|
|
| Author |
Message |
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
 Posted: 03/20/04 - 18:52 Post subject: Whites-Only Scholarship Stirs R.I. College!!
|
|
|
I'm not bullshitting you here. I will be writing about this story and some of your replies (will remain anonymous) and it will be published in a new website geared toward the younger folk (18-30). Unless the piece I write sucks, but I think this will be an interesting read. The site will start beginning of April. To save my own face, I'll let everyone know which site only if it's published. And I do believe there will be an editorial section, so you can flame me in a rebuttal if it's written with a shred of decency. I kinda have an "in" there, so I pretty much expect this to fly.
BRISTOL, R.I. - On the sleepy coastal campus of Roger Williams University, a small liberal arts school unaccustomed to student activism, the College Republicans are reveling in the debate they've kicked up by offering a scholarship for whites only.
The $250 award — which required an essay on "why you are proud of your white heritage" and a recent picture to "confirm whiteness" — has invited the wrath of everyone from minority groups and school officials to the chairman of the Republican National Committee (news - web sites) himself.
Jason Mattera, a junior who started the conservative campus group in his freshman year, said kindling debate over free speech and affirmative action was just what he wanted — and he promises more.
"We did our job," said Mattera, 20, of Brooklyn, N.Y. "This is what college is all about, challenging the status quo."
They did such a good job that school President Roy Nirschel, who has clashed with the group before, cut short a trip to Vietnam last month to begin what he called "a healing process" — including forming a commission on civil discourse.
The 35-member group first went toe-to-toe with university administration last year over a series of monthly newsletter articles accusing homosexuals of squelching free speech by pushing for hate-crimes legislation. The articles alleged that a well-known gay-rights group indoctrinates students into homosexual ****.
The administration froze the College Republicans' money for two days. Nirschel said in turn, he received threatening letters claiming he was suppressing the group.
Then another article critical of Kwanzaa, which celebrates the history and heritage of Africa, sparked a complaint by a multicultural student group.
Before the Student Senate had a chance to deal with that issue, the College Republicans came up with the whites-only scholarship.
The application for the $250 award required an essay on "why you are proud of your white heritage" and a recent picture to "confirm whiteness."
"Evidence of bleaching will disqualify applicants," read the application.
Mattera, who is of Puerto Rican descent, said the scholarship was a parody of minority scholarships. Mattera himself was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Hispanic College Fund, he said.
"Those who come from white (descent) are left to find scholarships on their own," Mattera said.
The whites-only scholarship generated national publicity, which angered university officials and many students who worried their school was being labeled as racist. Minorities make up less than 10 percent of the 3,400 full-time undergraduates.
Some minorities on campus, like Maria Ahmed, a 20-year-old junior from Providence, felt targeted.
"At first it was about the newspaper, just about every issue they were bashing some small minority group," said Ahmed, whose parents were born in Nigeria. "It's hard being a minority on campus, and it felt like (they) were directly talking about you."
The scholarship was criticized by the state Republican Party and Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee. In a Feb. 17 letter to Mattera, Gillespie said the scholarship conveys a "message of exclusion" that doesn't represent the party's values. He suspended the group's right to use the party's symbols.
Nirschel, who says he's eager to attract more minority students and faculty members, called the scholarship "repugnant" and convened a town meeting on campus he said attracted more than 500 people.
The meeting, he said, was the first of its kind in the university's history.
His commission on civil discourse includes faculty and student members and has already decided to organize a debate team and create a journal. "This has caused me to redouble our efforts to make the campus open," Nirschel said.
Mattera's cause has seen plenty of support, too.
Increased donations raised the scholarship, which was initially only supposed to be for $50, to $250. The American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) backed the group's right to free speech after the Student Senate considered taking away its funding after the scholarship was awarded to Adam Noska, a 21-year-old junior from Weymouth, Mass. The Senate set aside the issue.
Some students just liked the idea of a whites-only scholarship.
"Nothing gets to me more than affirmative action," said Jamie Pattison, 19, a sophomore from Marblehead, Mass. "People want handouts."
Despite initial plans to make the scholarship annual, Mattera said it won't be offered next year.
"We'll continue to fight affirmative action ... but I think I made the point," he said."
Well I certainly already have my opinion on the subject, but I want to hear a few of yours first. I'm counting on your "oh-so-white" replies here people! Don't let me down!
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
 |
Renork
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 6283
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:03 Post subject:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:06 Post subject:
|
|
|
Tinkies....this story came out today.
And my publisher ok'ed it, so maybe you're mistaken.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Xarpolis
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 15 Oct 2002
Posts: 2884
Location: Philly, PA
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:07 Post subject:
|
|
|
I fully believe in the abolishment of race or religion only Scholarships. They, among many things, do nothing but promote racism and single out those would-be studants anyway. Why should the color of your skin, or the religion you follow affect your abiliby in schools in any way?
Colleges are required to take on a set percentage of "miniority" students, and this is b******t. Should a white student that does a tremendous job at school get outted for the sole purpose that a less qualifying minority student needs to be accepted to reach a certain % point, thus saving a college from legal trouble?
We as a country should stop this. It's pathetic and wrong, and I hope that this "all white" scholarship expands in to more things, just to show everyone how dispicable singling people out just because of how they were born or raised, really is.
Equality, remember? That's what we all strive for. Well, as long as shit like this exists, there never will be an equal nation.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Renork
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 6283
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:09 Post subject:
|
|
|
Then what was the other whites only scholership that was posted a month or so ago? Maybe I am wrong and there are 2 of them now but I am 100% sure there was a post about one.
My appolgies if I am wrong tho.
Last edited by Renork on 03/20/04 - 19:11; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Tolanin
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 3551
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:09 Post subject:
|
|
|
Well I live in MA just across the border from RI and know a few kids who go the RWU so I have a pretty decent handle on what actually happened. First I think it was a good idea that was probably poorly executed strategy wise. Affrimative action IS a joke and needs to be gotten rid of, RI is a fairly liberal state and it has a lot of its own problems, like a government that is almost totally corrupted for example. Using a whites only scholarship is fine really, there are minority only scholarships also. I think the choice to use the wording they used in the scholarship was poor, it came close to making fun of non-whites which was a mistake since they are not the target.
Overall I think it was a good idea, with poor execution, done by people who don't understand how sensitive the issue is and that it is not something to jest about. If they had done something that seemed like less of a joke it might have been better recieved. I am disapointed about the reaction of the Republican Party to this and I would like to think they are against discrimination, both financial and otherwise. The reaction of the University is not surprising, they don't want to be the focus point of a discussion like that, no matter how much it might be needed. And they also are primarily a more liberal administration, because the state is more liberal than most. It was a good effort by the conservative group, even if poorly done, and shows a courage to take on things they believe to be injust and the outpouring of suport for the scholarship shows that many people believe that affirmative action is an issue that should be engaged. Scholarships, jobs, and all advancement should be based on the persons character and their ability to perform, not their skin color or who their parents were or what injustice was done to their ancestors long ago.
Last edited by Tolanin on 03/20/04 - 19:13; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Oggabish
Luke Warm
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 201
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:10 Post subject:
|
|
|
Having a minority-only scholarship is not being racist, while having a white-only scholarship is? b******t.
Having said that, I oppose scholarships that are based on race or ****.
However, there is an underlying problem. People try so hard not to be racist that they become racist towards white people.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:13 Post subject:
|
|
|
I'll tell you know now just so you don't think I ripped you off, but I agree with you 100% Tol. I may throw in a few other juicy left wing parts just to stir the pot tho.
I feel dirty, Tol. I bet you do too.
***Also, too, my piece will have a great deal to do with why AA was enacted in the first place and why you just can't do away with it like that.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Jinu
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 2396
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:17 Post subject:
|
|
|
|
I'm disappointed, Megalo. I thought you were a hardcore liberal, but in the end, you still toe the race line.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Xenden
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 08 Jan 2003
Posts: 1532
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:20 Post subject:
|
|
|
Xarp said it well.
Equality.
Ultimately, crap like this needs to die. But while it currently exists, i don't really care if this school provides white only scholarships.
Special treatment just should not exist, but while it does...
Reverse racism is racism nonetheless.
P.S. I love black people. Seriously!
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:20 Post subject:
|
|
|
For me it's a lot more complicated than just towing the race line.
I promise I'll get into it in greater detail in a bit.
I gotta work while the writing is flowing.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Jinu
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 2396
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:23 Post subject:
|
|
|
All I'm going to say is, it's good to be white. Maybe if you are white that doesn't really occur to you, but I stress the point that it is good to be white, and as long as it's good to be white, I can see justification for minority assistance.
The day that comes when being white no longer serves as a benefit of any sort, is the day you can argue for equality and the abolition of affirmative action.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:24 Post subject:
|
|
|
ok ok ok ....i gotta say one thing now damn you...heh
Where do most white folks live? Suburbia and rural America.
Where do most black folks live? Inner City, specifically slums/projects/etc.
Why are they there? Because they like it?
Or because we put them there some years ago? Or how about because we've made every attempt possible to keep African American's down *JUST OFFICIALLY* up until the 1960's? (when you know goddamned well it still isn't equal today)
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Renork
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 6283
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:26 Post subject:
|
|
|
Making affirmative action go POOF does not solve your racial problems with any degree of urgency, whities.
It would be an easy transition for you, sure. You dont' have to do a damn thing.
Not easy on the other end, my friends. It would still take decades and/or generations.
But again, easy to say if I'm white, isn't it?
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
quotison
RealPoor Sensei
Joined: 13 Oct 2002
Posts: 1594
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:33 Post subject:
|
|
|
I became against affirmative action while applying to colleges.
I loved reading brochures from colleges. One of them listed some stats about their school and included this:
blah blah Women at our school: 25% (we'd like more!)
blah blah Minorties at our school: 23% (we'd like more!)
I didn't apply to that school, it didn't seem they wanted any more white males.
The Republican Club at my school had an Anti-Affirmative Action bakesale. They sold brownies, 50 cents for women and minorites, and 1.25 for white males  There was a picture in the newspaper about it, but no major controversy. Probably because they are not a bunch of hypocrites (to the best of my knowledge), unlike the president of this school's republican club, who criticizes scholarships based on race, yet willingly accepts one himself.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Docter
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 21 Oct 2002
Posts: 3420
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:36 Post subject:
|
|
|
Remember it's not just Equal Rights...it's Equal Rights for Minorities.
Equal Rights would have done away with Affirmative Action and leveled the playing field, so that the most qualified person gets the position. Who cares what the color of skin or the ethnic background is of the applicant, as long as the most qualified gets it.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Krumble
Toomuchtimeonhands
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 771
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:38 Post subject:
|
|
|
| Xarpolis wrote: | | I fully believe in the abolishment of race or religion only Scholarships. They, among many things, do nothing but promote racism and single out those would-be studants anyway. Why should the color of your skin, or the religion you follow affect your abiliby in schools in any way? |
Huh?
I might be wrong, but I don't think religious-based scholarships are supported by government funds. If it's a private donor that is sponsoring those scholarships, why should they not have a say in who receives their money (be it a criteria of a certain: race, religion, shoe size, etc.)?
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Tolanin
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 3551
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:41 Post subject:
|
|
|
| Megalo wrote: | Making affirmative action go POOF does not solve your racial problems with any degree of urgency, whities.
It would be an easy transition for you, sure. You dont' have to do a damn thing.
Not easy on the other end, my friends. It would still take decades and/or generations.
But again, easy to say if I'm white, isn't it? |
The issue of affrimative action should never be taken on by itself and done away without anything moving to help the minorities. Affirmative action is a crutch and what the minorities who are opressed in the inner cities need is a doctor to cauterize that wound. How you would do it i dont know, but it needs to be done, and bredding a new type of discrimination is not the answer, to anyones problem.
Affirmative action selects a few people at the top of the minority and pulls them out, its like the lottery for getting out of the slums. Its not a good system. It does not move towards solving the problem in the slums or the problems facing minorities. It pulls out the cream of the crop and leaves everyone else behind, when what needs to be done is take everyone out by improving the schools in the area, increasing pressure to have a strong family for minorities and increasing the pressure to become proficient in english at a young age (not a problem for most blacks but for many it is). The white middle class exists the way it does because it is not in families constantly falling apart, or constant drug use and violence. The effort is being made to make the college campus equal, but by college its to late for most kids, they just fail because they werent actually qualified to be there. But the effort that needs to be made is that of equalizing the slums. Making the education at a young age of inner city kids stronger and making their family lives stronger. Thats the only way the problem will ever be solved. Its the much harder solution and it requires as much work from the people who have as the people who dont. Its much easier to stay with affirmative action and claim your helping the poor when you really arent than it is to actually help the poor, and get the poor to help themselves. The inner cities will always be made up the imigrants and people who are new to the country (which is mostly minorities) but the effort to make sure that if the immigrants want to they can pull themselves out needs to exist in an easier format. Waiting until age 18 to help these kids isnt helping anyone.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:50 Post subject:
|
|
|
Not suggesting this is you or anyone else:
In "Letters from a Birmingham Jail," Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that perhaps the Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizens Council were not the greatest enemies of progress—instead he cautioned about "the white moderate" who says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods. . ."
Those words ring just as true 40 years later.
And Tol, I agree with you almost 100% again. It's not the solution by any means. I'm not sure if you share this same view as I, but I believe a lot of white america isn't interested in an alternative solution just yet.
Just for AA to go away. And that just isn't gonna cut it.
To me, it's a matter of education. I've actually attended an inner city school (2nd - 3rd grades) in Chicago and I also remember that experience to be HORRIFYING from what I was used to before. College is sorta too late to try and help. It's really the elementary and middle schools that need the help.
But I just don't see that happening anytime soon. So for now AA will have to do.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:53 Post subject:
|
|
|
It's the scared white kids and the scared white adults who are worried about a few jobs or a few spots at school taken away that I have the problem with.
They don't want solutions, only to stop taking away what they think is rightfully theirs.
Cry me a f*****g river middle white america. you have it soooo rough.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Docter
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 21 Oct 2002
Posts: 3420
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:58 Post subject:
|
|
|
| Megalo wrote: | It's the scared white kids and the scared white adults who are worried about a few jobs or a few spots at school taken away that I have the problem with.
They don't want solutions, only to stop taking away what they think is rightfully theirs.
Cry me a f*****g river middle white america. you have it soooo rough. |
Spoken like a true racist.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 19:59 Post subject:
|
|
|
I know now I'm just rambling, but this is exactly my early school years:
prek - 1st : normal middle america neighborhood outside chicago
2nd - 3rd : mucho fam probs, moved to inner city. had horrible grades, teachers threatened to kick me out.
4th - 5th : went back to same school as 1st. Not bad school, not great.
Moved to a upper-middle class suburban neighborhood of Dallas (Plano)
The kid at 10 yrs old, who had a 121 IQ, NEARLY FLUNKED 6th grade in that neighborhood school.
Point being, there is a HUGE discrepancy between the education poorer children are getting as opposed to more well off children.
At some point in the chain, they need to have the best available education possible in order to ever overcome the socio-economical problems African Americans face today.
Only I don't see any crackers in a hurry to do this.
And Doc, I wished ya happy b-day, HOOD and all my friend.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Docter
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 21 Oct 2002
Posts: 3420
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 20:17 Post subject:
|
|
|
But Megalo, you are making skin color an issue, thus you risk the chance for others to call you a racist.
Education is what you make of it...why do you have to learn everything in school, why not on your own? Only through hard work can you make more of yourself. My friend from an inner city school district used to hang out in the public library reading and studying. He wanted a way out of the life he was seeing his friends have. He succeeded and is more successful then I am, and I'm happy for him. The rest of his friends never made it out, because they got caught up in crime, or never applied themselves in school.
Once again, if you don't like the cards life deals you...change your hand.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Tolanin
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 3551
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 20:22 Post subject:
|
|
|
even just making the schools better isnt enough. I know its considered bad to critize and blame parents and that but its as much the minority parents fault as it is the kid. A kid needs a stable home, a parent or parents (2 are better but 1 can work) who teach there kid from a young age, stress the importance of school and working hard. I have seen many times kids move out of the inner city to a suburb with very good schools, only to flunk again and again because their parents dont take charge.
School is not fun, how many people can honestly say they would have done well without parents to push them and instruct them early on atleast? very few, very few are able to transcend that barrier. School work for a young child, no matter how expensive the books are or how highly trained the teachers, is boring. They dont want to do it, they want to have fun and slack off. The teachers can push to an extent, smaller classes and better teachers help a bit towards this end but its the parents that most of the burden falls to, and a parent who pushes their child and makes sure they do their work whether they want to or not produces a better child. School is only part of the picture.
And magelo I must disagree with you on white people wanting to keep blacks down. Most do not even understand the problem. They see people who are given things over their children (affirmative action) and who still dont do much with it. They see the slums and the druggy parents and the violent kids and say this is what they are, how can they possibly be better. They think the things are rightfully theres not because they are white and think they are better but because they think they worked harder for them. They see the difference and say I payed my taxes and voted and contributed and did my job while they did nothing. Its not about trying to keep the priviledge status for most people, its about getting what you think is owed to you. And in many cases they right, they DO work harder and do more for their kids and the government than the minorities. Its hard to overcome this because its true and in any solution it must be acknowledged as truth. it is why you have the black republicans who agree with the whites, they see it this way, its not a racial thing. White people dont want underpriviledged white kids who dont work hard and dont contribute taking their childrens money and things they worked for either.
The challenge is to convince them that it must be done. And that money must be spent to try to help them. If you tell people we need money because we can help these people and make their lives better, you will get your money. But the money has to be spent at the root of the problem, not any of the causes, the causes are poor schools, under performing children, affirmative action. The root is the parents, if the root is fixed then over time everything else will right itself without intervention. The only trouble is, of the things listed the root is by far the hardest to fix and the only one that will take far more than just funds to accomplish.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Confused
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 08 Feb 2004
Posts: 6730
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 20:22 Post subject:
|
|
|
| Xarpolis wrote: | | Equality, remember? |
Only socialists strive for equality.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Tolanin
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 3551
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 20:24 Post subject:
|
|
|
| Docter wrote: | But Megalo, you are making skin color an issue, thus you risk the chance for others to call you a racist.
Education is what you make of it...why do you have to learn everything in school, why not on your own? Only through hard work can you make more of yourself. My friend from an inner city school district used to hang out in the public library reading and studying. He wanted a way out of the life he was seeing his friends have. He succeeded and is more successful then I am, and I'm happy for him. The rest of his friends never made it out, because they got caught up in crime, or never applied themselves in school.
Once again, if you don't like the cards life deals you...change your hand. |
exactly my point of the traditional view, doc clearly isnt a racist but he misunderstands the solution that is needed for the problem.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
NickPSH
RealPoor Master of Posts
Joined: 11 Oct 2002
Posts: 5680
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 20:25 Post subject:
|
|
|
VS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
VS.
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Tura
RealPoor Guru
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 4866
Location: Raleigh, NC
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 20:29 Post subject:
|
|
|
| Quote: | | Only I don't see any crackers in a hurry to do this. |
lol Megalo?
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
Megalo
Can't Stop Posting
Joined: 16 Oct 2002
Posts: 682
|
|
Posted: 03/20/04 - 20:40 Post subject:
|
|
|
heh...that's just my "zing". Wouldn't be any fun if I was mundane, would it?@!
half the time i don't mean everything that comes out of my mouth.
Last edited by Megalo on 03/20/04 - 20:46; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
