1987_04 The Daily Collegian April 1987

              Page 2
: Thursday, Aon! 2,1987;
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Response
to The Daily Collegian is welcome.
Please send letters no longer than 250
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Treatment unfair
Dear Editor,
In a recent conversation with a student
the problem of the limited demand for
history teachers was discussed, Also dis¬
cussed was how hard it would be to be
hired. The student confidently replied. "I
don't have to worry about it I'm Mexi¬
can." My throat tightened and I bit my
lip. I sat through my next class, experi¬
encing massive high blood pressure. I
thought "What' an idiot" Inferring being
hired because of one's race is really tight
Bragging about it really sucks! (is re¬
pulsive!)
There are too many ignorances serving
and teaching because of a "quota" system.
Some of these same people can't read,
spell, write or even express themselves so
they can be understood.
Reverse discrimination manifests injust¬
ices committed against the white male,
who by no stretch of the imagination can
be regarded as responsible for present or
past practices of individuous discrirnin-
ation.
Many ethnic groups have been subjected
to discrimination. "No Irish need apply."
The Orientals on the West Coast Jews,
Mormons, Italians and so on. None of
these groups have asked for present
privilege on the basis of past handicaps.
And even if they did put forth such claims,
why should the burden of such injustices
fall upon young white males alone?
I recently finished Charles Murray's
book "Losing Ground." This book sug¬
gests the history of slavery is not the
principal explanation for the presence of a
hlack underclass, but that a "welfare"
culture has created attitudes that preclude
and penalize achievement and erode the
family basis for social stability. A fault
line in our present society thus lies
between blacks who have achieved and are
moving up the income ladder, and the
underclass that is supported by federal
largesse and left behind. As Rep. Jack
Kemp often puts it what you subsidize,
you get We have subsidized dependency,
poverty and illegitimacy — and wc have
got it
BLOOM COUNTY
by Berke Breathed
Affirmative action is
the only true solution
In 1984, 64 percent of the Republic's
non-whites opposed preferential treatment
according to a Gallup poll. More recently,
according to another Gallup poll, as many
as 77 percent of die Republic's Macks
opposed it
In a radio talk, Ronald Reagan warned
against "some people today, in the name
of equality, would have us practice
discrimination...these people tell us that
the government should enforce discrim¬
ination in favor of some groups through
hiring quota.."
In response to a possible editorial re¬
cently directed at me, I have opened my
eyes and I don't-like what I see.
Shifting blame of past wrongs on
present white males is contrary to what
you would like — equality.
Love,
Anthony Joseph Di Maggio
Alpha didn't haze
Dear Editor,
This is a response to Tony Martin's
(V.P. of the Inter-Fratemity Council) col¬
umn on March 31.
As president of Alpha Phi Alpha and a
member of I.F.C.. it's obvious that Mr.
Martin is not familiar with the fraternities
in his own administration.
It was' not the pledges of Alpha Phi
Alpha that you personally witnessed, and
the public hazing is not what we do. If
you were familiar with the fraternities that
are members of the LF.G, you might find
reasons for our intensive pledge program
and its purpose since it is clear that you
don't understand them.
Alpha Phi Alpha does have policies
concerning hazing of pledges and we do ,
abide by those policies. So before you
begin commenting and making accusations
regarding our organization, please make
sure you know who and what you're
talking about
I don't think a fraternity and /then-
pledges that you witnessed are a part of
I.F.C.. so maybe you should remember
who .and what you saw, then make your
comments to that organization.
Clint Williams
President Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
So now you're saying that Affirmative
Action is reverse discrimination? 1
You think the poor, white, upper and
middle class males in the United States are
getting a bum rap, that they're being
exploited and taken advantage of?
You think it is unfair to balance the
overwhelming numbers of white males who
dominate die upper echelons in virtually
every jot^ category with women and
minorities who are confined to limited and
menial jobs with no option of moving up and
bettering themselves?
Well wake up. White males have a vice
grip on this economy, this government this
country, and things are never going to
change without a urogram to shake things up.
Yes it is true that many of the whites in
this country were once minorities themselves
and were ostracized and held back due to
prejudice. When the Irish, the Germans and
die European Jews came to America, they
were limited in their job opportunities and
yes they rose above it all to become
successful
It is also true that they were white and
easily • ssimilated due to die color of their
skin and they now have taken control,
complete control. They were once
discriminated against and now they have
become the cuscriminalon.
Minorities immigrating to this country
today are no longer assimilating — their skin
is the wrong color. And besides, after the     *
treatment they have received by the members ,
of this society, they don't want to be Eke
white people.
Whites are in control and they have
continually oppressed women and minorities
and kept them from moving into new fields
and moving up in society.
And the white males will work to keep
their grip; they will not allow women or
minorities to get their foot in the door and
possibly upset the entire make up of their
businesses and later the government and the
They will first hrre the people they
identify most with — die people they
consider to be the most professional and hard¬
working — white males. If you don't believe
this, look at the facts.
Women have been confined to only 20 job
categories while men are commonly found in
By Angela Arnold
more than 400 different occupations.
Because these 20 job categories are
overwhelmingly dominated by women, they
are extremely low paying. As a result
women now comprise the majority of those
beneath the poverty line.
Also examine the U.S. working class and
the people who comprise it They are
virtually all women and minorities. While
males have a stranglehold on society and
this is never going to change if things are
allowed to continued as they have     .    *
The infrastructure of this society is set and
white males are in command. They make all
die far-reaching decisions, they decide how
far their subordinates will go and they
control the payroll: thus, the quality of the
lives of their employees.
Affirmative Action is not and should never
become a program where the incompetent are
hired before the unqualified. But unless
women and minorities are given preferential
treatment, the standards are never going to
change
If it wasn't true, the numbers would never
be so convincing.
Call Affirmative Action reverse
discrimination if you will, but things will
never change otherwise. And if you don't like
the feeling of being discriminated against
think how die rest of us feel.
Angela Arnold is this writer's pseudonym.
Her column appears every Thursday in The
Daily Collegian.
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