Now I'm Pissed Off At Kucinich...

[BrassFusion]

Guy's got a nice website. He actually DETAILS how he personally feels about a variety of issues instead of just glossing them over or ignoring them completely (I'm looking at YOU, Barack and Hillary), but of course, he's a pansy ass bleeding heart pro-Affirmative Action liberal.

Now, if that's the only thing about someone's platform I don't agree with, it's still a pretty decent candidate in my eyes. So I submitted a comment on the site's "contact" form to see what kind of a response I got. I tried to relate my respect for his platform and let someone know that there's at least one "liberal" in the world who thinks racism is bullshit. So I wrote:

"I see you've used the Civil Rights Act of '64 to defend equal rights for gays. I can respect that. I respect your stance on MOST of the issues detailed on your site, and I give you my enthusiastic applause for

expressing ALL your opinions, even the controversial ones. But shouldn't the very foundation of The Civil Rights Act be compatible with your entire platform?

Affirmative action is separatist and unequal. The old boys' club at the University of Michigan must be alloted no special right to rank potential students on anything but the content of their character.

-A proud Michigander, and a member of the majority vote on our Proposal 2 this past November

Thank you for caring enough to read this."

First response I got was automated, and that's cool. "Thanks for your input, blah de blah, due to the volume of emails we may be unable to draft a personalized response, blah blah." I totally understand that. If that was the only response I got, I'd think it was possible that the K-man himself ACTUALLY read it and it just didn't merit a priority response. But then I got this in my inbox:

"Thank you for your comments, Erin.

In hope and peace,

Gail Heyn

Volunteer

Kucinich for President

http://www.kucinich.us/"

FUCK YOU, GAIL. Why did you even fucking BOTHER?

[sinmantyx]

You did not just mention prop 2...oh no you didn't.

We'll just have to see if (like the first prop 2) it is brought to it's extreme interpretation and starts fucking with my life. I guess I should have got off my ass and offerred that mother-and-daughter science workshop I was thinking of before it became illegal. (Thanks for that. )

I don't expect most people in this neck of the woods of Michigan to understand the value of integration (even if it's "artificially generated"). Unless you've grown up seeing fewer than half-a-dozen people who were not your same race, until you went to college...you don't get it. Demographic considerations do make a college better for EVERYONE going there. The goal is not to be (and should not be) some patronizing hand-out bleeding-heart white-burden bullshit...but that's a hair most people can't split...on either side.

Of course, there are less heavy-handed ways to achieve an integrated campus than some techniques that have recently gone under fire. At my undergraduate institution (which was predominently white and Northern), we had a relationship with a predominently black college in the South. Students from both colleges were able to spend a semester at the other college. Of course, I'm sure if you creatively interpret the "prop-2-esque" amendments going around...someone will manage to have a fit about it.

The vast majority of people are just going to see the issue from an egocentric point of view instead of understanding the whole point. They are also not going to actually LOOK at data, the actual policies or studies of various kinds (you know, like the supreme court did when that all went down). They are going to simplify it into "fair and not fair" --- as if you can put bunch of numbers in a blender and magically predict the outcome with a blindfold on, and force objectivity through ignorance.

So, yeah...I get it.

Thing is: the perception of "affirmative action" (as if that vague term can refer to ANYTING specific anyway) is probably worse than fighting for it: since the information war was lost a long time ago.

If ONE MORE person tells me that blacks can get scholarships for being black; but whites can't get scholarships for being white...I'm just going to start to cry instead of bothering. Maybe I'll just tape an application for a Scandinavian-American scholarship to my head.

Human nature says: everyone is getting a better break than me. I had an acquaintence bitch and moan about how she would get more assistance from the government if she had a kid when she was a teenager and it "wasn't fair"; and my friend that had a kid when she was a teenager start bitching about how if she were black she'd get more assistance from the government.....it's just so much stupidity, and it's totally the same thing. "It's SO HARD for ME! I'm not the least bit priveleged and I deserve everything I get!"

(Sorry, I'm totally going on a rant...but I tell you...some people's attitudes are FUCKED and it totally gets me steamed.)

So, in the end...and I can only speak from my own experience...regardless of reality or how reasonable or unreasonable SPECIFIC affirmative action policies are (what their goals are and how they are administered) some dip shit is going to blame their OWN inadequacies and lack of success on the nearest most convenient scape-goat. That's when it is simply assumed that I DON'T KNOW DICK and I just got through grad-school with my boobs. Between patronizing do-gooders, sexist idiots, and those with no sense of reality...it's a disaster.

Well...I'm ready to let those people fucking win. If y'all don't want me to give "preference" by encouraging women and girls in math and science; while other teachers are giving them a steady-stream of "don't worry, girls don't get this stuff anyway" --- I can deal with that. Just as long as people quite ASSUMING that women in science are completely incompetent tokens that can't do shit and are just fullfilling some sort of imaginary quota that's been illegal for over 30 years. Deal?

[BrassFusion]

Fuck the notion that true diversity comes from skin color.

Diversity comes from diverse experiences, and most black americans are in the same damn culture boat as most white americans. It's called MTV. If they want REAL diversity on campuses, they should create international exchange student programs and give scholarships to kids from Ethiopia and China and Syria.

As opposed to, like... Southfield.

[Scary Guy]

If they want REAL diversity on campuses, they should create international exchange student programs and give scholarships to kids from Ethiopia and China and Syria.

As opposed to, like... Southfield.

They just believe in buying american.

[sinmantyx]

Fuck the notion that true diversity comes from skin color.

Diversity comes from diverse experiences, and most black americans are in the same damn culture boat as most white americans. It's called MTV. If they want REAL diversity on campuses, they should create international exchange student programs and give scholarships to kids from Ethiopia and China and Syria.

As opposed to, like... Southfield.

Don't force the issue into some sort of false dichotomy. You can't have "true diversity" just because you recruit "red and yellow, black and white". I didn't say that, and I'll certainly argue with anyone who does. Exchange programs are great...and *news flash* I'm more culturally similiar to rural Scandinavians (from Scandinavia) than I am people from Southfield in many real ways...but that's a separate issue.

Race exists. It's about human nature and comfort level. If you've lived in an integrated area your entire life...you don't understand what lack of integration does. The first time I was in a room as a racial minority I practically had a panic attack. It had nothing to do with prejudice or any sort of conscience state of mind. It had NOTHING to do with culture. I had no reason to be afraid. I certainly didn't have any bizarre notions. It was just such a new experience that it made me, instinctively, feel uncomfortable.

When I was in China, children hid behind their parents in fear. Not just a few shy one's....ALL OF THEM. It had little to do with ANYTHING else than that I was white. Many of them had never seen a white person in their life. They were scared. The adults were simply curious and in no time I had about 50 people just following me around trying to get a look.

So, I look around and it seems that integration just isn't a priority anymore. In fact, many of the youth programs in this area (including entire schools) are extremely segregated --- by design. It is bizarre to me; since I see honest (day-to-day) interaction as a means to deal with discomfort, distrust, and basic racial disharmony.

I had a student once, in Illinois. She was a Latina. She confided in me that she couldn't stand Arabs. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around them and allow stereotypical images into her mind when she thought of them. I told her that, to deal with her problem, she should go to a festival coming up that was sponsored by the Muslim Association. She could go with friends to make her more comfortable. She got a panicked look on her face and said that, she couldn't do that. It would be too much for her to handle.

If you have never been isolated, by the region you live in or the family you grew up in...these stories will seem like crazy exceptions concerning crazy people. They aren't...not even close.

Race is definitely NOT the same as culture. However, because of segregation (institutional and self-inflicted) communities and groups tend to remain apart. When they do, culture and language develop separately, which strengthens the divide, leads to misunderstandings and distrust, and allows "historical" problems to procreate.

As I said, I can only speak from my own experience. Being a woman in the science field, that is the issue I have the most personal experience with. Measures as broad as Prop 2, in my view, just bind my hands and disallow me to pursue actions, using the resources usually available to me. I dislike being micro-managed by the majority. It's an occupational hazzard I suppose, but I don't have to enjoy it.

I don't think the majority are malicious and want to end reasonable policies and programs (such as targetted recuitment or the program I was, most recently, considering beginning)...but I really don't think they read these proposal's critically. Just like I'm sure many people that voted for the "other prop 2" had no clue that it would put health care coverage in danger for the families of many of my peers. Voting for these things just makes people feel good about voting for something that they THINK is going to fix an issue that they are pissed about...and people like me are left with some ambiguous over-reaching hurtle that undermines what we may decide (through our experience "on the ground") is best practice...due to the people's reactionary actions.

I think we actually probably agree on more issues than we don't. However, I don't think ignoring race and sex makes racism and sexism go away. In fact, sometimes it hampers the 1st stage in progress of any sort: and that's admitting to reality.

[BrassFusion]

I grew up where I live now, in Sterling Heights. 20 years ago there was nary a non-white person to be found, and YES, I was raised to look at blacks and foreigners "differently." Not anyone's fault, but my dad was insulated even worse than I was and it rubbed off for a few years. Going to Wayne State helped a lot, and it's to the point now where about half my teaching/gigging engagements are performed in a crowd of people where I'm the token white person.

As for racism "going away," it's not going the hell ANYWHERE if we give handouts and special preference to people ON ACCOUNT OF their "race." And that's what affirmative action and race-based admission points are- HANDOUTS. To people who don't necessarily need OR deserve it. You can preach all day long that diversity of skin tone on a campus is worth the trade of a colored person's pride, but you're shortchanging just about everyone in the equation. Whatever happened to judging people on achievement? Motivation? Intelligence? Optimism?

FUCK COLOR.

[sinmantyx]

I grew up where I live now, in Sterling Heights. 20 years ago there was nary a non-white person to be found, and YES, I was raised to look at blacks and foreigners "differently." Not anyone's fault, but my dad was insulated even worse than I was and it rubbed off for a few years. Going to Wayne State helped a lot, and it's to the point now where about half my teaching/gigging engagements are performed in a crowd of people where I'm the token white person.

As for racism "going away," it's not going the hell ANYWHERE if we give handouts and special preference to people ON ACCOUNT OF their "race." And that's what affirmative action and race-based admission points are- HANDOUTS. To people who don't necessarily need OR deserve it. You can preach all day long that diversity of skin tone on a campus is worth the trade of a colored person's pride, but you're shortchanging just about everyone in the equation. Whatever happened to judging people on achievement? Motivation? Intelligence? Optimism?

FUCK COLOR.

Ah...I forgot that Michigan-people don't travel. Seriously. I tell people that I drove down to Fenton to get ice-cream and pizza and they are like --- you're WEIRD. At least you understand a little bit about what I'm saying.

There were laws on the books already that were "anti-discrimination" but because people didn't like the courts' decision about UofM's admission policies; they passed an amendment that was stronger and basically outlawed "preference" which covers MUCH more than the policies you mentioned. It potentially undermines various programs and policies that acknowledge that certain groups do have concerns that other groups do not...such as feeling isolated, uncomfortable, not-welcome, etc. Targeted recruitment (even without extra points or incentives) is out. Minority Student Centers and Women's Student Centers are out. The way this thing is written, it would even be a "gray area" for me to go to an all-boy or all-girl program with equipment from UofM --- such as what I have done in the past --- going to Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts outings with telescopes that I checked out from the store room.

So yeah, it's annoying. However, if it DOES have the intended purpose (as far as I've been told the motivations of the original Californians were) of derailing founded and unfounded allegations of "discrimination" in preference to certain groups --- as I said --- I'll deal with the inconvenience.

In colleges that have adopted active-engagement programs (from a sampling of several in different states) black students do significantly better than white students given the SAME incoming ACT score. I'm sure we'll figure out a way to develop effective programs and policies to promote such an environment within the strict confines of this new amendment. That's fine.

It really won't be that horrible, unless it is interpreted in such a way that it interferes with our ability to "see race" instead of be Stephen Colbert cartoons with blindfolds saying: "I don't see race."

[BrassFusion]

I don't understand about the last part. I have a feeling the fewer people pay any attention to "race" period, the better off we'll be.

Maybe I'm close to that cartoon you described... in that setbacks and idiosyncracies people attribute to whatever "race" they are, I attribute to bullshit. It's one thing to be a non-native english speaker and have trouble finding a job or melding into American culture, but by the time you get a third or fourth generation American, there are no significant differences in lifestyle on a basis of color alone (people who are racially mixed tend to prove that out in a special sort of way). There are poor whites and poor blacks and poor asians and poor latinos and damn, you look around, seems like everybody's poorer than a couple decades ago