NEWS: College Republicans Bait Race Issue

Victims always want someone to "pay" for what happened to them.

And I am all for that IF the guilty party is around to pay. Otherwise its just as bad as the original crime.

KrazyJethro
Can't say "Close the boarders". That makes you racist with an emphasis on Hispanic hating

Can't say "Reparations, hell no" or "Affirmative Action, get rid of it." That makes you racist against our fine African (mostly, but plenty of other dark folks) friends.

Can't say "Israel is doing something wrong." Then you are an anti-Semite.

Goes on and on like this. This is much like the woman's movement where they pushed so hard for equal rights that they ended up going to far.

The whole equal rights issue is like a pendulum swinging back and forth, slowly coming to a stop in the center.

It starts off with the oppression and discrimination of one group by another.

Women were largely regarded as having no identity outside of their husbands. They were expected to do as they were told, bear and raise children, and keep their mouths shut.

Black people were usually treated the same as any other farm animal and were subject to the whim and will of their "owners". They were considered to be sub-human by many slave owners and, like women, had no personal identity.

Mexican immigrants are today's socially accepted slaves. Since they are paid $2 or $3 an hour and get to live in the US, people can pretend that they are being treated like equal humans. A large portion of the US, is openly prejudiced against illegal immigrants, wants them all shipped back to Mexico, and wants the borders closed. This is usually because they are "taking up all of the jobs that US citizens deserve". The problem is, that most white Americans won't go out and work their fingers to the bone in the fields for next to nothing in return. They might do it if they were paid the minimum wage and got benefits, but then everyone would complain about the high prices of produce, milk, etc.

Each of these groups are and were completely justified in standing up and declaring themselves free individuals that deserve to be treated as equals of the controlling majority, which happens to be primarily white men. While it is becoming less and less necessary, affirmative action was greatly needed not so very long ago. The average lower and middle class white population may not be feel like the majority, but the fact still remains that most large business owners, colleges, politicians, and judges are upper class white men. People can claim that racial minorities would not be discriminated against if affirmative action was done away with, but that is very unlikely to be true. If there was a black man, a white man, a Mexican man, and a woman, who are all equally qualified, trying to get the same position or scholarship in a prominent business or college, there is a greater chance of the white guy being hired then one of the others. I don't think this is as much a result of racism, as it used to be. I think that it is just a matter of "birds of a feather flock together." I think that if the majority of business owners or colleges were owned/run by black people then blacks would have a greater chance at being hired or accepted then whites, Mexicans, or women.

Until people voluntarily overcome the instinct to reject or avoid that which is different/unknown, there will be resentment and discrimination between the classes, races and sexes.

It is a mindset that we have as a species. White men (not all, but the majority) have been claiming that women are trying to emasculate then since the start of women's suffrage, that racial minorities are trying to take over and eradicate the white race since the start of the civil rights movement, and now, many straight people claim that homosexuals are trying to turn everyone gay, in order to destroy the nuclear family, morality and society as a whole. None of this is true, but I can see why some people think it is.

Think of the way we often react or want to react when someone hurts or wrongs us. Generally, the instinctive response is, "Don't get mad, get even!" If we feel like we were unjustly hurt, usually we want the offending party to experience at least the same hurt that they caused us.

The same thing applies to racism/sexism, but on a deeper and larger scale. Resentment and hatred for something done in the past, which was never redressed, is repeated and ingrained in each new generation, often becoming more and more exaggerated. The longer it takes for the party that was wronged to be vindicated, the more their temporary grudge becomes permanent.

The women who, originally, fought for their equal rights, didn't want anything more than that. But since they had to fight against so much opposition and prejudice every step of the way, they began to resent their opposition, mainly men, and gradually the desire to make them experience what they, as women, had experienced, instead of just gaining equality, set in. As those feelings intensified and became immutable, we saw the emergence of the women's lib movement, and the "men are evil" feminist ideology. Now that women are starting to experience the power of oppression, that used to be men's exclusively, we are starting to see things slow down and prepare to reverse. I think the pendulum is still in a forward swing but it has almost peaked and will soon start to swing back toward a more balanced center point.

The freed slaves just wanted to be treated the same as everyone else, but even though they were free, they were still treated as inferior. Eventually, they started wanting to give their oppressors a taste of their own medicine. The civil rights movement is not as far into it's forward swing as the women's rights movement, so it still has a little further to go until it starts to swing back toward the balanced center.

The gay rights movement is just at the beginning of it's upward swing and still has a long struggle ahead of it. I think that it will follow the same path as all the other equal rights movements have. Though, if the past serves as any indication of the time this process takes, it may be another 10 years before there are any noticeable results.

The only way, that I can see, to bring a faster end to affirmative action, is for people to stop fighting against it. If we, as the majority, in order to show our respect for the minority, were to stop pushing against them on this issue, I truly believe that they would no longer feel the need to seek "special treatment". Affirmative action would no longer be seen as a needed protection against discrimination, because it wouldn't be. As long as we continue pushing against each other, nothing will ever be solved. We have to give a little, if we want to get a little.

Originally posted by jezebel
...The only way, that I can see, to bring a faster end to affirmative action, is for people to stop fighting against it. If we, as the majority, in order to show our respect for the minority, were to stop pushing against them on this issue, I truly believe that they would no longer feel the need to seek "special treatment". Affirmative action would no longer be seen as a needed protection against discrimination, because it wouldn't be. As long as we continue pushing against each other, nothing will ever be solved. We have to give a little, if we want to get a little.

All quite eloquent and true, but this last part is inspired! I especially also like the comparisons to the women's movement, who remain the largest "minority" helped through Affirmative Action diversification prgrams. And really it's not even so much we're "helping" them, we're helping ourselves bringing a broader scope of experiences into our business and college cultures, and political landscape.

Go Jez!

I didn't know that there was a blanket collective? Meaning that, I'm guessing here, that all of you wrapping yourselves in that banner have no lineage to speak of? You're not of Irish, Scandanavian, Spanish, German or whatever background? Just lumped "White"?
Learn your history....maybe you'd be less concerned with folks that assert theirs.

I read this Republican's comment on a conservative discussion blog about Mattera's "parody"... I think she's right on target in soooo many ways.

I am a white Republican but some Republicans are too young (immature) to have even a tiny amount of good sense. Quality parody is based upon the perception of the audience not on the perception of the parodist. Parody is not whatever 3 guys in Phi Beta Kappa think is funny. Are white individuals sometimes discriminated against in affirmative action? Yes. But white people have also been the beneficiaries of past discrimination. And far more is being done to limit the negative effects of affirmative action than was ever done to limit the negative effects of racial discrimination against blacks.

Mexican immigrants are today's socially accepted slaves. Since they are paid $2 or $3 an hour and get to live in the US, people can pretend that they are being treated like equal humans.

Socially accepted? No, most people would say that they should be here to proper way, which would solve the problem of lowered wages.

A large portion of the US, is openly prejudiced against illegal immigrants, wants them all shipped back to Mexico, and wants the borders closed.

And? Is it not wrong for them to be here the way they are? I am a big proponant for closing the borders but allowing any who want to come here to come, but they must be registered and processed into the system. Again, solving the "subpar pay" problem.

This is usually because they are "taking up all of the jobs that US citizens deserve". The problem is, that most white Americans won't go out and work their fingers to the bone in the fields for next to nothing in return.

I don't know where you are from, but there are a great deal of "white" Americans working their fingers to the bone for little pay. Even minimum wage is hardly enough to support people.

They might do it if they were paid the minimum wage and got benefits, but then everyone would complain about the high prices of produce, milk, etc.

50 cents per apple is not high? When was the last time you paid for milk. It is way too expensive as it is. Most dairy farmers are white by the way.

Each of these groups are and were completely justified in standing up and declaring themselves free individuals that deserve to be treated as equals of the controlling majority, which happens to be primarily white men.

That is not our fault. To say that white people are better off then minorities is a fallacious theory. There are more white people under the poverty line than anyone else. Like you said, upper class white men are the ruling class, not white people.

While it is becoming less and less necessary, affirmative action was greatly needed not so very long ago. The average lower and middle class white population may not be feel like the majority, but the fact still remains that most large business owners, colleges, politicians, and judges are upper class white men. People can claim that racial minorities would not be discriminated against if affirmative action was done away with, but that is very unlikely to be true.

I find there to be a larger detriment to success due to economic factors than to race. Hell, look at the public school systems. Although they are terrible in the inner cities, they are also terrible in poor rural areas, which are mainly white.

If there was a black man, a white man, a Mexican man, and a woman, who are all equally qualified, trying to get the same position or scholarship in a prominent business or college, there is a greater chance of the white guy being hired then one of the others.

Not true. the legal system now is such that corporations are afraid of lawsuits. Again, this is not a reason to keep or promote racially biased laws on the books.

I don't think this is as much a result of racism, as it used to be. I think that it is just a matter of "birds of a feather flock together." I think that if the majority of business owners or colleges were owned/run by black people then blacks would have a greater chance at being hired or accepted then whites, Mexicans, or women.

Eh, maybe. I don't think black people are any better. If the roles had been reversed and the whites had been slaves brought here, we'd still have the same problems, just the other way around.

Until people voluntarily overcome the instinct to reject or avoid that which is different/unknown, there will be resentment and discrimination between the classes, races and sexes.


Think of the way we often react or want to react when someone hurts or wrongs us. Generally, the instinctive response is, "Don't get mad, get even!" If we feel like we were unjustly hurt, usually we want the offending party to experience at least the same hurt that they caused us.

Sure, but now it is not a group that is hurting anyone anymore, it is single people on all sides. Most of the "suffering" took place before any of our time so it's not justified to punish us.

The same thing applies to racism/sexism, but on a deeper and larger scale. Resentment and hatred for something done in the past, which was never redressed, is repeated and ingrained in each new generation, often becoming more and more exaggerated. The longer it takes for the party that was wronged to be vindicated, the more their temporary grudge becomes permanent.

The women who, originally, fought for their equal rights, didn't want anything more than that. But since they had to fight against so much opposition and prejudice every step of the way, they began to resent their opposition, mainly men, and gradually the desire to make them experience what they, as women, had experienced, instead of just gaining equality, set in. As those feelings intensified and became immutable, we saw the emergence of the women's lib movement, and the "men are evil" feminist ideology. Now that women are starting to experience the power of oppression, that used to be men's exclusively, we are starting to see things slow down and prepare to reverse. I think the pendulum is still in a forward swing but it has almost peaked and will soon start to swing back toward a more balanced center point.

We can only hope so.

The freed slaves just wanted to be treated the same as everyone else, but even though they were free, they were still treated as inferior. Eventually, they started wanting to give their oppressors a taste of their own medicine. The civil rights movement is not as far into it's forward swing as the women's rights movement, so it still has a little further to go until it starts to swing back toward the balanced center.

Actually, I think the blacks are further along than the women.

The gay rights movement is just at the beginning of it's upward swing and still has a long struggle ahead of it. I think that it will follow the same path as all the other equal rights movements have. Though, if the past serves as any indication of the time this process takes, it may be another 10 years before there are any noticeable results.

The only way, that I can see, to bring a faster end to affirmative action, is for people to stop fighting against it. If we, as the majority, in order to show our respect for the minority, were to stop pushing against them on this issue, I truly believe that they would no longer feel the need to seek "special treatment". Affirmative action would no longer be seen as a needed protection against discrimination, because it wouldn't be. As long as we continue pushing against each other, nothing will ever be solved. We have to give a little, if we want to get a little.

Sure, we could also live in a perfect world with lolly pop houses and candy cane fenses. But that's not real. There will always be problems like this everywhere. The point is is that there is a greater need (for college) to allow affirmative action to apply to economic areas rather than race. The poor areas (rural or urban) are at a great disadvantage.

The only way, that I can see, to bring a faster end to affirmative action, is for people to stop fighting against it.

So I guess the best way to end slavery would have been not to fight against it?

The best way for women to get equal rights would be not to ask for them?

What you are saying is that we should just shut up and take the punishment for what happened in the past even if it had nothing to do with us?

Maybe they should just make us slaves for a couple hundred years after all fair is fair right?

I thought it was about being equal but I guess I was wrong

Originally posted by Amuk

The only way, that I can see, to bring a faster end to affirmative action, is for people to stop fighting against it.

So I guess the best way to end slavery would have been not to fight against it?

The best way for women to get equal rights would be not to ask for them?

What you are saying is that we should just shut up and take the punishment for what happened in the past even if it had nothing to do with us?

Maybe they should just make us slaves for a couple hundred years after all fair is fair right?

I thought it was about being equal but I guess I was wrong

You have completely distorted the point I was trying to make...I clearly stated, "Each of these groups are and were completely justified in standing up and declaring themselves free individuals that deserve to be treated as equals of the controlling majority..."
It is ridiculous for you to insinuate that I don't think it is necessary for the oppressed to fight for their rights. Do not put words in my mouth. If you couldn't tell by the length of my post, I am quite capable of coming up with enough words on my own. Thanks anyways.

It is human nature to want to be treated fairly and with respect. However, it is also human nature to hold grudges. If people TRULY want the relationships to improve between the different sexes and races, people are going to have to stop being so damn petty.

Someone is going to have to give up their self-righteous attitude, for the sake of peace and progress. Ideally, the right party to do this, is the one responsible for the original offense. Since they are dead, but the feud is not, their descendants should act in their stead.

I explained earlier about why things have gone past just seeking equality. If the people who started to fight for their freedom and equality weren't attacked at every turn, by people trying to deny them their rights, they never would have pushed for more than what was fair.

Is it wrong to want special considerations, beyond equality? Of course! Is it understandable, why that is now being sought? Yes!

I don't believe that women or ethnic minorities would seek "special treatment" if they were truly given a fair shake.

I think that as a matter of honor and in order to begin improving the state of our country, **runs for cover**we, as a whole, should have enough balls to say,
"We realize that, while we are not personally responsible, the wrongs done against your ancestors, by our ancestors, have caused a great deal of undue pain and hardship. It was wrong, and we want to find a way to bring healing and closure to the wounds their actions and ignorance have caused. We will no longer excuse or justify any type of discrimination or intolerance toward another human, and we hope that our actiions will demonstrate our sincerity. We will take the first step and extend the olive branch, and it is up to you, however long it may take, to accept it so that we can begin to put behind us, all of the animosity and resentment that has festered for so long."

I don't think this needs to literally be said, but I do think that it needs to be demonstrated through our actions. There is nothing wrong with being humble. So many people think that everyone else should be humble, while they are not. We don't need to be made slaves, and men don't need to start being housewives, but we do need to drop the haughty attitudes. To be humble, is not to grovel. Humility is recognizing the dignity of others and showing them respect. In doing so, you demonstrate your own dignity and gain the respect of others. It's not that complicated, really.

The Republican Party of Rhode Island called the stunt of it's state's College Republicans RACIST.

The "award" is supposed to be annouced today. Four people applied.

Again, our young Mr. Mattera has only hurt himself, his party's image and his own career in politics with this.

What did I awalys say about repugnants?

I personally think that this is funny as hell.

Go whitie! Don't let that black man hold you down!

When did black people ever hold the white man down?

Originally posted by Colonel
When did black people ever hold the white man down?

You've got to wonder haven't you?

I'm white and I've never felt opressed or taken advantage of by any black man ever...

I've seen plenty going the other way in my life though.

[Edited on 18-2-2004 by John Nada]

Originally posted by John Nada

Originally posted by Colonel
When did black people ever hold the white man down?

You've got to wonder haven't you?

I'm white and I've never felt opressed or taken advantage of by any black man ever...

I've seen plenty going the other way in my life though.

[Edited on 18-2-2004 by John Nada]

It was a joke!

Originally posted by Jonna
It was a joke!

Sorry man, and you'd think I'd notice with all the smileys wouldn't you?

Originally posted by John Nada

Originally posted by Jonna
It was a joke!

Sorry man, and you'd think I'd notice with all the smileys wouldn't you?

It's ok. I find the abserd humorous. Unfortinitly not everyone gets that I am goofing most the time. If you knew me in person it would be even harder for you to tell because I have a very monotone voice.

It is ridiculous for you to insinuate that I don't think it is necessary for the oppressed to fight for their rights. Do not put words in my mouth. If you couldn't tell by the length of my post, I am quite capable of coming up with enough words on my own. Thanks anyways.

But you are saying that white men should not stand up if there rights are being abused are you not? That they should just accept it till everyone else gets it out of there system? If I am wrong than I am sorry I misunderstood.

I think it is wrong to discrimanate against ANYONE.

If some one is not hired on a job or served in a resturant or allowed into a school, etc, because of there race, sex or religion than the guilty party should be punished.PERIOD. No matter who did what to who.

Why is this so hard for people to understand? Equal rights is Equal rights for everyone not special treatment for ANYONE.

This country is susposed to be liberty and justice for all not all but you mean old whities that held everyone down for so long.

How is quotias different than racial profileing? One says any black in a new car HAS to be a drug dealer and the other says that no black is smart enough to get into collage on his own.

I think both are a lie. How about you?

Just heard on CNN a student was awarded the scholarship

bla bla bla bla bla bla bla


More bull# in a world of annoying #. Good god folks. Let's take the action of one person and rubber stamp it to EVERYTHING.

Look, who cares if they want to have a white scholarship. I think it's stupid and useless.

Perhaps we should look at the real victims of the public school system. The poor.

No race, nothing else. Poor people or people from poor areas.

Well, isn't this the eay of republicans. Do something deplorable and when it backfires say "Can't we all just get along?"