Something that Irks me

First I want to say the topic is extremely adult and means no offense to anyone, but it is a respectable topic and not rated X.

I saw on the national news broadcast tonight about the University of Michigan and the Supreme Court saying that using affirmative action and using Race to accept students into their “Law” programs was legal since they were using Race to diversify the student population. Meaning if you were White and had better grades you have a harder chance of getting in than say if you were Hispanic, or Asian, well anything but white. Minorities have a 135% BETTER chance at getting accepted purely based on Race.

This angers me. Is this not still racism? Saying because one is WHITE, we cant accept you?

Honestly Im tired of such practices. Yes I know the history and such of rasicism, and I know the struggles of minorities and with out affimative action things MIGHT be worse, but how is this really promoting a world with out racicism?

Honestly I look at all the EXTRA opportunities that minorities have, such as scholarship after scholarship, or grants or all kinds of special financial aid simply because they are hispanic or asian or black or indian and it fumes at me. Im far from being a racisist person, but how does this seem fair? I come from a family that had to live extended, like my grandmother, grandfather, two cousins, my aunt, my mom, my stepdad, and myself in a 3 bedroom house just to make ends meet, but I have to do student loans, because my parents who NOW finally can afford to live with out my grandparents and aunt but still live PAYCHECK to PAYCHECK, with no extra money to help me with school… make matters worse now that I’m old enough but because I dont have kids or Im still single I made TOO much to get financial aid for college, so I’ll have to take my over 10K 8 month trade school education and pay it back in full. It angers me that because Im white, I dont get to have the same opportunities to help me through college as someone who is not.

I was told in my English Class by a teacher that is hispanic that I was racisist, after finding a way to drop the class with out having to take an F or Incomplete, I left. He took one look at my white skin, one of TWO white people in my night English class at the local junior college and assumed I would be racisist with out finding out how I viewed things. I disagree’d with the book he was teaching from, its called UPROOTING RACISM by Paul Kivel, in the introduction it right away states, “This is a book about racism for white people. …I want to talk to youpersonally about what it means to those of us who are white, and how we can make a difference in the struggle for racial justice.” So far it seems like it should be fair correct? But I disagree’d with some of the further Ideas that says its up to white people to make the changes of making racicism disappear. By simply disagreeing with the way the book aproached racism that made me a racisist in my teachers eyes.

The teacher was also saying that since I as a white person did not look at people and judge them by their skin color, but I wait to judge them based on the type of human being they are, that made me racist. How dare he say that because I dont look at people’s race I was racist. He says that because I ignored the race of the person that that made me racist because I wasnt acknowledging the struggles and hardships that the race has gone through.

WHAT?

I look at people on a person to person basis, I have always been interested in racism and equality and have read book upon book of racism. One of my favorite era’s in history is the civil rights movements in the 1960’s. I’ve always had a curiosity for learning other cultures and beliefs, I feel it enriches my life.

If I hear someone making a comment about race, I am one of few people that would stop a stranger and give him or her a tongue lashing for it. I constantly struggle with my family about their comments and their understanding how it is not polite. Including the sexist comments not just one’s based on race.

Many people might view my opinion on the affirmative action usage as being racist but it truely doesnt help the struggle against race. Education and teaching to our kids at a young age that race isnt what makes a person a good or bad person or a good or bad worker, or a good or bad friend, its the persons character defined by their beliefs.

I do say, that giving others an extended opportunity beyond the opportunity that is open to everyone does not help promote the end to racism but instead promotes those who get the extended opportunity to believe the are less and because they are less they NEED the extra ooportunity to make them equal.

Yes I know that minorities go to college less, but that is because their parents did not and they arent taught that they can and how they can on the normal system. That was how it is for me, neither parent with a full college education so I did not know how I can get financial aid, or loans or what not until I started the college process. I didnt know either and I am white… its not based on race why most minorities do not go to college, its based on the fact those who do not KNOW HOW we can go, Dont. Period. I think giving extra scholorships to minorities might help, but what I think would help more is maybe better high school career counsilors who follow up and make sure that EVERY STUDENT knows how to get money for college no matter what level they will be attending.

Giving someone an opportunity based on skin color no matter if its because they are white, or hispanic or black, that is racism, no matter which race gets the opportunity. And such practices promote anger towards another because the one got something they did not. That does not teach equality, that only further drives others to anger.

It angers me that Im white and because I am, I must get over looked for work because they want a DIVERSE group of people so they higher more hispanics, or more blacks.. I’ve felt racism on both sides of the coin, once when I had a black boyfriend and a cop kept asking me if I was ok, because I was parked someplace with him talking about things he was going through.. and the cop kept asking me if I was ok because he was black and he thought I was there with out my consent. I was angry then. And now, I am angry that because I am white I do not get the same opportunities as another.

I am tired of being looked at for my skin color and others telling me my life is better for it.

Every human has its struggles in life, getting a job, getting an education, dealing with poverty or finding love. Our race doesnt define us with more or less struggles so why should anyone get extra help because they are a particular race?

Sure you might be black and was passed up for a job, but Im white and I have as well, Ive also been passed up for a job because Im female or because Im fat and my looks werent what they wanted in teh office… they’ve never said it, but when you look at all the tiny girls in that office you can see it… ::shrugs:: c’est la vie, that’s life. Im sure EOE and Affirmative action helps minorities deal with racist employers, but shouldnt I as a white get the same deal? Don’t ask me my race on a job application, look at my qualification and see if you want to hire me based on that.

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