Newsgroups: misc.education,soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: What A White Person Learned in College About AfAm Culture
From: galan@netlink.cts.com (Greg Gross)
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 92 12:35:16 PST
Organization: NetLink Online Communications, San Diego CA

solman@athena.mit.edu (Jason W Solinsky) writes:

> I have frequently noted that a small minority of Americans discriminate again
> blacks on the basis of racial hatred. Lord knows there are a great many black
> who do the same towards whites. The important thing is that these are tiny
> minorities. Almost all discrimination today is based on the opinions that we
> have formed as we go through life. Children today are given a blank slate,
> they are practically brain washed with propaganda that tells them that no
> matter what both races must be precisely equal in everything. In this
> environment, the one that exists today, AA is one of the primary contributors
> to racial bias. It is a type of program that openly discriminates against one
> group. Members of the group discriminated against are very frequently unable
> to reconcile this reality with what they have been taught and a great many 
> racists are thus created.
> 
> You can not possibly know what causes people to be biased towards you, and it
> is only understandable that you keep on repeating this assertion that everybo
> is out to get blacks because of a feeling of "racial superiority". After all,
> it makes your achievements more significant and it makes failure acceptable.
> Unfortunately, as many successful blacks have noted, this attitude is not at
> all likely to lead to success.

1) I'd love to see the surveys you've taken showing that only a "tiny 
minority of Americans discriminate against blacks onthe basis of racial 
hatred."  Presuming that those questioned would answer such questions 
honestly in the first place. 
   Because people can't hang signs on their businesses anymore saying "No 
Dogs or Negroes Allowed," you think this malaise has been eradicated from 
American life? You have no clue, Jason...

2) "You cannot possibly know what causes people to be biased toward you.."
But you, of course, can, right, Jason? It's all about affirmative action, 
right Jason? there couldn't *possibly* be anything else at work here, 
right, Jason?"
  Check, please....as in reality check.

> 
> How is it that you have acquired this fantastic knowledge of why other people
> discriminate? Few are the whites that have not failed to get a job or an awar
> or an admission from an institution which practices AA.

3) The answer to your question, Jason, is Life, my life, and the 
knowledge of the people around me. Most of the whites with whom I 
interact on a frequent, regular or daily basis have not been denied 
*anything* in life because of affirmative action. Most of those fols are 
my age or younger.
  But here you are, telling that few whites have *not* been denied 
something due to affirmative action. Maybe you'd care to tell me what you 
base *that* assertion on, other than a near-religious belief.

> 
> Crime enforcement is an interesting area. An urban law enforcement official
> is likely to be more effective and less likely to be hurt if he or she is
> strongly biased against blacks. This has occured to officers of all colors.
> 
> In San Antonio, there exists a similar situation with respect to hispanics.
> 
> It is not wrong to allow one's survival instincts to take over. In the case
> where action related to this bias results in harm to an inocent bystander,
> clearly the officers involved should be relieved and face sever penalties,
> but the circumstances that created the bias, justify it. To say that officers
> should be forbidden to develop such a bias, is to express an extreme disregua
> to the safety of many. As long as errant police officers continue to be punis
> this situation can not have an effect on black prosperity, and should not be
> changed.

After reading the above, I know this will be the last time you and I 
communicate about *ANYTHING.* 

The racism imbedded in those words stands on its own. Will only tell you  
this, in the (probably vain) hope that you can grasp it:
  When those whom *all* of us are compelled to trust with the safety of 
  our lives and property feel entitled to automatically exercise their
  biases against any citizen solely on the basis of their race, not only
  will law and order *not* have been served, not only will justice *not*
  be done, but officer safety itself will be *jeoparadized* like never 
  before.

To suggest that officers who wrongfully and unlawfully use force on an 
innocent person to the point of doing them grievous harm or taking their 
life should not be punished because the officer(s) were somehow entitled 
to be especially wary of blacks or Latinos is ridiculous to the point of 
nauseating.

That the speaker is someone with a reasonable level of education is even 
more incredible than that. 

> 
> |> Neither is the racism and prejudice that my wife faces on 
> |> the job on a daily basis in the local school district here. Nor, for that 
> |> matter, is the harassment of black kids in predominantly white public 
> |> schools here.
> |> 
> |> And while we're on the subject of change, have you noticed the neo-Nazi 
> |> anti-foreigner riots and violence in the *new* Germany, Jason? Not too 
> |> many SS veterans with canes and wheelchairs involved in that, either.
> 
> Let them spout hate. Especially in education, there are thousands of biases.
> Few teachers and students avoid it. It is there for Blacks and Asians, for
> intelligent people and fat people, for athletic people and stupid people.
> Everyone is affected. The problem is that Blacks like to blame everything tha
> doesn't go their way on discrimination.
> 
> Jason W. Solinsky


--
Gregory Alan Gross      Welcome to life, where no good deed goes unpunished.
San Diego Union-Tribune         (619) 293-1270 (voice)
P.O. Box 191                    (619) 293-2333 (fax)
San Diego, CA 92112-4106        galan@netlink.cts.com (Internet)
Newsgroups: misc.education