racism at its finest
 

Did you get past the title or did you actually read the article?

I wonder if a scholarship specifically for a white person would fly?

I read the article. Thanks for asking. They are going to reword the application more clearly. The scholarship is meant for a person of color. That's racist.

Whats worse is its a scholarship from the Martin Luther King Senior Citizens Club. I may have my facts wrong but King was after racial equality. I wonder what he would think of this. Much respect to the kid though. I have a feeling this may work out even greater in his favor because of the way he handled himself.

Maybe I stated my question wrong in thinking that you were thinking that the kid was racist. I can see where you are coming from with that statement but people giving money away seem to get away with any degree of whatever they want to who gets the money.

Even though it's legal. It's still racist.

I feel a big can of worms is about to get opened here and I could go on all day about this.


BTW are there any black people on here that wakeboard?

Race is a weird topic in America and to say it's all koombya and worked out and people are poeple... well, that's just not the case.

How do I know? The President is biraical but considered "black." How come?

Back to the scholarship... racist? Hmm. Generally speaking racism involves both a separation of cultures and the belief that ones race is the superior race. Is chinatown racist? K-town? Indian reservations (trick Q, that one)? Just because groups remain culturally and racially distinct doesn't *necessarily* make them "racist." Immigrant groups have a long tradition of not fully assimilating in the US.

The Q about an "all white" scholarship is an interesting one. This is the closest I could find in eight seconds of googling, but I'm sure there are more: http://sonsofconfederateveterans.blo...olarships.html

I think it's a bigger issue of what's PC. You can't just say anything you want without someone getting offended for no reason and threatening to sue. It's a messed up system that'll never please everyone.

"I read the article. Thanks for asking. They are going to reword the application more clearly. The scholarship is meant for a person of color. That's racist."

How so? There are scholarships for every type of ethnicity. There are scholarships solely for women. There are scholarships for Engineering majors, is that a slight at the non-Engineering majors? Cliff, you can start a scholarship yourself and choose to award it to any group or person you desire. So now we can dictate how groups choose to spend their money?

who said anything about dictating?
I think things ought to be based on merit not skin color.

Like I mentioned earlier, there are scholarships awarded on factors other than merit. There are scholarships available for children of US servicemen/women killed in combat. I guess that is wrong since these scholarships are being awarded "based not solely on merit"?

Even though the scholarship is based on race, no one should be allowed to dictate the qualifications of the scholarship if it is private money. On the other hand, I cannot imagine the Rainbow Collation sitting still for a "whites" only scholarship. IMHO, the family did the better thing by returning the money.

I would think that military service is a merit. If it is awarded only to the black families of those that died in service, then it is racist and I am against it.
King wanted people to be judged on the content of their character, not the color of their skin
I agree

THIS JUST IN: The world isn't fair and sometimes private individuals band together to spend their money in a way that they believe could correct some of that injustice. If Cliff doesn't agree with how you want to spend your money, you may be a racist.

Dude, if you don't like it, don't apply for the "racist" scholarship. Nobody is forcing you to. And nobody is forcing these private individuals to fund this scholarship either. If they want to have a scholarship for Iranian midgets or Korean break dancers, what's it to you?

How do you distinguish this from any scholarship where ancestry is a prerequisite, like the sons of the confederacy scholarship I linked to above (where you have to prove an ancestor fought for the south)?

I think the thing that troubles most people when this comes up is that if there was a white only scholarship how much of an up-roar that would cause. Yet this scenario is completely ok.

shawndoggy
I wasn't calling anyone who supports this a racist. So if you are of the mindset that one race of people OWE another race something, then that's up to you. I don't happen to think that way.
i never said that people/organization can't put their money where they want

I was just pointing out that where there is special/preferential treatment of an individual or group based on race, it is racist.

live like you want, call me names, it's your right. But that won't change the fact that a scholarship based on race is racist

And others are correct, if this were reversed, there would be an uproar. I for one, am tired of the double standard

oh boy......I can hear it now on that one

So where is this uproar over the scholarship I linked to? Go to the daughters of the American revolution's website... their are plenty of scholarships for women. Sexist? I'm just curious that what gets your goat as being racist is a scholarship that is intended to go to a non-white rather than a white student. Why don't scholarships for Italian Americans spark you up?

I never said anyone owes anyone anything. I said that if someone thinks that they should use their money to privately endow a scholarship, they are free to put their money there. Their choice.

Now, OF COURSE it doesn't mean that you can't call everyone out on it. You certainly have the right to do that too, to the extent you disagree.

Did I call you names (other than disagree with your point of view)? I don't think so, but if I did, my apologies.

"I was just pointing out that where there is special/preferential treatment of an individual or group based on race, it is racist."

So I guess the governments of Alabama and Arizona, where Hispanics receive "special/preferential treatment", are racists. Why not fight for that cause? Again, a group or person can offer a scholarship to whoever they want. You only choose to address the case of an African-American scholarship, whereas I have mentioned just a couple of examples from different groups of people. Maybe next time you acuse someone of racism, you should look into the mirror first.

Here Cliff;

http://abcnews.go.com/US/nonprofit-s...6#.T9kX2Y7PW20

http://laist.com/2011/09/09/study_sh...re_getting.php

thanks Jeremy for calling me a racist.

perhaps next time I will list examples of all of the different examples from every race.

I would like to think that we as a people, are moving towards a time where we aren't asked about our race. Possibly a time when a kid can apply for a scholarship and he/she gets it without those giving even knowing his/race.

That was the main point that I was trying to make....poorly done I guess.

I don't think that that makes ME the racist
and yes, I do have a problem with a whitey only scholarship.

I could state that 1+1=2 and you would argue with me......

oh, and the issues in Arizona are about illegal immigration. I have a problem with that no matter where they migrate from.
If you think that is about race, then you certainly can't look past the trees to see the forest

^Cliff, the last sentence of my post was out of line and I apologize. That last sentence was more of like a "He who casts the first stone" analogy, but I realize that it didn't come across as that.

If I want to use my own money to provide a scholarship for a 2 headed china men, I have the right to do that. Same if I want to give it to an African American. Although I think equality for all is a good thing, Liberals have taken it so far down the wrong path it will never come back. Listen up, it doesn't matter how long we live, how many debates we have, or how educated we get, racism will never die.

Humans are born with a problem, it's called sin and nothing and I mean nothing will every change the state of a mans heart a part from Christ. Laugh at it, get mad at it do what you want with it but it is the absolute truth. Mans feeble attempts at fixing the worlds problems usually end in making them worse.

So while this scholarship may seem to have racist overtones, we don't know the intent of the person or group behind it. Maybe a black man over came poverty and went to college and made something out of himself. Now he or she has decided to help other African Americans do the same. Maybe it was born out of racial bias, the fact is we don't know how it originated or what birthed it. I do admire the kid for giving the money back though, classy move.

That's pretty fatalistic and downright silly. God didn't give us shoes, glasses, or dentistry in the bible as far as I know. And those are some human attempts at fixing man's problems that have been pretty successful.

And the fact that we can now debate whether racism is over in America suggests that we can get better at fixing some problems.

But if what you're saying is that there are always gonna be haters, and haters gonna hate... well, yeah, I agree.

I've sat here at the keyboard trying to formulate a response to the various comments in this post. My original thought was to describe events in my life and those close to me. My wife is Japanese and her grandfather and uncles were in the Hawaiian cane fields when the Zeros flew over them on their way to Pearl Harbor. They, along with relatives in California were put into camps and treated rather poorly.

I had the priviledge of visiting and interviewing these men on film before they passed away......

I digress

I guess what I'm getting at is..
I regret starting this post
I've read and reread the entire thing a few times and have humbley concluded that perhaps I do need to examine why it is I feel the way that I do about certain events that take place where race is involved. Everyone on here has posted some great observations (on both sides of the issue). I appretiate that.

Overall, I can say without pause, that generally I'm not a racist person. But,there are actions from those, however, that really push my double stardards red flag button.

Jeremy, thanks for the apology. I appreciated that

Good stuff Cliff. If you ever get the chance to visit Manzanar, you should. It'd probably mean a lot to you.

Cliff, for what it's worth, at one time only whites were given scholarships, so what seems a double standard is in reaction to what happened a long time ago. IMHO, economics is a big factor in creating discrimination and prejudice, so as the money available for an education becomes less and less, more people will become concerned about equal distribution. I liked the post.

I think everyone should remove their heads from their rectal areas and get over it.

I volunteer to host a multiracial un-bunching of panties.

That's right economics is a big factor. That's why the Asian store owners were burned out during the Rodney King rights because we all know Asians are born rich when the immigrate to the US to fight the hard fight making a honest living and doing it without the hand out. Though economics situation helps it is not a absolute in success and what a person decides what is successful for themselves. I see it more and more used as a excuse for poor behavior and choices than anything. Many who claim to be poor have a opportunity to join the military and make money. There are grants for school, cheap loans and when getting started in your career, you have to many times swallow your pride and do the hard job to get started. There is very little excuse for probably 80% or more of the able bodied youth to have some sort of economic success. It is a excuse to not make the right choices or to be prideful.