Spring Break
Letter to the Editor
Shakenya Jackson
Issue date: 10/29/03 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Editor's note - The following letter is in response to "Minority issues exaggerated," by Tim Mulcrone, which appeared in the Oct. 15 issue of the WC.
I am writing to express my continued disappointment, coupled with that of many others, with the Opinions section of Western's newspaper.
First, the affirmative action and minority discussion has gotten out of hand. One day, one set of writers writes of the woes of affirmative action, the next day another set of (black) writers dispute it. Enough is enough.
For one, I find the discussion appalling. Particularly shocking for me was your headline: Minority Issues Exaggerated. (I know, when writers get their hands on this one we'll hear more about the "thin-skinned" Blacks screaming racism without a cause, but I'll take my chances).
Perhaps, this is really a conservative paper and there are politics that need to be advanced in the paper and no one has informed me; that I might understand.
But to be a paper that represents this university, which consists of various under-represented minorities in this country, one would imagine that there would be some type of tact when dealing with sensitive issues. There is none, or maybe I'm mistaken.
This paper would've never printed the headline, "Gay issues exaggerated," or "Women just need to get over it," yet "Minority issues exaggerated," was deemed okay? Seems something like a double standard.
I do understand that this was printed in an opinion section but it missed the mark and flew right on over into the inflammatory statement section.
By printing that headline in particular you lend to credence to the fact that a majority has a right to assert the "privilege" of never having to understand other cultures.
By simply being the majority, you can simply ignore the minority or claim that they're just "thin-skinned" or simply too quick to pull the race card.
I just wish I had the privilege to open my campus newspaper and not be insulted by a barrage of misinformation, misinterpretation, and marginalization of minority issues.
Now that I have gotten this off my chest, maybe I can be a better news writer.
I am writing to express my continued disappointment, coupled with that of many others, with the Opinions section of Western's newspaper.
First, the affirmative action and minority discussion has gotten out of hand. One day, one set of writers writes of the woes of affirmative action, the next day another set of (black) writers dispute it. Enough is enough.
For one, I find the discussion appalling. Particularly shocking for me was your headline: Minority Issues Exaggerated. (I know, when writers get their hands on this one we'll hear more about the "thin-skinned" Blacks screaming racism without a cause, but I'll take my chances).
Perhaps, this is really a conservative paper and there are politics that need to be advanced in the paper and no one has informed me; that I might understand.
But to be a paper that represents this university, which consists of various under-represented minorities in this country, one would imagine that there would be some type of tact when dealing with sensitive issues. There is none, or maybe I'm mistaken.
This paper would've never printed the headline, "Gay issues exaggerated," or "Women just need to get over it," yet "Minority issues exaggerated," was deemed okay? Seems something like a double standard.
I do understand that this was printed in an opinion section but it missed the mark and flew right on over into the inflammatory statement section.
By printing that headline in particular you lend to credence to the fact that a majority has a right to assert the "privilege" of never having to understand other cultures.
By simply being the majority, you can simply ignore the minority or claim that they're just "thin-skinned" or simply too quick to pull the race card.
I just wish I had the privilege to open my campus newspaper and not be insulted by a barrage of misinformation, misinterpretation, and marginalization of minority issues.
Now that I have gotten this off my chest, maybe I can be a better news writer.
Be the first to comment on this story