Has anyone ever considered that what is perceived as racism, might just be ethnocentrism? The race card is played far too often in this very liberal age we live in. Everything is a slight nowadays. Those in the spotlight are prohibited from verbal diarrhea as any inkling of a differing opinion might see their heads on a stake. I live in an extremely diverse city. Every long avenue changes to a different country as you continue to drive down it. Like it or not, many cultures segregate themselves. They actually like it. Jews like to live amongst other Jews. Asians prefer to live amongst Asians, Hispanics, and so on. Self-imposed segregation is not out of hate. It’s out of our primal instincts to be part of a tribe. So when a company owned by someone of a particular ethnicity tends to hire mostly people in their tribe, it can be seen by non-members of this tribe as racist. Forget that they may still hire outside of their culture. But so long as those getting the better positions are their brothers-in-law, cousins, friends, etc., it’s racist. Why can’t it be that they’re not hateful of others, but that they own a private business, and prefer to move up their friends? Is it necessarily right? No, it isn’t. However, it is seen all over the business world, and not necessarily in companies owned by a specific ethnicity. Nepotism happens everywhere. Look at Hollywood. If you’re the child of a big player, you get an automatic bump over the NYU School of Drama grad. Sorry, that’s reality. But lawsuits are brought against these ethnic companies all the time. I find it bogus. Racism is hatred. Not hiring someone, or promoting someone because they would rather their family hold the position is private enterprise. I don’t know about you, but when I played softball as a kid, and we had to choose teams, we chose our friends. It was never anything personal against the other kids. Business is like a grown-up game of softball- sometimes you get benched for the season, and no one gets to see what you’re made of. Instead of whining about it, either leave the team, or sit there, and enjoy your salary. You made the team, be happy.
It should also be considered that overall, this outdated, and extremely divisive practice pretty much tells minorities that they’re simply not good enough to do it on their own. We live in a country where just about everyone is accepting, with the exception of a few idiots. Practically anyone who puts in the time and effort can make it in the world. Obviously, this doesn’t count for the fact that the market is no longer strong, so jobs are harder to come by. But economics aside, if you exert yourself, you’ll likely be recognized. This practice however, is demeaning in that it undermines all of that hard work. It essentially poses the notion that minorities are not naturally good enough, nor smart enough, without the help of powers that be, they would never get by on their own merit. Affirmative action quite literally aligns minorities with the handicapped, and special needs groups. You either can, or you cannot. Color should not be a determining factor of that. Why are people not more insulted by this?
Either way, whites will be in the minority in approximately 30 years, along with many other cultures in the minority who aren’t given preferential treatment. I hope by then, we’ll have scrapped the notion of some getting ahead over others. Everyone deserves an equal chance. We may not always be chosen, but that is no reason to make accusations of hatred, unless there is a valid reason to assume otherwise. Affirmative action is inequality. It doesn’t matter how you spin it.
Marge Thompson is a New York City conservative political writer.
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