From: patrick@is.rice.edu (Patrick L Humphrey)
Subject: Re: A racist rears her ugly little head
Organization: Rice University
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 17:55:36 GMT

In article <1992Dec14.003800.3086@vlsi.polymtl.ca>, d40937@leibnitz (Jean Yves Desbiens) writes:
>Patrick L Humphrey (patrick@is.rice.edu) wrote:
>: rissa@world.std.com (Patricia O Tuama) writes:
>: >Actually, dear, these laws are in place to make up for what our par-
>: >ents and colleagues did and are still doing.
>:
>: Some of us believe that it works better if we try not to repeat those
>: mistakes, and take responsibility for *our* deeds, not our parents'.
>
>Absolutely right, the way affirmation action works is that the bigots
>think they are doing a great favor by *allowing* minorities to get a job and
>that conforts them in their belief that the *put your favorite minority*
>can't get anything unless they give it to them. It fuels racism
>because it gives an air of moral superiority to those that certainly
>don't deserve to be given such a break, It gives them a right to hate
>because they are not served the gratitude they so richly deserve (puke).
>Those program relieve the burden of changing their ways from the 
>individual and give it to society. But people are not harassed by 
>the USA as a whole, It is in their daily contacts that they feel
>the brunt of racism. Affirmative action won't change the basic 
>fact that *people* not companies or countries or any other of these 
>entities that are racist, and that is the problem. Besides,
>affirmative action can only be taken so far before it becomes
>a reverse discrimination process; because they are so few applicant
>for the jobs in AF there is bound to be a perfectly good non 
>minority candidate that is put at the wayside. What are you going to 
>say to him, you were good but we had to fill a quota, having served
>the good cause of antiracism won't stop him from fuming when he
>contemplates the fact he may stay out of work for a couple
>of weeks or months .

Precisely.  Let's quit worrying about race, *period*.  Take the best man (or 
woman) for the job, and quit worrying about what racial quota they may or may 
not fill.  

>: >What is this long ago shit?  Racism is still going on this very min-
>: >ute and we will continue to pay for it until it has disappeared from
>: >our society.
>
>Racism will never truly disapear, it will always be lurking inside
>us waiting for slightess slip of our will to control it. Thinking
>that we legislate racism away or pay restitution for it like 
>a jar we have broken is illusory , we can only demand forgiveness 
>and start over by trying to change ourselves first and then go
>outward not the other way around. Sure, nation wide discrimation 
>can be cut down because it was legislated but once it is done
>the minorities don't need our pity, they need to be treated with
>the same respect we treat ourselves ( that is if we do respect ourselves
>which isn't obvious from what we see in society ).
>The days of legislated changes are over. The black leaders say
>that it is time they do something for themselves, if changes 
>in society aren't fast enough they can't wait for them to happen.
>They have to live now, they can't wait for society to wise up.

Bingo!  Attitudes can't be legislated -- they have to come from within.  

>: I don't know about you, but in my book, two wrongs don't make a right.  Your
>: self-righteous attitude will insure, more than anything else, that racism
>: will be with this society for years to come.
>: Take responsibility for your own benighted attitude, and quit trying to
>: force everyone else to bend to your will.  
>
>You are right, as I have commented up there .    
>--
>SEIZE THE DAY, MAKE YOUR LIFE EXTRAORDINARY .  "Dead Poets Society"

I'm trying.  :-)  Merci beaucoup.  


Patrick L. Humphrey  (patrick@is.rice.edu)  Rice Networking & Computing Systems
     +1 713 528-3626 at Rice. 776-1541 at home. 667-6554 at Palace Lanes. 
                                 Power corrupts.
                          Absolute power is kind of neat.
                             (unless it's from HL&P :-)