Conquer Club

AMERICA!!! AMEN

BA DUM PISH! <one person clapping slowly>

And how about that airline food?

Yeah, wat's up with that?

"It's not a near miss, it's a near hit!"

Somebody get some butter cause I'm on a roll.

It was an iron bar.

How many black swimmers did you see at the Olympics? Brother don't swim. And Hilary's got that hermetically sealed pants-suit - that's got to increase buoyancy. My money's on Hils.

That's an old hold over from the slavery in the USA. It was drilled into blacks that they couldn't swim, to prevent them learning, to prevent them escaping.

Sadly, it's a complete falsehood that has been perpetuated into black culture. Black people can swim just fine if they've been taught how, but many haven't, and the rumor persists in classic circular reasoning fashion.

Also, don't forget about Cullen Jones.

pimpdave wrote:That's an old hold over from the slavery in the USA. It was drilled into blacks that they couldn't swim, to prevent them learning, to prevent them escaping.

Sadly, it's a complete falsehood that has been perpetuated into black culture. Black people can swim just fine if they've been taught how, but many haven't, and the rumor persists in classic circular reasoning fashion.

Also, don't forget about Cullen Jones.

I spent a great deal of time in my local swimming pool this summer. Plenty of examples of all skin colours happily swimming...
never heard the idea that black people can't swim.

To get to the other side of the road!

pimpdave wrote:That's an old hold over from the slavery in the USA. It was drilled into blacks that they couldn't swim, to prevent them learning, to prevent them escaping.

Sadly, it's a complete falsehood that has been perpetuated into black culture. Black people can swim just fine if they've been taught how, but many haven't, and the rumor persists in classic circular reasoning fashion.

Actually, that's a load of bullshit. Black men have traditionally stayed away from swimming sports because genetically they tend to develop a more dense muscle mass, which decreases buoyancy. (That's also why there aren't too many blacks in the SEALS.) It has nothing to do with an idea that they can't swim. And it certainly has nothing to do with a load of crap about how people 150+ years ago told black people they couldn't swim, and that's somehow part of black culture. Take your "waaaaaaaah, fake and implausible historical injustice!" bull elsewhere, please.

Oh, and if Obama's a brother, I'm an islander. He's way too elitist to be a real part of black culture.

Nikolai wrote:Black men have traditionally stayed away from swimming sports because genetically they tend to develop a more dense muscle mass

Yah, in America maybe. That'll happen after 300 years of back breaking labor, you know. Not many scrawny guys left by the end of that.

Nikolai wrote:Oh, and if Obama's a brother, I'm an islander. He's way too elitist to be a real part of black culture.

How are you defining black culture? Bling and kicking lyrics? He's not culturally an African, I'll give you that.

Nikolai wrote:Actually, that's a load of bullshit. Black men have traditionally stayed away from swimming sports because genetically they tend to develop a more dense muscle mass, which decreases buoyancy.

That actually sounds even more like bullshit than what pimpdave said.

The reason that black people are not present in some sports is probably cultural, though maybe not the reason that Pimpdave gives. I mean, you don't see any black people playing Hockey, are they genetically unable to do that?

Snorri1234 wrote:

Nikolai wrote:Actually, that's a load of bullshit. Black men have traditionally stayed away from swimming sports because genetically they tend to develop a more dense muscle mass, which decreases buoyancy.

That actually sounds even more like bullshit than what pimpdave said.

The reason that black people are not present in some sports is probably cultural, though maybe not the reason that Pimpdave gives. I mean, you don't see any black people playing Hockey, are they genetically unable to do that?

That's because black people tend to have a less dense muscle mass, thus get cold very easily.

Neoteny wrote:

Snorri1234 wrote:

Nikolai wrote:Actually, that's a load of bullshit. Black men have traditionally stayed away from swimming sports because genetically they tend to develop a more dense muscle mass, which decreases buoyancy.

That actually sounds even more like bullshit than what pimpdave said.

The reason that black people are not present in some sports is probably cultural, though maybe not the reason that Pimpdave gives. I mean, you don't see any black people playing Hockey, are they genetically unable to do that?

That's because black people tend to have a less dense muscle mass, thus get cold very easily.

And black people are part fox, which is why they like chicken so much.

Frigidus wrote:

Neoteny wrote:

Snorri1234 wrote:

Nikolai wrote:Actually, that's a load of bullshit. Black men have traditionally stayed away from swimming sports because genetically they tend to develop a more dense muscle mass, which decreases buoyancy.

That actually sounds even more like bullshit than what pimpdave said.

The reason that black people are not present in some sports is probably cultural, though maybe not the reason that Pimpdave gives. I mean, you don't see any black people playing Hockey, are they genetically unable to do that?

That's because black people tend to have a less dense muscle mass, thus get cold very easily.

And black people are part fox, which is why they like chicken so much.

Doesn't explain the watermelon though.

No but they get taller because they don't swim and thus shrink in the water,
That's why they're good at basketball.

Neoteny wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ4B7G8Rw3Q&feature=related

Still can't get sound...

jonesthecurl wrote:

Neoteny wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ4B7G8Rw3Q&feature=related

Still can't get sound...

Sad day. I'm a pretty big fan of Dave Chappelle. If you're familiar with him, it's more of the same.

well hillary is pretty fake so i bet she'd float ok and obama's full of hot air so i don't see him sinking either. the real question here is, who eats who first on a desert island?

bbqpenguin wrote:well hillary is pretty fake so i bet she'd float ok and obama's full of hot air so i don't see him sinking either. the real question here is, who eats who first on a desert island?

Hillary could use some black meat!

jonesthecurl wrote:

pimpdave wrote:That's an old hold over from the slavery in the USA. It was drilled into blacks that they couldn't swim, to prevent them learning, to prevent them escaping.

Sadly, it's a complete falsehood that has been perpetuated into black culture. Black people can swim just fine if they've been taught how, but many haven't, and the rumor persists in classic circular reasoning fashion.

Also, don't forget about Cullen Jones.

I spent a great deal of time in my local swimming pool this summer. Plenty of examples of all skin colours happily swimming...
never heard the idea that black people can't swim.

Right, because it's completely erroneous to say "black people can't swim". Clearly, you're in a locale where that stereotype hasn't negatively effected people of color from learning to swim. Like I said, if anyone is raised thinking they can swim and are taught how, anyone can be a capable swimmer. Unfortunately, the converse is also all too often true, suggesting that in many cases, people of color BELIEVE they can't swim, and thus never learn.

If anything, your statement helps reinforce what I was saying, and I must clarify that I wasn't attempting to highlight a unilateral causation of the phenomenon, only to suggest one of those most commonly cited by people of color themselves.

And there is documentation to back up the fact that slave owners began and perpetuated such a vicious lie, I'm sure anyone really interested in the subject could find it.

Also, I really think the whole "if you build it they will come" idea applies to this question. Were pools and swimming lessons more widely available to the population in question, I think over time this stereotype would eventually cease to "have legs".

Growing up I had a number of black friends with me on swim team and as fellow lifeguards, back when I was involved in those activities, but they had also grown up in a culture that told everyone they could learn how to swim, and lessons were available.

Snorri1234 wrote:

Nikolai wrote:Actually, that's a load of bullshit. Black men have traditionally stayed away from swimming sports because genetically they tend to develop a more dense muscle mass, which decreases buoyancy.

That actually sounds even more like bullshit than what pimpdave said.

*Sigh*

Book on the subject from 1998:

http://books.google.com/books?id=SAa_Ga ... t#PPA91,M1

Here's another one, 2004, on general health:

http://books.google.com/books?id=341lBf ... &ct=result

I don't actually know jack about these books, but it took me two minutes on Google to find them... and I didn't even bother looking at articles. It's been accepted as scientific fact for some time, with no specific information to indicate anything otherwise. For crying out loud, it's why African-Americans are at less risk for osteoporosis... a commonly known fact in today's pharmaceutical world. Try using your brain before your mouth?

To be sure, African-Americans are perfectly capable of developing the lower bone and muscle density required to be world-class swimmers - but they're genetically disposed not to do so. You can hunt cultural factors as much as you like - but that doesn't permit you to ignore the science. African Americans are genetically disposed towards higher bone and muscle density and lower body fat ratios, all of which reduce buoyancy. And while that won't matter much for your casual dip at the local pool, at world-class levels where hundredths of seconds count... well, it matters. So while an African-American certainly could become a world-class swimmer, they would have to deal with all the usual problems that swimmers deal with... plus their body's tendency to betray them.

Frigidus wrote:

Nikolai wrote:Oh, and if Obama's a brother, I'm an islander. He's way too elitist to be a real part of black culture.

How are you defining black culture? Bling and kicking lyrics? He's not culturally an African, I'll give you that.

That, but more the underlying attitudes. Black culture in America is, in large part, about refusing to let other people tell you what to do with your life. You do what you think is best for you, not what some fat-ass with a lot of money and too much extra time on his hands thinks you should do. This leads to a strong mistrust for elitism... of which Obama is a particularly picture perfect paradigm. If that makes sense...

(Hm, clearly I have been involved in too much forum alliteration lately.)