White Guys Need Not Apply (vanity)

University of Phoenix | 10/31/2001 | subterfuge

[subterfuge]

Help FReepers!

Situation: I'm taking a Diversity class and as a humble white male I was sideswiped by the revelation from the instructor and all my class mates agreed that the "good-old white-boy" network exists, which I acknowledged, and that you can't make it to the top in all upper echelon positions in business and the world unless you are white. I replied that many minorities are succeeding today and gave Condaleeza Rice, Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell and even Janet Reno (ick) as examples to which all in the room agreed that they were all tokens. I categorically rejected that in front of the whole class, which is made up of Mexican, Columbian and other South Americans. I know racism exists but seriously, can no minority make it to upper levels of power on merit?

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I need to do a presentation on anything to do with Global Diversity and I intend to do this on reverse discrimination or something else that puts what we discussed in the proper perspective for my intructor and classmates.

To me it is so obvious they are practicing reverse discrimination. To generalize about ANY race is wrong, and that is what they have done in this case.

And so as not to make myself out to be lilly white, and as I told the class, I respect all people and my life proves that. I have dozens of minority friends including Vietnamese, Puerto Rican, A-Americans, cubans and my son-in-law is from Portugal who I love, FWIW.

So, any articles you guys can post would be greatly appreciated. I'll be leaving for work, so I won't be able to reply for a bit.

Thanks in Advance

God Bless America!!!

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

I forgot to mention that I live in Latin America.

[ThinkNot]

"Make sure to take a REAL major (Science, Math, etc.) If you really like the English and History stuff, do a double major."

Absolutely good advice. I hope he listens.
And reads history, from old books, before it was re-written to conform to PC.
PC =(Pure Crap)

[KSCITYBOY]

Check out certain postal districts where you can't seem to get hired if your hispanic or white only black. Then go to any major city or metro county government and see who gets hired. You could also do extensive research on the KMCO school district. They just hired a top guy there who thinks that only black teachers can teach black kids. White teachers in this district are harrassed by black administrators and black parents.

[Rutherford]

Let me get this straight. The Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and a Justice of the Supreme Court are tokens?????

Here's a link to Walter Williams who is as he likes to say "Black by Popular Demand". Occasional guest host for Rush Limbaugh and all around good guy.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams.archives.asp

Here is one article that addresses the idea your class was expressing.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams040401.asp

Share and enjoy.

[MACVSOG68]

A lot of good ideas for you here, not including dropping the class however. I assume you need it for whatever reason. In any case, have fun with it. A couple of suggestions:

Get "The Quest for Cosmic Justice" off the library shelf and check out the first couple of chapters. Sowell covers this issue quite well. He distinguishes "Equal Opportunity" from "Equal Results" which your class will attempt to work with. Don't play that "Equal Results" game. Sowell has some great historical perspective on that. If nothing else convinces them that inequality of results is not necessarily indicative of discrimination, then ask them to describe the racial makeup of the NBA, and what should be done about that.

There are a host of good references out there, for example: The Diversity Myth, by Sacks and Thiel, as well as the one mentioned above. Read them and use them! Good luck.

[RichGuy]

Actually many of those who take these courses end up teaching your kids, if they attend the public school system. These diversity classes are required as part of the teaching curriculum.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Good advice!!!

[Derecha]

I am writing a book on corporate programs and the effect they are having on American business. Not just diversity, but that is a big one. The premise behind "diversity" is that under any circumstances a diverse group will perform better than a homogeneous group. One of the most idiotic things I have read is when an individual is measured for their innate "diversity". That doesn't even make sense. One person cannot be racially, culturally, spiritually, etc. diverse. So diversity has been redifined to mean minority. Now ask the following question: If you had a brain tumor that required an operation that had a low success rate, and there were 10 surgeons in the world who do that procedure, what would be your number 1 criteria: 1. Religious Background 2. Race 3. Success Statistics on the procedure 4. History of diverse hiring practices 5. Culture/Nationality Any person who does not choose 3 is full of s&^t. Then it quite easily follows that if ability is the determining factor here, why not in any situation. Diversity consultants say they pursue the best performance, and that it can be achieved only by diverse hiring practices. Reasonable people say that hiring the best person gets you the best performance. This medical analogy totally destroys their premise. Another analogy, and one they particularly hate, can be made with sports, and especially basketball, where it is obvioulsy not diversity that makes up the composition of the team. Do we all realize how much money is wasted by companies in which many of us own stock? Check the website of a major corporation and you will quickly find evidence that millions are spent to put on "the diversity happy face". It is the way the left is penetrating our capitalist system outside the political realm. It will take our industries down in the end, and the situation we are in today with the idealogical tug of war vs. the war effort is a direct result of the whining of diversity and tolerance proponants.

[DonPaulJones]

"Any system or program the uses anything other than inteligence and ability is morally wrong."

Amen. I'll 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th that. Everyone gets to rise to their own level of incompetence.

[dtom]

If your employer request that you go to a gay diversity event I would challenge it under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Employers in the US are prohibited from discriminating against individuals because of their religion in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. It also requires employers to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of an employee, unless to do so would create an undue hardship on the employer. You have the right to practice your faith to the same level as everyone else in your workplace. I think a reasonably accommodation would be not to attend the event because my religion dose not approve of this life style.

[subterfuge]

Thanks to all. I'm taking the class because its a requirement but frankly its a fluff degree called Batchelor of Science in Management- I'm older, have an established career, but I need a degree of some kind quickly.

And LN2Campy, I am having fun. I've already written papers on reverse discrimination and another on how wrong multicultrualism is regarding the VALUE of people and cultures. I challenge them at every turn almost. I like to pick my spots though. What is Geek Dejure saying? Anyone?

Thanks to all for the replies and I'll be right back.

[Red Jones]

I take it that the University of Phoenix is requiring that you take this class. That's a private university with a good reputation, I'm so shocked that such an organization would waste resources on this.

My advice is to speak as little as possible in the class, try to get through it with a B or a C and forget about it. It's pure junk.

But if the teacher insists on using you as the token white male to be either ridiculed or humbled in the class, then here's a nice strategy to get the teacher to stop that. Say something that advances conservative ideology or otherwise punches holes in the pc agenda. The teacher will not want you to speak any more.

It's always nice to say that racism and discrimination based on ethnicity or religion is common, it is a human trait and is common all over the world. Tell them about how in South Africa since there has been a black government in power the murder rate has skyrocketed to 10 times the murder rate in America, tell them about how when black people committ crimes against white people in south africa the police don't investigate the crimes, including murders and that is why the murder rate is so high. Tell them that in China one ethnic group, the Han Chinese, are a minority, but they rule the government and the business enterprises completely and make every other ethnic group subservient to them. Tell them there is massive discrimination against ethnic chinese and all non-muslim people in INdonesia and that this has resulted in the killing of a half million people in the last 30 years. Tell them that in Egypt the police routinely go through christian neighborhoods, kidnap people and then crucify them. All of this above is true. The world is full of massive discrimination between peoples based on ethnic/religious divisions. Tell them that only in America do we tend to overcome these things, that is why in history they've called us 'the New World'. Tell them that the reason we've been able to overcome these things in comparison to most other nations is because God has blessed us.

You also might share that here in the US when black people or mexican people get control of organizations that they frequently discriminate very much in favor of their own race. I live in Phoenix, I know of Mexican owned businesses that employ over 500 people and will hire a 99% Mexican work force. This type of discrimination is common. The law only says its discrimination when the discrimination is in favor of white people, that's reality.

Tell them we shouldn't be obsessed with race and ethnic background. Tell them that it causes divisions among us to be constantly dividing and categorizing ourselves in this manner.

[LouD]

I was sideswiped by the revelation from the instructor and all my class mates agreed that the "good-old white-boy" network exists, which I acknowledged

Really? How do I get plugged into this network? I'm a "good-old white-boy" but don't seem to recall having the benefit of this network to advance my career. I've had to rely on silly little things like accomplishments, credentials, and experience.

[knuthom]

To me it is so obvious they are practicing reverse discrimination. To generalize about ANY race is wrong, and that is what they have done in this case.

Use one of their PC buzz words against them. Accuse them of RACIAL PROFILING.

[dfrussell]

This is like complaining that pounding your head on a wall hurts. The solution, if you pause for a moment to think, is obvious: don't do it.

The opinions of the people to whom you refer are set and there is nothing you can do about it -- which, in truth, permits you to do what you want without consideration to them.

Make the most of it :-)

[GenXFreedomFighter]

The "old-boy" system doesn't only exist in white America. Nepotism and favoritism are old traditions everywhere. It's racist to think that only whites practice the old-boy system. And America is probably the BEST place to get where you want on the merit system, contrary to what the leftists think.

[subterfuge]

Last time I checked, everyone in the top levels of Mexican government was Mexican. Same with China, Kenya... I've also noticed a lot of Japanese heading Japanese corporations.

Good come-backs Dakmar!! Gotta remember these!

[ThreeOfSeven]

What is Geek Dejure saying? Anyone?

He's saying if you could pass for black you wouldn't have to apologize for being white.

[subterfuge]

You have a cool nic...nothing to be ashamed of here, move along everyone. :}

[subterfuge]

Did you get in? And if so, how many trys did it take? I'm curious.