1990_03 The Daily Collegian March 1990

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Page 2    Friday, March 9,1990
The Daily Collegian
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Opini
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—
IGERNK/NY" 193^1
UNITED STATE. 5 19949'-?
Dumb in a bottle
Peroxide blonds breed stereotype
Amy Hemphill
client ton Citizen 2, ABORTION    15
JNJOW  A CRltAE     AMD WILL NOT BET
QT)L££V\^ -
ASI racism resolution vague
Dear Editor.
It might be a little premature to
the ASI Resolution Supporting a
CSU Fresno Policy against Racism
of "benefit   [to}   the   whole   CSU
system" (Collegian 3-7-90).    The
document,   available   in   (he  ASI
office to all Interested students, is
teeming with ambiguous language*
unfounded      assumptions      and
discriminatory directives.   While I
believe the intent of the resolution
is     positive,     its     reactive     and
arrogant       spirit       dangerously
approaches violations of
guaranteed freedoms        and
discrimination against non-
minority students.
The resolution first calls for
"sensitivity    training"    for   every
student.    Instructor,    and    staff
member,    and    the    theme    of
mandatory    sensitivity    pervades
the whole  of the document.    It
resolves that "all members of the
campus community shall strive
for constitutional liberties,
human rights..." and that
"education shall... promote
understanding, sensitivity and
brotherhood/sisterhood." These
calls for specific actions and
■attitudes, regardless of their
idealistic beauty, are
inappropriate for a resolution of a
legislative body and are clearly
contrary to long held notions of
academic freedom and free speech
and thought.
The language defining the task
force Is equally troubling. After
Insisting on equal representation
in the group, the resolution states
that membership shall be
representative of minority stu¬
dents, cultural and ethnic studies
faculty and admln-
tors. Non-minority     stu¬
dents, and even students in
general, would not be groups from
which members would be selected.
II becomes easy to see that,
because the task force would
investigate complaints, interpret
university codes and recommend
punishments, a white student,
accused of racist action would be
subject to a Judge and Jury of non-
white students. The task force's
annual report would be submitted
to "affected multi-cultural/ethnic
student organization." One is
compelled to ask. Which student
groups would not be affected by
this encompassing new set of
policies?
A final point is that the
language of the resolution
maintains a presumption of guilt
•  Canyoureallygetstupiultyina
bottle of peroxide?—j
Or is It that the people putt tng it
on their hair have to be stupid in
the first place?
Personally. I find stupidity very
unattractive tn a person.
As stereotypes go. brunettes
have typically been labeled as
average. Changing their hair color
isn't going to help them avoid that.
Instead, they become labeled as
dumb and average, at least by us
natural blondes. This is because
no matter how well they try to
hide it. WE know.
These females accomplish
nothing by bleaching their hair. If
they really believe that "blondes    -
have more fun.' they should
explain what their definition of
funis. Not ofien will you find me
enjoying myself immensely -
sometimes I'm not taken seriously
due to my hair color.
Maybe certain females bleach
their hair because they are already
thought of as ignorant. By
appearing as the actual stereotype,
stupidity is^eTxpected of them.
I truly befaeve that these
"blondes' give us natural blondes a
bad name. We have to work twice
as hard to prove that we are not
the degrading stereotype that the
rest ofthe population would like
to believe we are. I also believe
that amajority of these bleached
blondes are attracted to the
physical appearance of golden
locks and try to use it as an excuse
to become the supplier of airhead
amusement to the male
population.
As the Collegian's managing
editor, future college graduate and
potential impact on the world of
graphic design, I have actually
benefited from the process of
avoiding the labels everyone
seems intent on bestowing upon
the intelligent population of sun
drenched heads. Yes. I am
managing very well.
,  Having blonde hair does have its
advantages.
My friend Kim and I went to a
local night spot on a recent Friday
night.
We sat at the bar, and whenever
we asked for a drink it was
automatically right there In front
of us. There were a bunch of guys
waiting lo get their drinks, but we
were always served ahead of them.
Finally, some of them asked us
to get them beers, because they had
problems getting theirs
themselves.
After I went home that night. I
figured out why.
Now if I could figure out how to
dye my hair brunette. I'd be in '
great shape.
before     any     investigation    hasj
asi
"Occurred.   .One directive  readaT
"Upon the event of a racial or
ethnic discriminatory act..the
task force shall conduct an
investigation..." Most courts in
this country still insist that a
person has committed no crime
until such has been otherwise
proven.
The traditional purpose of a
legislative resolution is to endorse
or recommend air idea or action.
This ASI resolution seeks to
establish a dangerous policy well
beyond its jurisdiction. The
motivation of the authors is clear:
individual and institutional
racism is a horrible disease. But
they have forgotten that in
America we have limited means
by which we can seek to eradicate
it.
EdCahill
READER
RESPONSE
READER
RESPONSE
READER
RESPONSE
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THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
Ediiorm Chief... „Epc Bumey
Managing Editor..—.Amy Hemphill
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