Friday, March 22, 2013

Response to "Ok, so what do you think Racism is?"



Recently, I read the article from the Democrat and Chronicle entitled “Ok, so what do you think Racism is?” The author talks about an article he recently published where many readers disagreed with his interpretation of racism, and has instead presented a number of questions that present a scenario and ask whether they are racist or not. I am going to respond to five of these.

1. Is it racist for a person (of any color) to tell race-based jokes? (Is it worse if it’s a white man telling the joke? Is it less of a problem if it’s a black man?)

http://blog.ctnews.com/mixingitup/files/2012/01/racism.jpgI don’t consider race-based jokes to be racist as they address stereotypes of different races rather than assert a specific race’s superiority over them. But I think whether or not they are racist depends entirely on context. When you’re around friends, you have established your personality, beliefs, and values to a point where if anything arises to the contrary of them, they know it. So when things like race-based jokes are told, your friends know that you are not really prejudiced and that you are simply making a joke with no real mean for harm. But switch the context to telling a joke with strangers who know nothing about you, then it does come off as prejudiced, whether it was intended or not.

2. Is it racist for a white man to forbid African-American nurses from holding his newborn baby?

http://cdn.madamenoire.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Female-nurse.jpgThis action I do consider racist. While the child belongs to the man and he therefore has the ultimate say in who gets to hold his child, using the nurse’s color as an excuse to deny her this is unacceptable. This action calls into question the nurse’s qualifications, all of which are in line with the standards set by the hospital and by the schools in which she earned her license. If they are even working in a hospital, then it must be understood that they have the knowledge to properly do their job.  Calling into question the nurse’s qualifications also calls into question the qualifications of the white nurses as well. This view is filled with racial bias and prejudice, and since it assumes that white nurses are superior, it can be regarded as racist.

3. Is it racist for a school district’s staff to not reflect the diversity of its student body?

http://balancedlifeskills.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/teacher-in-classroom-1.jpegI say not at all. Those who are hired as teachers are done so because they are qualified for their job and are seen as being positive influences on the lives of the students. Here, whether or not they are the same or different race than the student population makes no difference.

4. Is it racist for a police officer to pull over a black family out for a Sunday drive simply because they happen to be in a “white” neighborhood?

Putting it simply, the answer is yes. The police officer has no reason other than the family’s color to pull them over. This also makes apparent the officer’s assumptions that black families somehow disturb the peace and cause trouble for white people. These kinds of assumptions should get him fired, for he is compromised in how he administers justice. The family is simply trying to enjoy a Sunday drive; whether or not they pass through certain neighborhoods is not germane to the point.

5. Is it racist for anyone, regardless of color, to use the word “nigger”?

The problem with the word “nigger” is that it can be taken in many different ways depending on who says it and with what kind of intention behind it. In some instances, it is interpreted as very derogatory and taken very offensively, especially since it has roots in the unethical treatment of other human beings. Conversely, it can be understood as referring to another person and go unnoticed. In many instances, the word can be taken either way depending on the person and cause greater confusion. Most often, it is taken offensively when spoken by a white person, but not when an African American says it. Because of this, saying it is not inherently racist, but if said with the intention of offending someone or putting someone down, then I consider it racially prejudiced, regardless of race.

Monday, June 4, 2012

The Holocaust


A Timeline for the Holocaust:
1933- Hitler is sworn in as Chancellor of Germany
1937- Laws are passed banning Jews from holding professional jobs.
1938- The Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), where homes of Jews were wrecked and burned, Jewish stores torn apart and damaged significantly, and many Jews being injured or killed.
1939- Issues are ordered to special action squads in Poland for the creation of ghettos near railroads in preparation for the “final goal”. Jews are to wear yellow stars so that they may be identified by German authorities. Nazis invade Poland in the Blitzkrieg. Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
1940- The most infamous death camp, Auschwitz, is ordered to be built in Poland.
1941- An official decree is ordered for German Jews, where they are to be forced into labor. Hitler orders the beginning of the “final solution”: The mass extermination of Jews and many other belief systems in concentration camps. U.S. enters into World War I.
 1942- Mass migration of Jews from France, Germany, and other countries into Auschwitz begins.
1943- Gas chambers are now built and fully operational in many concentration camps
1944- The Russians liberate the first concentration camp, Majdanek. Auschwitz is ordered to have its gas chambers and crematoriums destroyed.
1945- Death marches are ordered for Jews to escape Russian forces who have begun to liberate many concentration camps, including Auschwitz, Budapest, and Warsaw.

Terms:
Anti-Semitism- The hatred of a person or thing based on their affiliation to Jewish tradition and heritage.
Concentration Camp- A compound used to detain people because of their race, beliefs, and/or political affiliation.
Deportation- Theforced removal of a person or people from a specific country or area.
Genocide- The deliberate murder or destruction of people based on their race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality.
Ghetto- A part of a city occupied by a particular group of people because of social, economic, or political issues.
Holocaust- The killing of more than 6 million Jews and many other minorities during World War II by Nazi Germany as a way to preserve the Aryan or "Master" race.
Kristallnaht- Also know as "The Night of Broken Glass", an event in Germany where mobs of Germans destroyed Jewish homes and stores, synagogues, and schools, as well as injuring and killing many Jews themselves.

                Through the mass extermination of the Jews and other peoples of many different beliefs, there were flagrant violations of the 10 Commandments. Of them, the most apparent violation is “You shall not kill”, with the Auschwitz concentration camp killing 2,000,000 people altogether, including 1,500,000 Jews. The flagrant violations of human dignity was experienced not only in death camps, but in the ghettos that people were forced to live in, where food was scarce, disease was common, and the sick and weak were blatantly killed by Nazi soldiers. Along with the persistent violence experienced by the Jews since the rise of Hitler to power, the concentration camps and the ghettos violated the most basic of human rights entrusted to us by God: the right to live
                The Commandment of “You shall not steal” was also blatantly violated. In ghettos and in concentration camps, Nazi soldiers would often search homes for any valuables and jewelry that people would bring, melting them down and creating profits. No sympathy for anyone’s possessions was given by the soldiers, leading to many people hiding their jewelry and valuables in unconventional places, which included some swallowing them whole. Not to mention how Jewish homes were raided after the people living there were evacuated, stealing money and anything of value. All of these actions were done for greed and to humiliate the people they were attacking, taking away things of not just monetary value, but sentimental value as well.
                With all of the widespread death and stealing, there was also widespread breaking of the 10th Commandment “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”. Using the Jews as scapegoats, the Nazis blamed many of Germany’s problems in the past and present on the Jews, including the loss of World War I, starvation, and the financial crisis Germany was experiencing. Propaganda was printed daily about the "Jewish problem", with frequent statements talking of the complete eradication of the Jews. All of this culminated into the intense hatred that was quickly adopted by many Germans, who soon began to use them as a means to blame all of the ailments of society on. It became state accepted hate, all fueled through the persistently false depiction of the Jews as the ultimate enemy of the Germans, who had to destroy them.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Follow up to Treyvon Martin Murder

Police Chief Billy Lee
The Treyvon Martin murder is now widely talked about here in the U.S.  The tragic occurrence on February 26, where Martin, was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, who was able to get away with it on the belief that he felt threatened, is now dealing with outrage from the country.  New developments have arisen out of the case, with questionable police conduct being discovered by news sources, including,” the “correction” of an eyewitness account”. Other discoveries of the case include the fact no drug test, nor background check were conducted as part of the investigation by local authorities, which is standard policy for investigations. As a response to this conduct, local City Commissioners conducted a vote of “no confidence” with how Police Chief Billy Lee handled the investigation, with a vote of 3 out of 5 against Chief Lee.
Martin in his hoodie

                Since the fatal shooting, and the recent investigation of the local police department, support has been pouring out for the Martin family, with over 2 million signatures, as of March 26th, on an online petition asking the Florida Attorney General to arrest Zimmerman.  There has also been the spread of demonstrations all over the country, with “Million Hoodie Marches” taking place with people with hoods on their heads to represent how Trayvon was dressed on the night of the murder. Support has even come from the sports world, with the Miami Heat showing their support for Martin by wearing their sport hoodies with their hoods down. These demonstrations have also spurred demonstrations about other complaints, such as dissatisfaction with the brutality of the Denver Police Department, who have paid over $1.34 million dollars to settle brutality cases.
Geraldo Rivera
                One incredibly surprising response from the murder has received widespread criticism: Geraldo Rivera’s remarks on the shooting on, not surprisingly, Fox News. His remarks centered around Martin’s hoodie, and that if he had not been wearing it, he would still be alive. This statement is absolutely ridiculous, and is based on false stereotypes about the connection between hoodies and crime. A statement I saw pretty much makes it clear that Rivera’s reasoning is flawed: “If I were to be a clown, does that give me the right to throw a pie in your face?”

                It seems that Zimmerman isn’t going to get off too easily from prosecution, whether from the federal authorities, or the public at large. But it is important that we don’t stop, and continue to put pressure on authorities for the arrest of Zimmerman, and one small way to help is to sign the petition for Zimmerman’s arrest. It will take less than a minute and, I believe, will make a difference: http://www.change.org/petitions/prosecute-the-killer-of-our-son-17-year-old-trayvon-martin .