Wow, what a dark mood I was in yesterday! After much soul searching, and talking with The Missus, I decided that I should write that letter after all, and about an hour ago, I did.
(with alot of help from said Missus - when I get flustered, it's hard for me to articulate in a rational manner, nothin' makes sense, and folks are left with that, "what the fuck" feeling.)
The point I found was, even if the letter is never read, I know that I sent it; I stood up. I wouldn't feel that I have a right to bitch if I never stood up when I got the chance. (That's why I vote. "Don't vote? Don't
bitch!" should be my motto.) I'm tired of complaining about this crap and not doing something about it.
So, for your reading pleasure, I present to you, my friends, The Letter, as written my me, and coauthored by The Missus. (chemicalnova, are you counting the commas? I, know, how, much, you, enjoy, commas!) :-D
August 22, 2005Dear Dr. Thompson,Last week, while helping at a local public elementary school, I saw an advertisement for the Black Student Alliance posted at the secretary's desk in the office. I was surprised to see that there were no other
postings for other ethnicities. I was unaware that the school district
favored advertising for one ethnicity over another. This posting is so
completely exclusive as to be offensive. I am teaching my children that race does not matter when it comes to their friends and acquaintances. I am showing them through my actions that the color of a person’s skin is not the most important thing about them. I am expecting that my children’s schools teach the fact that people’s actions are what define them and not their skin color. To find such a
blatantly racial advertisement in plain sight in a school goes against
everything that I am teaching my children. It contradicts what I had hoped this school district would teach my children.I am not asking that ethnic advertisements not be placed. I am asking that all ethnicities be represented if there is any advertising to be done. To have an event advertised that includes only one ethnicity shows obvious racial preference in my child’s school. I was under the
impression that ALL students, regardless of their race, receive equal
consideration in the Rockford Public Schools. Because my children are not black, they would have been given the impression that their skin
color is not as important as black children. How awful that at such a
young age, the Rockford Schools are discriminating against my children because they happen to be born a race other than black.Dr. Thompson, I don’t want any student to think that their race is the most important thing about them, because it’s not. I don’t want any
student to look at another student’s skin color and decide to what activity they can go. I don’t want my children to feel undeserving because they are the "wrong color". I certainly don’t want the seeming
balkanization in our society to infiltrate my children’s schools.What I do want is simple. Rockford Public Schools should not allow ANY organization that emphasizes one race over another to advertise
youth activities in the schools. Do not exclude ANY student from any
activity simply because of their skin color. Ensure that my children,
and all children, feel welcome in any activity, regardless of their
ethnicity.Thank you.(signature)Wes FisherSo there it is. The thoughts are mine, though the spelling
and proper grammar are The Missus' (note the complete and total lack of the phrase, "You BASTARDS!").If nothing else, I certainly feel better by getting that off my chest. I'll feel even better if/when The Rockford Register Star prints the copy I'm sending them. *insert maniacal laughter here*."Is he joking?" You'll just have to wait and see.Well, I haven't checked the posts from my previous rant (What's the Freakin' Point?) and I wasn't going to until after I posted this, and assure you that I'd "pulled my finger out".The Bodhran Rolls On!Now, what the HELL happened to my format?! Fuckit! I'll fix it later. I got another long-ass day of job hunting tomorrow.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Guess What? I Found the Freakin' Point!
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The letter was very well written. I re-read it and inserted "white" for "black" and found it looks a lot like something someone would have written in the 50's when there was a lot more racism against blacks. I can't understand why people seem to be so blind to the fact that people who are white are constantly being discriminated against because of their skin color.
ReplyDeletechemicalnova: The commas were aalll for you! ;-)
ReplyDeletektreva: Some folks seem to think that if you're not white, you CAN'T be racist (which is the dumbest thing I've ever heard), that if you're white, you're automatically a racist (the second dumbest thing I've ever heard), and of course, the old favorite, whites are SOOO much more privaleged (sp?) than "minorities" (Oh Reeally!).
I've actually argued with people about all of those points. It's very frustrating to argue with the willfully ignorant. I believe in Proverbs it says, "Only a fool argues with a fool", and I can't argue with THAT. :-)