You've Got To Be Carefully Taught

[alexanderdiaz1]

I remember many years ago when Maury Povich, was worth watching, he did a show about racist people, he had parents of different races on stage, while their children were playing together peacefully in the green room. When one of the white ladies didn't like what an audience member had to say she stormed off the stage and went to the green room to get her child when she saw her child playing with the black child she went ballistic on her kid, that is a perfect example of Carefully Taught...

[cqsallie]

How can you not remember this incident? Whether or not it was a life-defining moment or not, it was a heart-wrenching moment that should never have happened at all.

Forty years ago, 50 years ago, 20, or 10. The idiocy of that moment in time stays with you all of these years because you lacked even a scintilla of power. You were a kid, you were a Jew - two strikes against you.

Had you been a Muslim, or a Protestant, would it have been any different?

If you had been Romeo and she Juliet?

[terrorfan24]

I think that the singer is not bad but I think it is too slow. As a result I think the song would have served him better.

[GameofRassilon]

I'm not condoning racism but I must say that there is nothing wrong with this song. The musical itself is not being racist, its merely showing how life was like back then. Its like when in a show set in the 1700's and black people are being beaten up and put into slavery, its not condoning it - ITS JUST SHOWING HOW LIFE WAS LIKE BACK THEN

[Umihime]

@GameofRassilon -The song was showing how idiotic and wrong racism was. R and H often used their songs to make commentary against racism, sexism and other means of segregating persons who appeared "different". They were hoping to open the eyes of people to the ignorance of prejudice and racism. This song is a beautiful example. Their point being Racism is not inborn or natural but taught...and it is wrong.

[candr]

@GameofRassilon And unfortunately how some conduct their lives today.

[NihilistImp]

Race exists. It's a fact, and it's open season on whites. Don't try to sell me this happy horseshit when the media is flooded with anti-male, anti-white messages, and hordes of illegal immigrants shut down our cities like LA with impunity to advocate the right of Mexicans to break our laws.

Media amplifies the slightest transgression against blacks by whites, blacks are raping, and dismembering whites with impunity. We are the next South Africa, if we don't become the next Palestine first.

[patreich29]

... and it keeps going

[dolphin330]

Today, many spiritual paths getting more widely accepted. A person can follow principles of love, caring, giving, sharing without being traditional Catholic,Protestant,Judaic, which is how I am today. My  Jewish childhood was happy, although so few Jews then and now, 99% of my friends were German,Polish,Irish. In 1940 most kids in New Jersey didn't care what was your religion. I was precocious, ahead of my time .B4 age 11 I fell for 3 Polish blondes! I should have been born Polish!

[dolphin330]

It happened when I was 9. I started walking a girl home . We played together every weekend . We were both the adventurous, romantic type, and a bond grew between us.

One Sunday I went to her house and her father said "Betty can't play with you any more." Next day at school, Betty said, "My father says its because we're Polish and you're Jewish." We were heartbroken, her father had been taught to hate. I am a lot older now, but still can't tell this story without breaking into tears

[mindspring57]

@dolphin330 Assuming you had gotten married, which religious faith would your children have practiced? The two religions are incompatible. I am not necessarily saying one is bad and the other good, but they are irreconcilable, and anyone who says that Catholicism and Judaism can be harmonized insults both of them.

[dolphin330]

@mindspring57 Your question is very good. I have no argument over the irreconcilable differences. However, at the age of nine I got the impression that her father didn't want her to play with a Jewish boy because of prejudice, and not the possibility of marriage. It all happened in the last weeks of school. Her family moved away that summer, and I never saw her again. My parents knew about our brief relationship and never interfered.

[mindspring57]

@dolphin330 The most charitable spin I can put on her father's position is that he was afraid of where things might lead. I also note that, in September 2009, the Supreme Court of Illinois upheld the right of a person to disinherit her grandchildren for having married non-Jewish spouses. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case, letting the result stand. See Estate of Feinberg,

[dolphin330]

@mindspring57 I have no malice toward the girl's father. It happened in 1940, when young people were expected and strictly cautioned to marry only within their ethnic group or religion. 

[mindspring57]

@dolphin330 In my view, the tradition of marrying within the same religious or ethnic started breaking down after the Second World War, as evidenced by "South Pacific," and is gone among many today. Some groups (e.g. Jews, Mormons, others) adhere to it more closely. Mormons, for example, exert strong pressure, because a Mormon who marries a non-Mormon cannot be married in the Temple, and that is important for many Mormons. Not criticizing, just commenting.

[ChrissyBZGirl]

@dolphin330 A similar story just happened to me and my best friend. She is hmong and I am white and her mother did not want us to see each other anymore, fortunately my story has ended on a happier note. Let's just say my friend decided to brake the rules for me. Of course we are older than nine and of driving age so we can see whoever we please. Perhaps now that you are older you can look up Betty and possibly rekindle your friendship?

[Satori1800]

Great video:) I five starred it and am your lifetime friend and subsciber.

be happy NOW

[Sheldonwh]

This song has a good meaning, but the social science actually suggests something a bit less black and white (excuse the pun).

Humans evolved in small bands of about 100 inter-breeding individuals who naturally looked similar (due to shared genes). As a result, we tend to prefer those who look like our "family" or "clan" over those who look different (e.g., dangerous members of a rival group).

Societies exaggerate that xenophobia to create the extreme hatred we see in racism, homophobia, etc.

[Sasu0saku12345]

i agree with kjpiperpixel. he has a really good voice, but it seems devoid of emotion. more like he's just trying to sing it right than act it as best as he can and maybe not get the singing perfect. My own school is putting on this production and when Steven sings that song, I feel like crying backstage because he sounds so broken up inside. My point is that this guy is good, don't get me wrong, but there's no passion in his performance. it's just so bland.

[Typhoon1930]

daha dump dedump dedump... 1 2  3 4 1 2 3 4 good message, so far everyone performing it sucks

[ruthkes]

Loved this....it's true even today...which is kind of a sad commentary on our world.

[cem404]

When South Pacific opened in 1949 racial segregation was the law in the US southern states. Lawmakers in the south tried to ban this song...but failed. It was a monumetal act of courage by the writers and producers of South Pacific to refuse to back down.

[mindspring57]

@cem404 In 1949, there were 21 states that banned interracial marriage, and they were not all in the South. It was unlawful in California until about that year.

[NihilistImp]

@cem404 It was a better age back then.

[hot1gs]

it's not racist its telling u that the only way that u can become a racist was by being taught

[carrotjuse]

If that's not racism, nothing is.

[Floweramon]

He's saying no one is born racist, that they're taught by the people around them or else racists wouldn't have any problems with races outside their own. If this was meant to promote racism, then pro-segregation people would not have tried to have this song banned.

[kjpiperpixel]

Oh, I see now that they already have misunderstood him.  What an excellent voice though.

[kjpiperpixel]

He's not nearly frustrated or passionate enough. Sombody unfamilliar with the South Pacific could easily misunderstand the message here and conclude that he's condoning racism rather than repremanding it through frustrated sarcasm.

[wesleychan123]

This is a raciast song :(

[alarob]

Pay attention. It's a satire of racism.

[agnesmoorhead]

Not a racist song, a criticism of racism, which at the time this was composed, was a very risky thing to do.

[wesleychan123]

oh sorry I never knew that

[kazandrew]

Just Great,Bravo!

[kamzing]

OMG.. fantastice voice... i love it.. well he is pretty cute too..

[CassandraLems]

Great voice.

[drbnzhottest32]

BRAVOO! 2 thumbs upp we had to listen to this song in school then reherse it in a play it was SOO MUCH FUNN THOUGH!!! i luved it hes great and kinda cute ;]