IGX

nafod wrote:

Blaidd Drwg wrote:is the operational question of blending in with non white populations a ruse or is it important?

Very important, by my observation. Ability to speak local languages also.

Most SOF stuff involves hanging with the local homies and getting in with them. Lots of wearing of civvies. You can always bring the white folks forward for the direct action.

Are you talking the generic SEAL Team? Last I heard, they were very DA oriented. Army Special Forces, on the other hand, were the pros at schmoozing, training, and leading locals.

johno wrote:

nafod wrote:

Blaidd Drwg wrote:is the operational question of blending in with non white populations a ruse or is it important?

Very important, by my observation. Ability to speak local languages also.

Most SOF stuff involves hanging with the local homies and getting in with them. Lots of wearing of civvies. You can always bring the white folks forward for the direct action.

Are you talking the generic SEAL Team? Last I heard, they were very DA oriented. Army Special Forces, on the other hand, were the pros at schmoozing, training, and leading locals.

You're probably right. Just my interaction with them in the theatre I was in. While there was a fair amount of smiting going on, a critical piece was the liaising with the locals, and they had a hard time finding guys that could win their confidence by looking like them at least a little. Heaven forbid you fit that bill, you knew where you'd be spending all of your 4 month pumps.

65% of NFL players are black.
82% of NBA players are black.
12.2% of Americans are black.
Less than 2% of Seal officers are black.

We would I think all agree that to make it in either of in the above two US national sports, the pro athletes must display huge skill, prolonged serious physical commitment over many years, mental toughness and gifted athletic capabilities.

So if I were an American - or a Seal - and I'm considering the above facts, I'd start asking questions.

Did you know that very few disadvantaged and minority children take swimming lessons and they are commonly deathly afraid of the water because their families and cultures generally do not expose children to swimming at a young age?

USA Swimming conducted a study of nearly 2,000 minority children to see if they could determine the reasons why there are fewer minority children learning to swim than Caucasian children. The drowning statistics of African-American children is staggering! African-American children die due to drowning three times more often than Caucasian children between the ages of 5 and 14.

Lots to talk about here. But sweeping and lazy generalisations about black people "not liking cold surf" shouldn't be taking up bandwith anywhere.

Gorby, shut your PC trap.

Blaidd Drwg wrote:Gorby, shut your PC trap.

what he said.

Gorbachev wrote:65% of NFL players are black.
82% of NBA players are black.
12.2% of Americans are black.
Less than 2% of Seal officers are black.

We would I think all agree that to make it in either of in the above two US national sports, the pro athletes must display huge skill, prolonged serious physical commitment over many years, mental toughness and gifted athletic capabilities.

So if I were an American - or a Seal - and I'm considering the above facts, I'd start asking questions.

Did you know that very few disadvantaged and minority children take swimming lessons and they are commonly deathly afraid of the water because their families and cultures generally do not expose children to swimming at a young age?

USA Swimming conducted a study of nearly 2,000 minority children to see if they could determine the reasons why there are fewer minority children learning to swim than Caucasian children. The drowning statistics of African-American children is staggering! African-American children die due to drowning three times more often than Caucasian children between the ages of 5 and 14.

Lots to talk about here. But sweeping and lazy generalisations about black people "not liking cold surf" shouldn't be taking up bandwith anywhere.

Are you suggesting the United States Navy should provide swimming lessons to minority children?

Bottom line: Take a bunch of kids who have very little exposure to any water based activities, and add in a very real tendency to be negatively bouyant.

Result:

Less than 2% of Seal officers are black.

And if there is place where Officers matter least, IMHO it is in SF.

Gorbachev wrote:65% of NFL players are black.
82% of NBA players are black.
12.2% of Americans are black.
Less than 2% of Seal officers are black.

We would I think all agree that to make it in either of in the above two US national sports, the pro athletes must display huge skill, prolonged serious physical commitment over many years, mental toughness and gifted athletic capabilities.

So if I were an American - or a Seal - and I'm considering the above facts, I'd start asking questions.

The disparate figures apply to the other SOF bubbas, not just SEALs. Probably a little worse in SEALS I guess, but don't get too hung up on the swimming.

65% of NFL players are black.
82% of NBA players are black.

This is how they dream to get rich. Add rapper to it also.

Less than 2% of Seal officers are black.

Being able to make it too and through college, be at the top of your game physically, mentally strong enough and love your country enough to join the Navy, be selected for BUD/S, actually pass and get assigned to a Team.
About the same odds either way. But for much less pay.

The Ginger Beard Man wrote:

Gorbachev wrote:65% of NFL players are black.
82% of NBA players are black.
12.2% of Americans are black.
Less than 2% of Seal officers are black.

We would I think all agree that to make it in either of in the above two US national sports, the pro athletes must display huge skill, prolonged serious physical commitment over many years, mental toughness and gifted athletic capabilities.

So if I were an American - or a Seal - and I'm considering the above facts, I'd start asking questions.

Did you know that very few disadvantaged and minority children take swimming lessons and they are commonly deathly afraid of the water because their families and cultures generally do not expose children to swimming at a young age?

USA Swimming conducted a study of nearly 2,000 minority children to see if they could determine the reasons why there are fewer minority children learning to swim than Caucasian children. The drowning statistics of African-American children is staggering! African-American children die due to drowning three times more often than Caucasian children between the ages of 5 and 14.

Lots to talk about here. But sweeping and lazy generalisations about black people "not liking cold surf" shouldn't be taking up bandwith anywhere.

Are you suggesting the United States Navy should provide swimming lessons to minority children?

The United States Navy should want to attract the very best talent available so it should be very interested to know whether there are currently arbitrary barriers to that. This is in the Navy's own best interest. If that takes an offer of swim classes, or persuading government to build pools in inner cities, or providing pre-Buds swim tuition or whatever, that would seem to me to be a truly self-interested thing for the Navy to do. Why wouldn't you want the Warren Moons and Steve McNairs to have an opportunity. This shouldn't be about rigging it or giving someone a pass when the other guy doesn't get that. This is about ensuring equality of opportunity beyond saying that this only means "anyone can apply".

Gorbachev wrote:65% of NFL players are black.
82% of NBA players are black.
12.2% of Americans are black.
Less than 2% of Seal officers are black.

And what percentage of Olympic swimmers and divers?

^^^^ LOLZ
Split the Teams into land groups and water groups. Problem solved.

Not much appetite for truth-seeking here, IMHO. The minds are in lock-down.

If you are interested in "attracting the best talent" and nothing more, you cast your net as widely as you can. You should want to be able to hire diversely - geographically, discipline-wise, age, sex, orientation. If you're working at the cutting edge of something that means you might need something different - an angle, a problem-solving capability, linguistic tools or whatever - then you don't get hung up on 2012 data and think that this reflects innate limitations in given parts of the population. You try to look at WHY opportunities are passed up, wasted or never explored. You ask whether this is hurting your organisation. If it is or it even could, you do something about it. At least that's what a smart, dynamic organisation that is going to thrive and prosper in the 21st century is required to do.

Like Al Qaeda are going to sit around bitching about how white kids don't like the heat. LOL.

So run the program like a Soviet era gymnastics set up?

My father was a lifeguard at a publicly funded inner city swimming pool in the very early sixties. He had a police escort every time he walked to the lifeguard chair.
Imagine the outcry someday when the bodies of minority SEALs come home. Young home the government sought out in childhood to send away on the most dangerous missions so whitey wouldn't have to die.

WildGorillaMan wrote:

Gorbachev wrote:65% of NFL players are black.
82% of NBA players are black.
12.2% of Americans are black.
Less than 2% of Seal officers are black.

And what percentage of Olympic swimmers and divers?

More than the Canadian percentage.

Split the Teams into land groups and water groups. Problem solved.

My bad. We already have Rangers and Combat Divers.

tough old man wrote:So run the program like a Soviet era gymnastics set up?

Or a Hitler Youth program.

The Ginger Beard Man wrote:My father was a lifeguard at a publicly funded inner city swimming pool in the very early sixties. He had a police escort every time he walked to the lifeguard chair.
Imagine the outcry someday when the bodies of minority SEALs come home. Young home the government sought out in childhood to send away on the most dangerous missions so whitey wouldn't have to die.

I think a few black soldiers have died in the GWOT so far. And they make up about 24% of the US army. What else you got.

tough old man wrote:So run the program like a Soviet era gymnastics set up?

There is a lot we can learn from Mother Russia, comrade.

All seems rather fatuous to me.

I like that Gorby this playing in the NBA is comparable to serving as a special ops soldier

Gorbachev wrote:65% of NFL players are black.
Lots to talk about here. But sweeping and lazy generalisations about black people "not liking cold surf" shouldn't be taking up bandwith anywhere.

How about this...I HOPE THEY SIGN UP A BUNCH OF NIGGERS AND THEY ALL DROWN EXCEPT FOR ONE WHO GOES ON TO BE A WAR HERO AND MARRIES YOUR YOUNGEST DAUGHTER AND GIVES YOU A BUNCH OF HALF-A-NIGGER GRANDBABIES.

Gorbachev wrote:

The Ginger Beard Man wrote:My father was a lifeguard at a publicly funded inner city swimming pool in the very early sixties. He had a police escort every time he walked to the lifeguard chair.
Imagine the outcry someday when the bodies of minority SEALs come home. Young home the government sought out in childhood to send away on the most dangerous missions so whitey wouldn't have to die.

I think a few black soldiers have died in the GWOT so far. And they make up about 24% of the US army. What else you got.

You lend credence to my point. We already hear the bullshit argument about minorities being sent to die.
As TOM and I pointed out,govt sponsored feeder programs are a can of worms.
I'm all for minorities doing whatever job they want. They don't seem to want certain jobs. As with my FDNY example, there are limits to how far the govt should have to go torecruit people solely for the color of their skin.

protobuilder wrote:I like that Gorby this playing in the NBA is comparable to serving as a special ops soldier

I have enormous respect for the profession of soldiering. I also have enormous respect for anyone talented and dedicated enough to become a professional athlete.

I wouldn't have the same respect for, say, a 43-year old gay man who survives selling cruises door-to-door to vulnerable elderly people and still lives with his Mom (no offence).