Do you have a 4.0 grade point average? Have you received A’s on every assignment since high school? Are you the president or a member of numerous prestigious clubs and organizations on campus? Do you also hate minorities? Yes? Congratulations, you’re a moron.
A note: this was not the intended topic for my first column of the year. And no, I did not choose this topic because I had to rush to meet a deadline and bigotry is something we can all agree is bad. No, I woke up Tuesday morning floating numerous topics in my head until I both witnessed and heard a first-hand account of two egregious, disgusting acts of bigotry that I won’t dignify by describing in these pages.
It’s frustrating that individuals with such an utterly inferior mindset still walk around this, or any other, campus. One would think that at an institution for higher education people would, you know, actually be well informed. Sadly, it seems some of our supposed future captains of industry are deficient and completely lacking in education.
Maybe we’ve been going about this whole fight against prejudice the wrong way. We have essentially pitied those ignorant enough to believe themselves superior to other races, believing that if they just simply knew the Truth they would see the error of their ways. It seems now the only real solution is to ostracize them (that means to expel from a community or group, for the bigots following along at home).
I say that because in today’s world of unprecedented interconnectivity, there is simply no excuse for being ignorant. Even if you were unfortunate enough to be raised devoid of contact with others, in a home where everyone thought you were superior for literally no other reason than being born a certain color, you can still get an education; but you have to start by admitting you don’t know everything.
For those familiar with the Bible, Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Knowledge is the same way – if you truly want to be educated, to be an intelligent and productive member of society, you will find knowledge, even if it is through simple introspection.
Bigotry is lazy; if one could personify it, it would be a 500 pound man sitting on his couch eating Funyuns while watching the Biggest Loser and wondering why anyone would ever want to work that hard.
I cannot understand the thought processes (excuse me, process – clearly there is no lateral thinking going on) behind the notion that Person A is one way, Person B is the other, therefore person A is superior. Unless you ask Person B.
I apologize to those of you out there reading this who agree with me. Until this past Tuesday I didn’t think this was something people had to actually be told. Of course, the target audience probably got distracted by something shiny after the first paragraph so if you made it this far, thanks for reading; I’ll see you next week.
To the persons who committed the acts in question: I do not know you, but I know enough about you. I know you’re at our university, so you can write, answer standardized questions and interview well. You’re also ignorant. Maybe tests say you’re intelligent, so you’re the worst kind of person – someone who squanders the greatest of gifts by being selfish and lazy.
You’re a thief. You take from the community while contributing nothing. If you were charitable, you’d give up your spot in class and perhaps a scholarship to someone who deserved to be here – someone seeking to know more and to build a better world thereby.
No, I don’t know who you are, but you can’t hide. Life will find you and give you the rewards you deserve.
John Davis is a junior majoring in righteous indignation.
