Too stupid to exist, part III

Part I

Part II

Part III: A teacher at UCSD gives his opinion:

It seems to me that while it’s clear that this is quite potentially offensive, the language that was used, just responding to some of the things that were said already on the program, the language that was read is not something that these students wrote. They just copied and pasted it from a popular website called Urban Dictionary… which, you know, the definition’s there of terms like ghetto chick, go ahead and look it up yourself. A lot of these definitions on the Urban Dictionary are over the top and designed to be, you know, sort of offensive, shock humor, and I think that, you know, clearly they’re appropriating cultural stereotypes that are portrayed in the mass media, on MTV and comedy shows in the past 20 years and, you know, they’re doing it in a spirit of, you know, albeit misguided but in a spirit of fun. It was a party, in fact, not a protest of Black History Month. I think it was a mistake. We should view it in that light. And rather than sort of accusing them of racism and sexism and hate, I mean, hate is clearly the wrong word, I can’t imagine –

Got that? They didn’t write original racism, they copied and pasted it!  As such, it doesn’t count. Also, it was just in a “spirit of fun.” Which just proves my point that racism is often considered “fun” for white people. Even when it’s about the suicide of Asian Americans.  How can you accuse them of racism and sexism and hate?

So what should we do about it?  Why, we should slap offenders with a wet noodle! 

How we learn

Last weekend I attended a school performance of little kids. I tried really hard to enjoy it.

Except.

Except I couldn’t help noticing that almost all of the featured children were white. And one blonde white girl who was given a solo was one of the worst singers I’ve ever heard. It reminded me of that old joke about how we’ll know we have achieved equality when we’re allowed to be mediocre.

The show was nominally about multiculturalism. Isn’t it grand? Although as Restructure! has pointed out, multiculturalism is not the same as anti-racism. In fact, the white conception of “multiculturalism” often promotes and furthers racism by denying its existence. 

Noose found at Geisel Library

Source.  But there’s no racism at UCSD.

Edited to add:  A female student admitted to hanging the noose and has been suspended.  The University is not releasing her name or the name of the people who assisted her.

Eight years

He was coming home from church. With him in the car was his pregnant wife, his daughter and two other relatives (news articles from the time report father and brother or father-in-law and brother-in-law).

He tested negative for drugs or alcohol. He has no criminal history. He was not on a cell phone at the time.

His car plowed into another at a busy intersection, and two people died. A child in the car was seriously injured and died a year and a half later. It was estimated that his car was traveling between 70-90 miles per hour.

He is now serving eight years for vehicular homicide. His name is Koua Fong Lee.  He was driving a 1996 Toyota Camry. Some of the 1996 Camrys had been recalled due to a problem with the cruise control that caused “unexpected acceleration.”

Now Lee’s new attorney wants the case reopened.

Because they’re humanitarians

They can take the children and run.

But for 12 of the children, last month’s airlift transported them from one uncertain predicament to another. As it turns out, those children — between 11 months and 10 years old — were not in the process of being adopted, might not all even be orphans and are living in a juvenile care center here while the authorities determine whether they have relatives in Haiti who are able to take care of them.

Justification?

When asked what he had done to persuade the administration to grant an exception for the 12 children, Mr. Rendell said in a phone interview, “I don’t know how it happened, but I didn’t ask a lot of questions, and if you had seen the faces of those children as we loaded them onto the airplane, you wouldn’t have asked a lot of questions, either.”

Several administration officials who spoke at length about the rescue effort suggested that they were led by their hearts.

Yes.

In  a previous post, I noted that diverse legislators expressed their concern about the “Compton Cookout.” They included members from the Latino, Asian Pacific Islander, gay and women’s caucuses.  Hopefully because we know we’re all in this together.   If you watch the protest videos, you’ll note that there appear to be a few East and South Asians and one white guy in the crowd.

Here are a few more reasons to have some hope:

Dr. Jody Blanco addressing the Filipino community and friends:

They are our kababayan, whether they know it or not. In the past, African-Americans have historically fought for our rights to self-determination, both in the Philippines and in the United States. Whether we, or our parents, know it or not, we owe a great debt to them: both directly and indirectly, through the ways we have benefited from their pioneering struggles and sufferings. It is time to begin repaying that debt.

The Department of Ethnic Studies:

As faculty and graduate students in the Ethnic Studies Department at UC-San Diego, we unequivocally condemn the February 15th off-campus party, dubbed the “Compton Cookout,” as an example of racist, classist and misogynist stereotyping that degrades Black people through disparaging representations of so-called “African American culture.” Like similar events thrown on college and university campuses across the United States, this “theme party” in one quick, broad stroke reduced the complex lived experience of a heterogeneous racialized community to a caricatured depiction of cultural deviancy. All the more troubling, this particular themed party was intentionally organized to mock ongoing celebrations of African American History month in the U.S. and specifically here at UC San Diego.

The Japanese American Citizens League:

The JACL is outraged by the shocking lack of judgment and racial insensitivity displayed by the students who organized and participated in this event. Whatever the intent of the hosts, racially themed parties serve only to perpetuate derogatory and demeaning stereotypes while alienating students of color.

It is appalling to find that a group of students participated in what can only be described as a pattern of racist behavior in the planning and coordination of this event.

Twenty grand a year

And what do they have to show?

So some UCSD students decide to “honor” Black History Month by holding a “Compton Cookout” party.  How do other UCSD students respond?

The campus television station belittles those protesting the racism of the party.  One broadcaster uses the term “ungrateful n*ggers.”

A Facebook group is started to protest the protest. It is adorned with a red circle and a slash over the words “bigdeal” [sic]. Undoubtedly protesting “bigdeals.” Yeah, we never said UCSD students were all that bright.

Another student publicizes “Compton Cookout Part Deux:  First Ammendment Pride.” (Mike Randazzo, your parents must be very proud.)

I haven’t seen the campus broadcast yet, so no in-depth analysis will be offered.  Hopefully, the use of the racial slur speaks for itself.  As for “ungrateful,” regular readers probably already have an idea of what I think about the term.  So I won’t rehash other than to say that expecting me to be grateful for something that should be available to all (whether it be the chance to earn a living, an education, a roof over my head or whatever) is inherently racist and implies that I owe somebody.  You know, a superior somebody.  Thank you for your kindness!  I surely do appreciate it!

And reading Facebook gives me facepalm and lowers my IQ, so I had to close my browser quickly before I could risk the mensa membership or something.

As for the “Compton Cookout Part Deux:  First Ammendment Pride,” the whole text follows at the end of this post.  It’s a masterful piece and I will try my best to provide a thorough and complete translation.  Here goes:

Maybe I’m having a stroke

I burst out in song. And it was a Carpenters’ tune. Stranger yet, it was in Dutch. I cannot recall ever hearing the song in Dutch. However I do know several hundred words in Dutch as a result of intensive study with language tapes.

If you suddenly can’t understand me, please call 911. This of course assumes that you understood me in the first place.

That is all.

I know.

According to the date stamp on the file, I wrote this in 2003.  I forgot all about it.  I found it while I was looking for something else.  I wasn’t even sure it was mine until I read one particular part.

My brain allows me to forget.  Otherwise I might get no sleep.

Trigger warning.

February 19, 1942

Executive Order No. 9066

The President

Executive Order

Authorizing the Secretary of War to Prescribe Military Areas

Whereas the successful prosecution of the war requires every possible protection against espionage and against sabotage to national-defense material, national-defense premises, and national-defense utilities as defined in Section 4, Act of April 20, 1918, 40 Stat. 533, as amended by the Act of November 30, 1940, 54 Stat. 1220, and the Act of August 21, 1941, 55 Stat. 655 (U.S.C., Title 50, Sec. 104);