From: raghavan@wk28.nas.nasa.gov (Venkatraman Raghavan)
Subject: Re: MISUNDERSTANDING
Organization: -
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 19:36:57 GMT

Ashish Vaidya, AUASV@ASUACAD.BITNET, writes:

[...]

 >                                            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.  

Racism happens at different levels, sometimes it is necessary to fight it
and sometimes it is better just to ignore it. (Please refer to excellant
comments from Mihir Shah and Puneet.S). What I am saying is if there is
dogsh*t on your path, it is wise to go around it, than to step on it and
wanting to kill all dogs for it.

 >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. 

Unnecessary. Religion is something private. If you go to a church
and try to preach Hinduism, you are asking for it. If somebody knocks on
your door and says you cannot be a Hindu, you should take them to court.

 >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
                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 >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.

Are you sure racism was the only reason you moved? 

 >                                 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?

It is difficult to believe the first sentence and I don't understand the
rest of the paragraph.

 >      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
 >no others. 

I have a lot of trouble understanding this paragraph too. Why should any
any group be better than all the other groups? Isn't that what causes
racism in the first place? What is the need to compare apples and oranges?

 >            We are not in a "Melting Pot" and we should not have to. 

This is a different issue, particularly when it happens over a few
generations. There is an on-going thread (separate discussion) on this.

 >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.

Looking for Utopia?  Keep searching.

 >     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

[Some of your hatred of America seems to come from the economic hardship
you might have gone through. Get a decent education and a good job, you 
will be happier. If you are trying to form Indian street gangs, no thanks,
we don't need them.]

Please spell the name M.K.Gandhi correctly, it is not Gandy or Ghandi.
(I am pretty sure it not a typo, your 'h' is three spots out of place).

Regards,
Raghavan
Newsgroups: alt.culture.us.asian-indian