Daily Egyptian F02
Get over it
Dear Editor:Every day it seems that I open up the Daily Egyptian and find some article about how the African-American has to struggle to live each day in the city of Carbondale. Being a white male, I am sure that my view will be thrown to the ground before it has time to even pass through any of your minds, but I don't care. You know, believe it or not, two of my best friends in high school were African-American. My school was in majority white, with about 5 percent of minority status. I never saw my friends ever complaining about the "racial issues" that they encounter every day, and it wasn't because they didn't have problems. It's because these people broke a social barrier that unfortunately most minorities refuse to break: accepting others. Now Tommy, I read most of your articles and can tell that you are a highly intellectual person. That's why I am surprised that you waste your time trying to fix an issue, when all you are really doing is making people more angry. I don't get an article published telling all of the school about how a friend of mine was called a "cracker" by an African-American who ran into her car. I know it is hard to believe that us whites face racism too, but why do I want to complain when it is not going to help the situation? Because I understand, as unfortunate as it is, that people have their own opinions. I may not believe it is right, but saying something doesn't fix anything.
Racism is not a one-sided issue no matter what anyone wants to think. Why do people always have to link things to the 1800s? Hello, people, not sure if you've noticed, but this is 2002, and we need to live our lives in the present. There are no more plantation owners with slaves. It doesn't do any good to try and blame all race-related problems on someone. Oh, it may make you feel good to read your article and know that hundreds of other people are reading it too, but how many hundreds of people are throwing down the article just because they are sick of hearing the same old crap?
Chad Barnes
sophomore, cinema and photography
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