Those of you who live in MN have probably heard about Hamline's unfortunate Halloween incident, when a few jocks and cheerleaders painted themselves black and dressed like some sort of pseudo-tribal African tribespeople. The Star Tribune recently editorialized about this and other recent racial incidents on Twin Cities campuses.
I'm supposed to care way more about this than I do; it is at times like these that I detest being an undergrad. As painful as this incident was to many, and as idiotic as these children were, I see plenty of examples of idiocy on campus each day (don't worry, I'm saving up for future blog entries). Almost as painful to witness are the well-meaning responses that have been sent campus-wide: opportunities for dialogues and healing and blah, blah, blah. I know, I'm a cynical, bad person, but I'm dealing with someone in a small group, an English major, who wrote a "ficktion" paper. I'm also aware that my parents did a great job exposing their multi-racial family to the big bad world. We at Going40 don't like to make wild generalizations, but I get the impression that perhaps some of the Hamline kiddies aren't quite so aware of the world beyond their dorm rooms (those same dorm rooms where they dress for the day in their flannel-pajama-ed best).
Twenty years ago I probably needed to learn some of these life lessons, too. And the Hamline community has been sensitive responding to this incident. But at this point in my life, I'm just a bit weary when it comes to this crap, and don't have the understanding and patience required to help the kiddies learn and grow. There are real problems in the world that need our attention and help and commitment, and racism is certainly one of them. I just wish dumb choices by even dumber kids didn't have to take up our collective energy.
2 comments:
sigh.
yeah.
because i'm dr. pangloss, i try to tell myself that bigotry and stupidity are smaller than 20 or 50 or 150 years ago, and i actually think they are. but we have persistent evidence that none of it is solved in any comprehensive fashion, anyway. maybe every generation recruits some slow-witted kids to help everybody else remember that racism and sexism and homophobia are the province of mean, dumb bigots.
and i admit to some boredom with a call for "healing," which seems like a daytime TV goal, not unlike "closure." i like the idea of reparative justice much better. lots of good ideas in that philosophy.
and by the way, i'm not actually dr. pangloss. i just like the overture to bernstein's "candide."
To my new friend Deb:
We were discussing "The Yellow Wallpaper" in class today, and somehow the topic of Rorschach tests came up. Any (professional) thoughts?
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