Qualities of a Mate

APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) Female: I just don't find Asian men attractive.

Me: Oh, really?

Female: Yeah, they aren't assertive enough.

Such a beautiful day: blue, clear skies, and a cool breeze. Too bad that it's tainted by this firing line published in the Daily Texan today. Read below:

-dar

Eliminate Black History Month

The concept of diversity can be a good thing. It enables people to take a look at others' differences, experience new things and ultimately allows us all to get a real sense of the human experience. However, I believe there are times when diversity, taken to its extreme, degenerates into bigotry and racism. This brings me to the issue of Black History Month.

I'll be blunt. Black History Month is indicative of a blatant racial double-standard, bestowing preferential treatment to one group of people on the sole basis of their color. Why should blacks have a month that caters to them on the sole basis of their race when every other ethnic group here on campus is denied the same? Shouldn't black history be inclusive to the American experience as a whole? Are black achievements somehow superior to those of other ethnic groups? I think Morgan Freeman said it best in a "60 Minutes" interview: "You're going to relegate my history to a month?"

Along with this month, schools around the country celebrate a cadre of black leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr., who are much too sacrosanct to have their faults pointed out. I mean, come on, who here in high school actually learned about MLK's alleged proclivities for Caucasian prostitutes or Malcolm X's extreme sense of black supremacy during his early years in the Nation of Islam? Instead, children are taught about MLK's dream and Malcolm X is portrayed as a model of First-Amendment exercise.

Blacks are the only ethnic group to have such a period of national recognition. Considering there isn't a "White History Month," "Jewish History Month," "Arab History Month" or "Indian History Month," does this mean that all these other groups are not deemed worthy? Do they not also have the right of extolling the greatness of their own people? Probably not. Being of Anglo-Saxon descent myself, if I were to propose the creation of an Anglo-Saxon History Month, I'm certain that I would be branded a hatemonger, Nazi and bigot (which I'm sure many have already prejudicially done upon reading my commentary).

It is in my honest opinion that Black History Month should be depicted for what it truly represents ­­­- racism. While I do not have a problem with anyone hating me for the color of my skin, I do, however, have issues with double standards. The only way to make it right is to simply eliminate these ethnic dichotomies and start looking at humanity as a whole.


Michael Fulton
Ancient history and classical
civilizations senior
February 5, 2007