Blog 14: Language Police Analysis 3/5/17

Blog 12: Bad Language Analysis 02/05/17

Blog 11: Affirmative Action 1/15/17

Affirmative action was first implemented to combat the segregation of minorities in the education and work forces. It was a sort of compensation for the years of inequality and discrimination. Considering what the goal of affirmative action was originally, I think it was accomplished successfully. The percentages of women and minorities in universities and companies has grown over the years, with positions being held specifically for these applicants. I think the current day argument is ironic and outdated. While the intent is pure, it upholds the idea that race separates human beings. While race is definitely crucial to one's identity, it should not be what makes or breaks an application or resume. It is not something that should either bring benefits or take them away. The idea of being "just" and for "equal opportunity" shouldn't be rooted in a set percentage of applicants being of that minority. That is just grazing what the real problem is, and that is the enormous gap in socio-economic status. The socio-economic status is what needs to be at the core of affirmative action. Affirmative action should provide opportunity in a holistic approach, taking in students with various backgrounds but providing appropriate funding for those students. There are millions of aspiring young adults in impoverished areas of the world that just don't have the network nor means to fulfill their potential. Providing scholarships to students like these will help sow the gap between minorities and majorities. There will also be no more arguments against affirmative action that state minorities who are put into a position amongst others who have had opportunities their whole lives might feel like they are not good enough, since these students would be just as bright as their peers. I liked what Morgan Freeman responded when asked how do we end racism. He said, "Stop talking about it." The emphasis on race and nothing else shines a spotlight that isn't going anywhere. The real problem is an increase in tuition and a decrease in the affordability for low-income students who just need the right push. While some action is needed, it is not the affirmative action that we know connotatively. The new understanding should be an equal opportunity for all students despite background, not a "special spot" for a lucky minority who might just be there for the statistic. That is demeaning.

Blog 10: Winter Break Assignment 1/3/2017

The question of whether oppressed groups can reclaim a word deemed racist intrigued me and instantaneously brought me to the subject of the N word. As a white man, I have very little insight as to what this word means today for the black community. I don't regard myself as someone who has the right to say it, or the right to argue it shouldn't be said.  The word has become prominent in stand-up comedy, music, specifically rap and hip-hop, and everyday speech. I have heard it countlessly in the halls of Midwood, from one African-American to another, in a way that suggests no threat or negative connotation but as a substitute for a greeting or companionship. I have heard it over and over in the songs that have dominated today's top music lists. I have read it all over Facebook and I have also become desensitized to seeing it, however, nowhere near desensitized as African Americans who have endured a long and brutal history with this word. There is an entire interactive project on washingtonpost.com dealing with the debate. Everyone knows the origin of the word, in the times of severe oppression, slavery, and hate towards blacks. Nowadays, except for cases with an intention of actual hate, the term seems to be thrown around almost like any other. I have seen white people saying it, among every other race and color. An article on PBS.org states, "Some claim that the word can be defused through reclaiming it." The once very racist word can be seen as a a neutral word with a connotation of unity and camaraderie when used amongst the black community, given that it is used with an -a rather than an -er. I think it is really interesting that just the last letter or two of a word can completely reverse the connotation from negative to neutral-positive. I think that it is something that should be talked about, but as a white man, I do not know if I am the one who has a right to ask, given the circumstances to how the word was first used. I have questions that I would love answered, but I don't know if now is the time to find the answers. Is it fair for the older generations to hear this word, who have endured actual hate with this word? Should it be normalized within cultures and continue to be used so heavily in social contexts? Does it still hold an invisible barrier between the races and continue to divide people in a time when unity is crucial? Does it provide strength for the black community? Given that many black communities are still facing discrimination in social and economic factors, if America can actually achieve 100% equal opportunity for all races, will this word disappear?