From: mba2@Rosie.UH.EDU (Puneet_S)
Subject: Re: MISUNDERSTANDING
Reply-To: mba2@Rosie.UH.EDU
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 19:32:19 GMT

In article <92312.204500AUASV@ASUACAD.BITNET>, <AUASV@ASUACAD.BITNET> writes:
>To all those who seem to take offence so easily,
>
>     I wrote a post titled "THANKS ALOT", and recently another one of my
>brothers wrote "RACISM", well I just wanted to elaborate on this subject since
>you people seem to take offence so easily.
>
>     I wrote earlier that we need to stop all this bickering and do something
>about a real problem.  Racism is high in our minds right now due to the
>recession that all of us are experiencing.  I had a chance to talk to some of
>you on the views of Racism, and to be honest people, I think you just may need
>to get your head out of the clouds and get back down to earth.  I don't mean
>everyone but just those who feel that since they have never been discriminated
>yet, that it will never happen to them.  Well brother man, I'm here to tell you
>that you couldn't be farther from the truth.
>
>     When we first came to America, we lived in Yulee Florida.  It was a nice
>quiet,mostly white collar homes, and we thought it was just peachy.  Well NOT!
>In order to become a good member of the neighborhood, I decided to go to their
>church.  I was welcomed at first but when I refused to go to their Sunday Sch.
>and not go to their church regularly and practice our Hinduism, and they were
>furious.  I was called a Satinist and a Devil Worshiper, etc.  My parents were
>new to the country and realizing that the conflict may have a chance to
>blossom to a persicution, they moved out to Houston Texas.  Texas was a very
>desent place but here we had times so we moved to Louisiana.  Bad move!!!  I

Truly unfortuante, it may not seem like it to many of you, but Houston is
actually better than a lot of places I've been.  I did grow up with a
bible toting Baptist in school. And yes I was called names (i.e. Sand
Nigger, Camel Jockey, Wherewolf, etc...)  But kids can be very mean
spirited.  You can't let the names mar you for the rest of your life.
For the same number of people that were "racist" there were just as
many who didn't give a damn.  They were my friends.  When I went to
college, one of the football players who used to make fun of me when
we were in High school saw we walking along, caught up with me and 
actually appologized to me for the things he had said when he was
in school.  I met another one at my 5 year class reunion, who had grown
from 5' 8' to 6' 8', spent 2 years in the navy and was now working
a decent job, and he told me something interesting.  His comment to me
was "You know I got to say it, I really respect you.  When we were in
school, you put up with a lot of shit, but you never cared and you
always treated every body the same, be the person a "Nerd", "Jock",
"Geek", "Cheer Leader" etc...."  This is the same guy who used to
make fun of "Spicks, Chincs and Niggers".  People change, some don't.
All you can do, is try not to let them get in you way, and don't
get in theirs.  I don't advocate pacifism or activism, I advocate
Texanism.  I'm not going to go beat up some guy who call me names or
humiliates me in public, but if he hurts my family physically (i.e.
rapes my sister or breaks into my house, I will seek some form of
revenge be it through the Judicial system or be it a Smith & Wesson 40).
But I will at no cost provoke him by responding to his insults.  If you
let it get to you, the individual  simply get incited to "hurt" you more. 

>was so scared by the KKK regular attacks and beatings that it traumatized me
>until this day.  I had a friend back in Houston who told me about MLK and other
>great civil rights freedomfighters of the US.  After being driven out of the
>place we called home for over 4 years, we moved to Phoenix.  Here there was no
>more racism that was easily sensed.
>
>     In Phoenix there was so much diversity that we were a part of the majority
>which is the minority.  I was mistaken for a Mexican where I got the name
>"JULIO".  Phoenix is a quiet city which pretty much runs itself and bothers
>almost no one.  It's a town where there are over 3000 Indians.  What sucks
>about Arizona is that these Indians are fighting amongst themselves which may
>routinely get a little violent.  A muslim family was beaten up when they did
>not take of their shoes outside of the Cultural Hall.  It was so bad that one
>man was literally taing on the entire hall.  How ignorant is that?
>
>      We need to take a stand.  We need to educate our people about the risks
>of being so ignorant and arrogent.  We are not the Best Civilization of this
>World,  We are not better than any other nation, speaking as a Brahmin, we are
                                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^       
>not any better than those who are of lower caste, our language is better than
                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     
>n  others.

Amusing, listen to yourself.  This is why what you talk about exits.  Sorry,
I had to point it out.  Don't take offense. It's constructive critcism. 
The Caste system as it was initially set-up was not a true hiearhcial
structure.  The best analogy I have is the current "White Collar, Blue
Collar" system you may be ffamiliar with.  The caste system is tied to
you profession and the "path" that you have chosen to obtain "Oneness"
with "God/Supreme Being/Whatever".  It ended up being a socio-political
system.  Highly unfortunate, because that's not what it was meant to
be.  And no, no I don't think White Collar workers are any better than
Blue Collar workers.  There are a whole helluva a lot of construction
workers who I would pit against an engineer.  I've met some really
bright as well as stupid people in both areas.

  We are not in a "Melting Pot" and we should not have to.  We should
>live in a civilization which appreciates differences.  We should live in a
>country which does't have the worst crime rate in the world.  We should live in
>a country which does not tollerate any discrimination.  We should live in a
>country which takes pride in it's diversity.  If you think you found all these
>qualities here in America, then brother, Where do you live because I will do
>anything to live where you are living.
>
>     In conclusion, I just want to say that if we unite our differences, I
>think we can be a part of this community again with a good standing.  Please
>help me by helping youselves.  Always be alert to all unusual behavior of the
>people whom you are with.  Don't be an easy prey.  Help out a fellow Indian in
>times of need no matter what caste, monitary status, color, etc.  Help me pass
>the words of Mohandas K. Ghandi  "Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner".
>
>                                                  Ashish "Julio" Vaidya
VCD, Puneet (D-Poon) 
 
It's a 106 miles to Chicago
We have a full tank of gas
Half a pack of Cigarettes
It's dark
And we have our shades on.