From: shapiro@trade.enet.dec.com (Steve Shapiro)
Subject: Re: Buchanan's speech
Organisation: SKS Computer Consulting, Inc.
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation - Marlboro, MA
Distribution: usa
Date:  1 SEP 92 14:38:47 EST


In article <1992Aug26.234326.7388@noose.ecn.purdue.edu>,
millerj@helios.ecn.purdue.edu (Snide Pucker) writes...

>  My punishment, shared by all other "majority" members, is to be verbally
>  abused and blamed for the status quo as well as the entire history of
>  discrimination that we have somehow managed to encourage by having the 
>  gall to belong to parents of a "majority" group.
> 
>  This movement of "niceness" seems to be one of many attempts to right past 
>  wrongs.  An attempt, in my opinion, that is seriously flawed specifically 
>  because the underlying imposition is that the majority (actually, "ruling"
>  may be a better term) groups are responsible for all of the unfairness of 
>  the world and are singlehandedly responsible for correcting it.  

Hmmmph.

I am a male caucasian and I feel no guilt. After a lifetime of Jewish
upbringing (read: guilt) I find the attempts by such groups to make me feel
even more guilty to be absurd. They pale in comparison to my grandmother. If
you want guilt, I'll give you her number and you can get a daily dose.

While so many people were being 'oppressed' in the USA, my great grandparents
were going through just as great an oppression in the ghettos of Warsaw and
19th century Russia.

My great grandparents on my mothers side showed up in this country in the EARLY
1900's with no money, no relatives, no friends and a baby to feed. 

My great grandparents on my fathers side couldn't even afford to get here
intact. My great grandfather had to work his way across to South America where
he was able to work his way up to the USA. He then had to work to be able to
afford to send for his wife.

They worked and they worked and they worked and they worked some more. They
worked hard and long for what they got. My grandparents weathered the great
depression of the 30's while supporting my parents. 

My moms dad worked on the assembly line at Chrysler for 40 years. My dads dad
was eventually able open his own restaurant. And they all worked hard and long.

My parents, cut off from their parents because each side of the family thought
that the other was 'beneath' them worked hard. With 2 kids to feed and raise
they started their own business in our home with virtually no money (obtw, the
$1500 deposit for the house they bought was saved by my mom by working piddly
squat jobs for 10 years. They decided to spend the $$ on the down payment
rather than 1000 shares of Polaroid. Boy, what a blunder THAT was!).

My brother and I each moved out of the house when we turned 18. I went to
college (paying my own way by working days, nights, etc). My brother started
his own business. 2 years after I graduated college I started my own consulting
company. Both of us did it on our own without any $$ from our family.

Now y'all tell me, just where along the lines did any of us have an opportunity
to oppress anyone else. In fact, because we were (well, are) Jewish we were
discriminated against plenty. But still we have managed to survive and be
successful. Why? Hard work!

I don't buy into all of the excuses I hear from people who can't seem to 'make
it'. Time and time again there are success stories which fly in the face of the
failures.

Some people just don't get it. Not everyone is capable (or willing) to be
successful. Nobody can give it to you/them. It has to be earned.

Guilt? Hardly!

Let 'them' say what they will, I am proud of my accomplishments and there isn't
anybody in this world who can make me feel otherwise.

Regards,
Steve (white, male and proud of it).

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