Conversations from Texas

Joshua Mitchell of Fort Worth, Texas, will write occasional columns for the Beat. They are his opinions, not necessarily those of the Beat.

Population returning to work and the impact of Gen Z

Category: Conversations from Texas Conversations from Texas
Published: 31 March 2023 31 March 2023

The pandemic had many impacts on many different facets of American life, but few greater than the job market. In July of 2020 the percent of employed was down nearly 15%. On top of that the United States reached negative GDP growth rate for the first time since the 2008 crash. In 2021 the job market started recovering and the American population slowly started returning to work.

A common theme amongst companies during the pandemic was remote working. For the first time in history the vast majority of work was being done from home. In 2020 we saw this lead to an increase in productivity and the GDP rate grew rapidly. In 2021 that productivity slowly began to fall off and in 2022 that workforce started returning to the brick-and-mortar office spaces that they had previously held.

Surprisingly the return to the office did not slow job growth. Throughout 2022 and in the beginning of 2023 we saw the population return to work en masse. In February of 2023 we saw unemployment reach pre-pandemic lows of 3.5% meaning that the covid unemployment crisis has come to an end.

Read more ...

Is "white pride" a bad thing, a conversation about white culture

Category: Conversations from Texas Conversations from Texas
Published: 09 March 2023 09 March 2023

If you have spent any time on twitter I am sure you have seen a post saying something along the lines of "all whites are racists." My most recent run in with one of these was a poll by Xaviaer DuRousseau asking "white people, are you proud to be white." Innocent in nature but definitely thought provoking.

My initial reaction to this was frustration at the ignorance of the question, but after a second to think of my answer I came to the conclusion "no." The amount of melanin in my skin wasn't something earned, it was something I have had in my family forever. Don't get me wrong, I am immensely proud of my family and my last name but the pigment of my skin means nothing to me.

I answered the poll accordingly and saw that 92% of the 600,000 votes were for yes. Which led to the next question of "is white pride a bad thing." Which the answer is a resounding no.

The premise of the question was intentionally vague as it doesn't recognise the plethora of different and beautiful white cultures. Being the child of an immigrant mother from Rhodesia I knew from a very young age that there were vast differences in culture regardless of skin color.

That is something the question doesn't account for. The term "white" lumps together Americans, Italians, Irishmen, Jews, Austrailians, Germans, etc. and each and every one of those cultures are so vastly different. It is shameful to piece them in one group because they couldn't be more different.

This is why comments like "there is no such thing as white culture" float around so frequently. Because there isn't. I am an American, the things that I watch, wear, see and listen to are all vastly different than my Rhodesian relatives. When we are grouped together it suppresses and kills the things from our past that make each of our cultures special.

So the next time you see a post asking if you're proud to be white, don't hesitate to stand up for where you came from. Our family stories are part of what makes each person unique in today's society.

Don't let the modern left take away our beautiful cultures by letting them say that whites are all the same or that "white culture is genocide" as both so frequently trend in the news. Stand up and be proud. History is dying and it is our job to remember. Remember what it is that makes each of our histories different. Remember the ugly things of the past and be sure to leave them there. But never forget where you came from, never forget your family tree, and never forget your values.

If there is any reason to be proud to be white, be proud that every white culture is so different and don't let the twitter trolls forget that.

Joshua Mitchell
Fort Worth, Texas
Twitter @josh_t_mitchell

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a cheaper and shorter option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. The former software failed us, so it's just a category now, with prices posted. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.