But I Don't Want To Be A Minority Whatever, I Just Want To Be The BEST Whatever

I know some people are going to think that I don't like Hispanics because the person who ticked me off and gave me the fuel to write this commentary was a naive Spanish-speaking student. That is not the case. I am not prejudiced against any group, unless the ignorant, cruel, or greedy are now considered a protected class. In fact, I wish the guy were black so that I could REALLY go off on him and not worry about getting any flack from anybody--unless you wanted to consider me a self-hating Negro. I'm sure there are people out there who do anyway.

How My Irritation Began

I was listening to conservative radio (why I do this to myself is beyond me) when some Hispanic kid called up for advice, stating that he would feel like a hypocrite for taking a scholarship for Hispanic students since he had always been against preferential treatment. He felt that he could get by on merit. The host told him that it was good that he was sticking by his principles and did mention that he could also look at it as a chance to be viewed as a role model for Spanish students. But the kid stated that he wanted to get scholarships for college by his "merit", stating that he didn't think it was fair for people to just "get things", and the host lauded him for standing by his ideals.

The host should also have been taken out behind the barn and humanely put to sleep.

How Some People Must Think Affirmative Action and Minority Programs Work

Some of the people who think that Affirmative Action type programs are "wrong" or "unfair" or give "preferential treatment" must think that these programs work as follows:

• EMPLOYER: Hello Minority, do you want a job or scholarship? I know you have no skills, no intelligence, and no experience, but I figured, what the heck, I'll give your swarthy ass a paycheck for being nothing and doing nothing because the government makes me, and hey, I'm a really giving person!
• MINORITY: Well shucks, Mr. Employer, I know I'm an idiot, so heck, I'll take this job, grant, or scholarship and not produce anything. It will be just like getting dressed up everyday to collect my welfare check. I know I am not worthy, so I will happily stick it to the tax payers and get paid to come to school or work and breathe.

Sadly, no this is not the case. What these programs are attempting to do is right historical wrongs against different groups of people. And what these programs fail to do is right historical wrongs against different groups of people. At least when it has come to African Americans and Hispanics, because what is REALLY needed is ECONOMIC help, as in the form of loans for small businesses. If there are enough viable black, asian, hispanic, etc. businesses out there than if a minority gets discriminated against by a white firm he can go to a minority one. Also, if there were more LUCRATIVE minority businesses most minorities would work there, since people tend to gravitate towards people with whom they have the most in common.

It's Real, Very, Very Real

Racial discrimination in the education and employment front is as real as the air we breath. Face, accept it, and don't be stupid and turn down a scholarship because you happen to be 1/8th Cherokee, yet you want to be picked because you are the "best". NEWSFLASH: historically, people who weren't in the majority were overlooked BECAUSE of their skin color or other group membership EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE THE BEST. I don't need to overload you with facts and stats to back this up: if you have an understanding of history you know this to be the case. How many women have been turned down for jobs and opportunities just because they are women? See my point?

Of course some of you don't, so let me flip the script towards an unrelated matter and exploit some stereotypes for my benefit: suppose you were on the basketball court and it was your turn to pick. It's down to the last two guys, one is white and the other is black. Same height, weight, body type, physical condition, and attire, the only difference is the skin color. WHO WOULD YOU PICK IF YOU WANTED TO WIN? Come on now, be honest! They didn't make that movie "White Men Can't Jump" for nothing. How many white gangster rappers are there? How many Puerto Rican country western singers? How many Korean kids in Go-Go bands? When was the last time you asked a French-Canadian to show you how to do the Electric Slide?

People also make assumptions about intellectual ability and work ethic based on race. As a result, some qualified people are going to be consciously or unconsciously overlooked. In addition, most minorities have the very real affects of oppression to deal with. All of that is going to come to bear when it is time to hand out the money for jobs and education. That means that if you are not a member of the majority group you are at a disadvantage. Affirmative Action programs are an attempt to level the playing field. Yet for all of the hoopla, panic, and complaints, the upper echelons of management and academia AS A WHOLE THROUGHOUT THE USA ARE NOT A MELTING POT.

What's Wrong With A Minority Scholarship?????

So what is wrong with giving a Spanish-speaking kid a scholarship because he is the best Spanish-speaking kid in the school? NOTHING. What this young man failed to realize is that the Hispanic group that wanted to support him did NOT pick him because he was a slouch, they picked him because they knew he would make them look GOOD. I remember back when I was applying for college, the girl that blew us all out of the water for the Thurgood Marshall scholarship for minority excellence had a 3.8 GPA and a LONG list of academic and school accomplishments. She was also an athlete. She also got a scholarship to go to Yale. The girl was TOGETHER, you hear me? No organization is going to go on the record for supporting a known idiot JUST BECAUSE he/she is a particular color. The last thing a minority group needs is bad press.

What He REALLY Turned Down

That kid also turned down the opportunity to be a role model for other Hispanic kids. He didn't stop to think that some other Spanish child may see him and think, hey, if he can do it, I can, because he's just like me! He doesn't realize that there may be some younger student out there who is the only Hispanic in his or her class or has no other immediate role models that could use a hero. He turned down the chance to inspire other Hispanic children to rise to his level of excellence. Why? Because he is a naive teenager who thinks that just because they show mixed and gay couples on televisions that the world has become a place where Dr. King's dream is realized.

Perhaps that Hispanic organization didn't realize how socially dumb that kid on the radio is. He really thinks that life is fair. He doesn't realize that there are people in this world who DO get things for nothing. I guess he has never known anybody who has gotten an inheritance just because a relative kicks the bucket. Do you see anyone turning down their inheritance money in the name of FAIRNESS? Do you think that any of the Rockerfellers or Kennedys are going to renounce their advantages so that they can work as hard as everyone else? He can't imagine a world where he could be just as good as or better than the next applicant, yett he will be overlooked because a closet (or blatant) bigot doesn't really want to give a break to one of "those people". He doesn't realize that there are still idiots who have the nerve to ask "Why would a Hispanic want to go to college?" He actually thinks that EVERYONE does the right thing JUST BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. If that were the case, then societies would not need laws. If that were the case then racist administrators would not have tried to place me in classes beneath my ability when I transfered to the public school system in the 9th grade, despite the fact that I was already reading, writing, and performing math on a twelfth-grade level. And yes, this happened in the 1980's in a metropolitan area that was NOT in the deep south.

The Creative Brother,