Racism

[Amy]

I'm from a small town (pop 1800) in Southeast Missouri. I"ve always known that people there were very closed-minded people who were set in their ultra-conservative, racist, sexist, homophobic ways. When I moved to Kirksville, Missouri, which is in the northeastern part of the state, I thought I'd change my scenery. After all, it is a "booming city" of over 20,000 people. There are more people in Kirksville than in the county I came from! I thought I was getting away from idiots. (No offense to anyone from Southeast MO). For the past 4 1/2 years, I have been ignorant to any real prejudices here. I've been living on a college campus, and the only prejudices I've come across are really few and far between. I've personally been discriminated against once, and that was because of my race, of all things (which was new to me), and that came from the multi-cultural affairs center right on campus.

Anyway, I was shocked to pick up our weekly copy of the college paper today and learn about a guy named Alex Linder, right here in Kirksville.
The article
So this guy has been passing out anti-semitic tabloids around town, on campus, everywhere! He even distributed them all over the cars parked at the local school when "Fiddler on the Roof" was being put on by the local high school.

I couldn't believe this guy! Here I was, all naive about how discrimination is a minimum here in Kirksville compared to where I came from. While where I came from it seemed to be more widespread, it seems to be more hateful here. I did a quick Google search for this guy, and I was equally shocked at all of the white supremist groups I found on the internet! I even found an interview with Linder where he said that the Holocaust was not real!! Where the heck did all of the pictures and artifacts come from? I also found an article from the newspaper from Columbia, Missouri, home to MIzzou and just south of here:
The Tribune

I cannot believe how naive I was to think that this extreme discrimination like this was something that ended a decade or two ago. I thought it was just individuals who were racist anymore. It just shocks me to see that they still form GROUPS! That is a really scary thought.......How can people be so hateful towards others because of the way they were born? I just don't get it.

[LVCapo]

There is racism everywhere, every day. People are very niave to think it doesn't exist, but even more niave to think that whites, and more specifically white men, are the only ones who are racist.
It is sad that in this day and age, our society cannot judge people as individuals, on who they are, what they accomplish, etc.
A good first step to ridding our society of racism would be to banish groups like the NAACP, the ACLU, The Rainbow Coalition, the KKK, and every other group that segregates or fosters racism, until we do that this vicious cyxcle will continue, and get much worse.
I know alot of people will look at those groups i've mentioned and say hell no, but think about it, as long as they are asking for special treatment for a group, they are going to create an atmosphere of resentment toward that group.People get frustrated with things like Affirmative Action and quotas, not just white people, but minorities who actually worked their tales off to get where they are and weren't part of some quota.
Don't mean to ruffle feathers or ramble on, but i think that everyone is niave in the sense that everyone is racist in a sense.

[T-Shirt]

Unfortunatly, Ignorance is everywhere. And some of the worst celebrate their stupidity with loud voices.
While no one is free of some bias, most of us choose to adjust our viewpoints and learn about other people, rather than fear their differences.
Imagine what could be acomplished, if all the time and energy wasted on Hating others, was turned to some useful common goal.

[Amy]

Scholarships were a big deal for me, too...There were so many out there for being at least 1/4 of a certain group of people (whether your grandpa was Native American or your grandma was from Sweden, etc.). There were scholarships for being homosexual or transgender, I even found a scholarship offered to left handed people! However, I could not find a single scholarship for a right-handed, heterosexual "European Mutt." I always saw myself as a minority -- I was the only girl in my high school with naturally blonde hair . . .

No, now seriously: I agree with you, capper. It is difficult to get rid of racism when we have groups that are trying to create fairness but are actually just turning the table around instead by only helping minorities. However, I also see where they are coming from. How can you prove that a company did not hire John Doe because of his race or gender? In an interview, it is easy to prevent discrimination towards things that can be hidden (sexual orientation, many religions), but it is hard to hide your skin color or gender. That is why they have quotas and such -- to protect those who are typically hired less.

Do I agree with having quotas in place? NO. Absolutely not, especially at universities where there is no interview process to get in or to get many academic based scholarships. However, you cannot convince me that ALL employers are completely impartial to race and gender when they hire (although I will agree that many actually are impartial). While quotas are not the best answer to creating equality in the workplace, I'm not sure what the best answer would be. Quotas are like punishments in an elementary classroom. You can't prove who did it, so everyone suffers the consequences.

Also, with groups like the ACLU and Rainbow Coalition...There is no way for me to understand how members of these groups feel. Many of the members have probably seen discrimination first hand, and this is a place where they can turn and be comforted. They are with people who understand what they are going through. It is sort of like AA or an association for battered women. It is their chance to meet others just like them who have faced similar situations and they can lean on each other when there is nowhere else to turn. However, I do think they need to focus more on abolishing discrimination against ALL people rather than just discrimination against minorities. They should do more to encourage a more diverse group to join in their efforts. Their hearts were in the right place when they started the groups, but their focus needs to shift a bit.

[Amy]

Imagine what could be acomplished, if all the time and energy wasted on Hating others, was turned to some useful common goal.

Wow...if everyone in the whole world did that....

We'd have world peace!

[LVCapo]

I always saw myself as a minority -- I was the only girl in my high school with naturally blonde hair

Classic!!!

I didn't realize that real blondes make up about 1% of the population, and that the way their genetic code is, with something like 300 yrs blondes will completely disappear..(Saw that on CNN one afternoon)......if that happens, who will be the butt of all our jokes?! Us poor italians?

[LVCapo]

How can you prove that a company did not hire John Doe because of his race or gender? In an interview, it is easy to prevent discrimination towards things that can be hidden (sexual orientation, many religions), but it is hard to hide your skin color or gender. That is why they have quotas and such -- to protect those who are typically hired less.

I hear that all the time, especially in sports. But honestly, do you think companies would put skin color over profits? They don't put health or safety over profits! Personally, i think that is a cop out groups and individuals use when they din't get positions. If I'm a business owner, I'm going to hire who i think is going to make my business the most successful, regardless of whether he/she is green, blue, black, brown, red, or like John Kerry, orange.

Iwish some of these groups would understand that while maybe their ideas are good in theory, they simply foster the problem.

[Amy]

who will be the butt of all our jokes?! Us poor italians?

It will probably go back to the group that was the butt of the jokes before blondes -- pollocks!

[Amy]

But honestly, do you think companies would put skin color over profits?

I'm not talking about large businesses, necessarily. Where I am from, I wouldn't be surprised if some small business owners decide not to hire blacks because they "don't want no n***** working for me!" Trust me. People really do feel that way. It's a poor predominantly white area, and they really can get away with it. And it's not just discrimination in hiring, either. It wasn't that long ago when the salaries of men and women in similar positions differed greatly, favoring men.

Yes, I also think that a lot of people are probably wrongfully accused of discrimination, and in that case usually the accuser seems to win, right or wrong. I think what needs to happen is for jobs and universities (and the military, for that matter) to STOP LOWERING STANDARDS for minorities and women!! How are you supposed to progress when you are constantly slowing down to fill a quota??

[Illuminati]

Capper... imagine a medium-size company in an area where there is known racism... if all the current employees are racist against the new guy who is of the "wrong" skin color and works twice as hard as anyone else... that will decrease profits. Here's a new guy that you already don't like because of how he was born and he is making you look bad because he's a harder worker. I see two reason why a company would not hire someone off skin color right there... if you decrease the moral of your workers, productivity goes down.

Now some of my views... I am against racism. I think its silly, really. I give everyone I meet an equal chance to show me the kind of person they really are ... regardless of race. I've met some really cool people from races and ethnicities around the world. That's a benefit of being a Computer Science major... you get to meet lots of Indians and Chinese as well as some people from any random country.

I also hate quotas... they inadvertly descriminate against the "normal" people. And they often hurt companies not because of the reason above, but because minorities know they have a better chance of getting hired at a company that is trying to meet quotas, so the company will often settle for the under-achieving minority candidate over hard working majority candidate. But thinking objectively, not having quotas would only be fair for all in an un-racist world. Unfortunately, we have to deal with the "real world".

[LVCapo]

Justin, you bring up some great points, and are right about every single one of them. I guess this is why there is a problem in this country, one that will never go away.. As long as people are different there will be problems. I guess I was just trying to make the point that white people are not the only ones who are racist, that everyone is guilty of it to some degree.
Thanks for making your points and explaining them, i guess maybe i'm a tad ignorant for thinking thatthat situation doesn't actually play out on a daily basis.

[Amy]

i guess maybe i'm a tad ignorant for thinking thatthat situation doesn't actually play out on a daily basis.

Aren't we all?