[Vision2020] Affirmative Action
Melynda Huskey
mghuskey@hotmail.com
Wed, 19 Feb 2003 23:00:29 -0800
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Although Don Kaag wasn't talking to me, he did say:
B) From what you have written, you tend to deal with people, and =20
theorize about them, in groups. My tendency is to deal with people as =20
individuals. I frankly don't care what someone's ethnicity, skin =20
color, religion, sexual persuasion, etc. are... what I am interested in =20
is their intellect, their character, their actions, and how they relate =20
to me as an individual. =20
And so I'm right back in it. How is it possible to care about someone as=
an individual and not care about key elements in their identity? This i=
dea that it's desirable to render difference invisible leads to some incr=
edibly insulting and hurtful exchanges--you know, the kind that start, "I=
t doesn't matter to me what race you are: black, white, purple-polka dot,=
" and end, "You know, I don't even notice that you're {fill in the blank}=
--to me you're just a regular person." Or, "You're not like a girl at al=
l--you're just one of us." Or, "Gosh, I would never have guessed that *y=
ou* were gay." Don't make me invisible by denying what's obvious to us b=
oth: acknowledge my existence. Listen to what I have to say.
Which is why--although I think Mark Rounds hit the nail on the head in ju=
st about every other way--I think we should note that Colin Powell is bla=
ck *and* a general. As long as we assume that "general" =3D "white gener=
al," of course, we'll add the qualifier, just like we used to talk about =
"lady" lawyers. But we don't need to go so far to the other extreme that=
we pretend that his race is not a matter of fact or importance. It has =
been to him, by his own admission.
Deliberately not getting any further into the general misunderstanding of=
Affirmative Action, since I'm on my way out of town,
Melynda HuskeyGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http:/=
/explorer.msn.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV> </DIV> <=
DIV>Although Don Kaag wasn't talking to me, he did say:</DIV> <DIV> =
</DIV> <DIV>B) From what you have written, you tend to deal with pe=
ople, and <BR>theorize about them, in groups. My tendency is to dea=
l with people as <BR>individuals. I frankly don't care what someone=
's ethnicity, skin <BR>color, religion, sexual persuasion, etc. are... wh=
at I am interested in <BR>is their intellect, their character, their acti=
ons, and how they relate <BR>to me as an individual. </DIV> <DIV>&n=
bsp;</DIV> <DIV>And so I'm right back in it. How is it possible to =
care about someone as an individual and not care about key elements in th=
eir identity? This idea that it's desirable to render differen=
ce invisible leads to some incredibly insulting and hurtful exchanges--yo=
u know, the kind that start, "It doesn't matter to me what race you are: =
black, white, purple-polka dot," and end, "You know, I don't even notice =
that you're {fill in the blank}--to me you're just a regular person."&nbs=
p; Or, "You're not like a girl at all--you're just one of us." Or, =
"Gosh, I would never have guessed that *you* were gay." Don't make =
me invisible by denying what's obvious to us both: acknowledge my e=
xistence. Listen to what I have to say.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DI=
V>Which is why--although I think Mark Rounds hit the nail on the head in =
just about every other way--I think we should note that Colin P=
owell is black *and* a general. As long as we assume that "gen=
eral" =3D "white general," of course, we'll add the qualifier, just like =
we used to talk about "lady" lawyers. But we don't need to go so fa=
r to the other extreme that we pretend that his race is not a matter of f=
act or importance. It has been to him, by his own admission.</DIV> =
<DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Deliberately not getting any further into the gene=
ral misunderstanding of Affirmative Action, since I'm on my way out of to=
wn,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Melynda Huskey</DIV></BODY></HTML><br cl=
ear=3Dall><hr>Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a hre=
f=3D'http://explorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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