on unsubstantiated claims that has no merit.

This is why I never had much, if any, role models growing up that was/is a celebrity.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Ponderception

[LoneWolf]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Personally, I think if you dropped 100,000 black babies on Mars and 100,000 white babies on Mars, after several generations you'd see some kind of split in where they excelled and did not. I don't think there would be a predisposition towards criminal conduct, no. I don't know what the differences would be - but I'm confident there would be quite a few of them.

I think you would have 200,000 dead babies. Even if they survived being dropped, they couldn't survive on Mars.