The phrase `open-minded' is
Christian Braunlich
junior
I don't wish, in particular, to respond to Tona Boyd and Shamus Rohn's Dec. 6 letter concerning racism. Rather, I'd like to ask some questions.
I am, first of all, curious about your opinions of Barry Baumbaugh and Andrew Henrick. Disregarding the lack of substantiation of your claim concerning the "undercurrent of white supremacy" that is "still seething" within what I assume is either the American or the white American culture, I'm just wondering how it is that your views are untouched by this culture. I confess to be ignorant of your respective races.
If you are not white, is it because you are not white that you have been able to avoid this closed-mindedness? If you are white, have you somehow broken out of this culture or disregarded it in a way that Baumbaugh and Henrick have not? How is it that you are unaffected? Or rather, how can you be so sure that two people you don't appear to know personally have been affected in some way that you have not?
Moving on, I have some questions about your concept of racism. Let's say that someone who is a minority owns a business. It seems reasonable to me to call a business a social structure. Now let's say that the owner only hires people of the same race, and that these people in turn do the same. Isn't that a racist social structure, and aren't the people who are part of that business acting racist?
Or what about a social structure that exists right now: affirmative action. The express purpose of affirmative action is to discriminate in favor of minorities. Doesn't that make it a racist social structure and those who participate in it racist? Or is it somehow acceptable if the intentions behind the social structure are good? But if that's the case, whose place is it to decide the virtue of the intentions behind such a structure — the "open-minded?"
I completely agree with you when you say that racial discrimination is never permissible. However, I'm unclear about some of the points that you bring up concerning racism. But then, what do I know? After all, I'm probably just some closed-minded white guy.
Christian Braunlich
junior
Fisher Hall
Dec. 7
All Viewpoint Stories for Monday, December 9, 2002
