Recent articles commenting on affirmative action, civil liberties and racism have focused mainly on African Americans. I believe most of these comments are out of ignorance and do not address the real issues nor offer any solutions. If such a topic is to be addressed, it must be addressed completely and not simply from one perspective.
I am a white male of predominately Jewish and some Native American ancestry and have personally experienced racism. I grew up in central New Orleans. As a white male in New the South, I was a minority. I attended three different public high schools and was racially discriminated against daily. I lived a life as a minority and discriminated against because of my race. I was physically accosted and beaten, threatened with knives and guns, kicked out of classes by teachers and constantly verbally abused.
Ironically, all of my persecutors were African Americans. Everyday I was fed the rhetoric in some form or another that blacks were always being racially discriminated against, yet they were the ones persecuting everyone else. I believe this stems from a reverse racism that distortedly attempts to correct and amend the past. Blacks are constantly claiming racial injustice with no consideration for other races that are oppressed. This country was not just 'built on the backs of slaves,' but was stolen and beaten from the hands of the Native Americans.
The Native Americans were enslaved and slaughtered as were African Americans. Does anyone consider the Jews that have been enslaved and slaughtered at the hands Hitler and the ancient Pharaohs? What about the Middle Eastern and African races that are currently slaughtering one another because of race or religion? African Americans are not the only ones who have experienced racial injustice. We should promote awareness of these injustices-but of all races.
I cannot possibly understand how someone or some group can believe they have more rights over someone else simply because of their race, religion or social status. If our society truly focused on being decent human beings then there would be no need for affirmative action, civil liberties or racial justice.
By focusing on the racial injustices of only one race and not all of the others is a form of racial discrimination itself and is not a solution. We need to remember that everyone is belongs to the same race-the human race.
BENJAMIN RABNER
Springville