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White People and the "Diversity Olympics"

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DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#126: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:34:41 AM

@KCK: There's more than just the two of us. Also the assumption of "White people are privileged" is especially detrimental to those that are living in poverty. As I pointed out earlier, there are special funds set aside to help minorities get into college, but none for whites. If someone were to promote a White College Fund, people would be up in arms about racism, but things like The United Negro College Fund and The Hispanic Scholarship Fund are seen as something that's needed.

There are no mechanisms in place to make sure that I'm not being denied jobs because I'm white and therefore viewed as trailer trash, neither are there any ways for me to complain about discrimination that I've faced because my race "has what's coming to me". I can't speak my mind about things like issues concerning the US border, because I'm white and therefore hate Hispanics. And so on.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#127: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:36:14 AM

Well, as Jethro just pointed out on the previous page, there's more than one kind of privilege.

As I pointed out earlier, there are special funds set aside to help minorities get into college, but none for whites. If someone were to promote a White College Fund, people would be up in arms about racism, but things like The United Negro College Fund and The Hispanic Scholarship Fund are seen as something that's needed.

Minority college funds exist to compensate for the disproportionate amount of whites in colleges as compared to other ethnic groups. A "White College Fund" would just be redundant, as all the non-minority college funds are in a sense white college funds.

edited 26th Feb '11 11:40:18 AM by Wicked223

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
drunkscriblerian Street Writing Man from Castle Geekhaven Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: In season
Street Writing Man
#128: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:38:23 AM

To elaborate more on privilege. White privilege is not the only one. There is male privilege. There is class privilege, there's ability privilege, sexuality privilege, look privilege, age privilege.

The assumption in our (American/European) society is a healthy, middle class white heterosexual male. Deviating from the norm means lacking privilege. It means you are less liekly to be treated as an individual, and more as a member of whichever minority you belong to.

Okay, now that I'll buy. I got lost in Harlem once, and from that I got a pretty good idea of how a black guy in the Northwest must feel...looking up and down ten blocks and not seeing a single person that looked like me anywhere. Suddenly I was the minority.

But there are assumptions regarding the "norm" as well that aren't entirely true, and it seems there's a pervasive attitude that its "okay" to stereotype the majority and not feel bad about it. That's what I take issue with.

edited 26th Feb '11 11:38:50 AM by drunkscriblerian

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#129: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:40:01 AM

@Drunk G Because statistically more whites are able to get into colleges than minorities. Do you think that's a good thing?

@Drunk Who stereotypes white people? Other white people. What does that tell you?

edited 26th Feb '11 11:41:29 AM by KCK

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
JethroQWalrustitty OG Troper from Finland Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
OG Troper
#130: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:40:44 AM

If someone were to promote a White College Fund, people would be up in arms about racism, but things like The United Negro College Fund and The Hispanic Scholarship Fund are seen as something that's needed.

Because statistically there are more poor black people and more poor hispanic people than there are poor white people. There are scholarships that help white students as well, but on avarage, a white student is less likely to need financial assitance.

On avarage. Statistically. This isn't about individual cases, it's about the grand scheme of things.

the statement above is false
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#131: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:45:51 AM

Minority college funds exist to compensate for the disproportionate amount of whites in colleges as compared to other ethnic groups. A "White College Fund" would just be redundant, as all the non-minority college funds are in a sense white college funds.

Because statistically more whites are able to get into colleges than minorities. Do you think that's a good thing?

Again, I disagree. My college classes had more minorities in them than white people.

Also, I call shenanigans on the concept that other scholarships are "white" scholarships. I would vastly prefer to absolve any hispanic/black/gay/genderqueer specific college funds in favor of funds that are granted on an academic basis. It's less bigoted that way.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#132: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:47:43 AM

@Drunk G How do you know it would be less biased? It's not as if those specific scholarships are just given out, they have to be qualified for just like any other kind of scholarship.

Also, your case = not the majority stance, but nice try though.

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
JethroQWalrustitty OG Troper from Finland Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
OG Troper
#133: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:48:07 AM

it seems there's a pervasive attitude that its "okay" to stereotype the majority and not feel bad about it.

Top-down vs. bottom-up prejudice are very different. When the majority/hegemony  *

discriminates against a minority, it has more power than when the minority exludes the majority.

the statement above is false
drunkscriblerian Street Writing Man from Castle Geekhaven Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: In season
Street Writing Man
#134: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:49:36 AM

@Jethro: Morally speaking, its no different. And bottom-up discrimination just helps to feed the cycle.

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#135: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:51:22 AM

@Drunk Who said anything about morals? Besides, how often does "bottom-down" discrimination effect the majority as a whole?

I'm not advocating minorities mistreating members of the majority, I'm just saying.

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#136: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:51:56 AM

@KCK: It's biased because it's done to the exclusion of other groups. Saying "Only black people can apply for this scholarship" is really no different than saying "Only white people can apply for this scholarship". Having a race/creed neutral scholarship fund that's directed at people below the poverty line would both provide funding to those that need it, while not being bigoted.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#137: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:51:59 AM

Again, I disagree. My college classes had more minorities in them than white people.

Maybe that's because of minority scholarships instead of in spite of them?

Also what KCK said.

Also, I call shenanigans on the concept that other scholarships are "white" scholarships. I would vastly prefer to absolve any hispanic/black/gay/genderqueer specific college funds in favor of funds that are granted on an academic basis. It's less bigoted that way.

The idea is, people of minority status will have decreased access to good education as compared to the majority, regardless of the intelligence level of the minority in question.

And there are plenty of financial need-based scholarships, just as there are minority scholarship.

edited 26th Feb '11 11:54:05 AM by Wicked223

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
MRDA1981 Tyrannicidal Maniac from Hell (London), UK. Since: Feb, 2011
Tyrannicidal Maniac
#138: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:52:36 AM

The notion that racism = prejudice + power = the biggest load of bollocks I've had the misfortune to encounter.

Enjoy the Inferno...
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#139: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:55:16 AM

@Drunk G ...would you get rid of the ones that are for left-handed people or people who are twins too? Or for people from certain states?

@MRDA Racism begets more racism, and the consequences of those actions must be dealt with.

edited 26th Feb '11 11:56:19 AM by KCK

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
Usht Lv. 3 Genasi Wizard from an arbitrary view point. Since: Feb, 2011
Lv. 3 Genasi Wizard
#140: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:56:12 AM

You know, I have a sneaking suspicion I only made it into college because I'm Hispanic and thanks to that scholarship I got because I'm Hispanic.

I'd probably be paid to go to college if I was female and black African American.

The thing about making witty signature lines is that it first needs to actually be witty.
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#141: Feb 26th 2011 at 11:57:01 AM

The idea is, people of minority status will have decreased access to good education as compared to the majority, regardless of the intelligence level of the minority in question.

And you don't see the issue with restricting majority access just because they're the majority? I think that college demographics (in general) should reflect the cultural demographics of the nation. Yes, there will be less Asians than whites going to college. Not because they're being discriminated against, but because they're a minority which means there's less of them.

@KCK: Yes. Favoring one person over another for aesthetic reasons in a financial way isn't really fair. Scholarships for academic achievements or people in certain income brackets are. I can understand granting financial aid to people who are going to college outside their home state, because non-resident college fees are a LOT higher.

edited 26th Feb '11 12:00:56 PM by DrunkGirlfriend

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#142: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:01:13 PM

And you don't see the issue with restricting majority access just because they're the majority?

How does the very existence of minority scholarships restricts your ability to access a non-minority scholarship?

I think that college demographics (in general) should reflect the cultural demographics of the nation. Yes, there will be less Asians than whites going to college. Not because they're being discriminated against, but because they're a minority which means there's less of them.

That only works if you assume that minorities have equal opportunity to enter college as the majority, which I've yet to see in practice.

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
Usht Lv. 3 Genasi Wizard from an arbitrary view point. Since: Feb, 2011
Lv. 3 Genasi Wizard
#143: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:04:33 PM

How does the very existence of minority scholarships restricts your ability to access a non-minority scholarship?

The sheer number of them on the market compared to the number of non-minority scholarships on the market. More so, the one's that aren't minority are for people in general, because I have yet to see someone with a "Whites only scholarhsip". Due to this, the supply is rather lacking for middle class white kids, meaning that much less of them can afford to go to college due to the current middle class crunch.

edited 26th Feb '11 12:04:53 PM by Usht

The thing about making witty signature lines is that it first needs to actually be witty.
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#144: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:07:23 PM

@Usht I didn't see very many minority scholarships when I was doing my search. You know what's funny? Most of those scholarships aren't even for schools where the main demographic is white!

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#145: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:08:12 PM

In that case, there should be non-minority scholarships made available, but they don't need to be made specifically for whites./

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#146: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:09:52 PM

What Usht said. Minorities can access both their minority-specific fund as well as the other general purpose funds. I remember that being a very large sore spot for me, because I had a hard time getting enough funding to go to college, while if I had been a minority, there were dozens of other funds and scholarships I could have applied for.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
JethroQWalrustitty OG Troper from Finland Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
OG Troper
#147: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:10:28 PM

The notion that racism = prejudice + power = the biggest load of bollocks I've had the misfortune to encounter.

Why?

the statement above is false
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#148: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:11:47 PM

@Drunk G Did you research the minority scholarships? Most of them are for very specific colleges, so they probably would not have helped you at all.

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#149: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:15:31 PM

@KCK: When I did a search for the college I was going to, there was quite a bit. Then again, this was several years ago, so things are probably a bit different. I do remember the frustration of looking at all of the scholarships I couldn't apply for because of my race, and trying to face the very real concept of not being able to afford college.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
SpainSun Laugh it off, everybody from Somewhere Beyond Here Since: Jan, 2010
Laugh it off, everybody
#150: Feb 26th 2011 at 12:17:46 PM

I've had much the same problem actually.

On the other hand (Literally) I can get a scholarship for being left-handed. Yay?

I spread my wings and I learn how to fly....

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