Discriminator

Today in my Education class, I led the discussion on convergent (questions with just one right answer.  They typically begin with --who, what, when etc.) questions v. divergent (questions with multiple answers such as what were the causes of the Revolutionary War) questions.  After my presentation, the professor (who is never satisfied with student responses and always feels the need to add 10 or 15 minutes worth of explanation to a student answer) felt the need to go around the room and have each student ask a convergent question and a divergent question which pertained to the student's field of study. 

One student, a fellow Social Studies Ed. major, used (something close to) the following divergent question:  "What are some elements of discrimination today and have you ever experience discrimination?"  The following (paraphrased as accurately as possible) dialogue ensued:

Teacher:  Excellent question!  That would certainly bring about a multitude of responses.  Just for curiosity, how many of you feel that you have, at some point, been discriminated against?

Students: (One or two students put their hands up.  Mine remains down, though technically I suppose I am discriminated against on the basis that I am one of the few vocal Republicans on campus.)

Teacher: Well, we won't go into personal stories, but I can see that it's only the females who put their hands up.  That's good.  Terry, Jeff, Paul and Randall couldn't really put their hands up as they--and myself--are white men and therefore we aren't discriminated against, we are, instead, the discriminator.

While historically white men may be the biggest culprits, it just seems to me that this statement was totally uncalled for, unprofessional and unneeded.  I don't discriminate against anyone based on group stereotypes.  That is, I don't look at a black man and say, "Oh he's stupid because he's black" or "he's lazy because he's black."  Now, if I meet a lazy black woman who is stupid I might say, "she's a stupid, lazy woman."  Does that mean I'm racist?  Sexist? By definition no, it just means I have identified a stupid women who is black.  Will I be perceived  racist or discriminatory?  Oh, I'd say it's safe to be that I would be.  I'm sure it would be met with something hateful that might go something like this: "Take that back.  You are a racist republican bigot.  Go to hell you fascist Nazi pig."

Today's Moral: In the past I've used this sort of format to express what I see as lessons learned from life.  It's applicable today, so I'll use it again.  If we can learn anything from this, it is that discrimination is something which can, if not through definition than through practice, only be exhibited by whites, specifically white, male, straight Christians.  These are the bad, evil ones who can say nothing--regardless of how true the statement might be--about anyone but themselves. Simply because I was born white, male and straight and because I have chosen to be Christian, I have some sort of unfair privilege and should therefore carry some sort of "white-man's guilt" that can never be over come.  There is a professor on this campus who is infamous for saying, "I can't be racist, I'm black."  That, unfortunately, is the sad mentality of many blacks, feminists and members of other minorities. It is only when this mentality is overcome that we shall achieve the equality whom these folks so vigorously claim as their sole purpose in life.  I don't know that I'll live to see it...

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