Am I alone on this?

Question

In one of my classes all the students are completely white including the professor. Because of this, we can discuss race honestly and openly without causing anyone offense. However, recently, one student brought up a theory that made my skin crawl. He compared human society to that of bees and ants and said he felt that humans should learn from them and apply their ways to our own. He felt that blacks should be slaves and should be happy as slaves because it would help society and he felt that it would be a good place for them. He felt that asians should be forced to study science and be scientist. He felt that whites should be in governmental power and positions of leadership. He felt that if certain groups were forced into these things the world would be a better place because no one would have the option to claim equality (since he does not believe in it) and everyone would perform a service that they were good at. It scared me when I saw others agree with this.

Sorry I wrote so much. I just have to tell someone. My girlfriend is black and I love her very much so it pains me that when people see her they think this. She has never hurt anyone.

Answer 1

I suggest that you contact a TV station, and have them surreptitiously videotape these conversations. I also suggest that the next time you have a conversation like this you should get out of your seat, shout as loud as you can, point directly at the moron who made that statement and SCREAM - "you racists ba***rd! What if it was blacks discussing how it is OK to enslave YOU?" You might make a few enemies, but you don't want to be friends with morons, do you? You also might want to tell them, "well if all Asians should be scientists let's go invade China and Japan and force them to become scientists". Of course this would mean that the Asians who are great cellists (Yo-yo Ma) or great guitar builders (Kazuo Yairi) will have to give up what they are great at and start over. Yao Ming would have to give up playing basketball and start studying science. Your class's conclusion is patently absurd and you should be screaming at the top of your lungs about it. Contact the school newspaper and let them know - this attitude MUST die because it is racist, because it is wrong, and because it is STUPID. Its time to point out the idiocy of these conclusions - so they WILL die.

Answer 2

What an interesting situation!
1. Ask them to point out the difference between bees/ants and human society. (venn diagram) conclusion: different spieces.
2. The white think the black should be the slaves. What if the black think that the white should be the slaves and the white should be the slaves?
=> overgeneralisation and oversimplication
- a mixed boy (black father and white mother), other examples for discussion.
3. What is the population of the white? How many leaders do we need? All the white are leaders? The asian and the black? How many scientists and "slaves" do we need? Have you ever met a friend (white) who makes a bad leader but a good scientist? (Einsten)
=> demand and supply? geographic factors?
4. (if you are working in a school with religion) Conclusion: God doesn't match people and their job / class in a simple way. Within a race, there are people with different talents. And we should make use of our talents. Yes, we should perform a service for our community with our talent, not according to our races.
=> optimal point

Answer 3

That student is applying an Economics theory to Civics and Society which will not be effective because their stereotype is not accurate when applied to each and every person. Also, the Economic theory states that a country who is proficient in making Item A for the least amount of cost will lead the world in production of Item A.
This is only true because of the purchase cost factor. Nobody will buy a DVD player made in the USA for 10X the cost of a DVD player made in Taiwan. Without the ability to factor a purchase cost behind the labor/activity being performed, their assumption of this plan actually working is already flawed beyond belief.

Answer 4

If this discussion ever comes up in your class again, remind your classmates that the world order they speak of existed only a few centuries ago. You only have to look back as far as the 18th or 19th century to find a society completely stratified by race. If any females in your class agreed with this proposed theory, remind them that during this period both women and children had little or no rights whatsoever and in most cases were regarded as property, in reality no better off than most slaves.

Black scientists have contributed immeasurably to our world. Here are just a few examples:

George Washington Carver, brilliant agricultural chemist, who developed the theory of crop rotation which is practiced by farmers all over the world and whose discoveries led to the invention of or improvement on dozens of products such as peanut butter, adhesives, plastic, shaving creme, paper, instant coffee, and axle grease.

Dr. Charles Drew created the system for storing blood plasma, which revolutionized the medical profession and led to the creation of blood banks.

John Lee Love created the mechanical pencil sharpener that is still used in most schools and offices today.

Alice Parker invented an improved gas heating furnace, one of the first steps toward the central heat we now enjoy today.

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first open heart surgery and was one of the first doctors to promote antiseptic conditions and the sterilization of instruments in hospitals.

The list goes on and on, but you get the idea. If blacks had continued to be restricted to slavery, how much worse would our world be for it?

Your question about your classmates shows me something I have said for a long time: Just because you silence someone with political correctness, it doesn't mean their beliefs have changed. It's too bad there can't be more open discussions like the ones you have in your class. It's only when we bring things out into the open that real change occurs.

Take this info back to class with you and go hug your girlfriend.

Answer 5

I guess my first question would be what planet did this student come from!?!? That aside why did he think that whites make such great leaders? Nelson Mandella was/is one of the best people in power that we have ever known. How does he feel about the Jews? I would have to say that Christ did a pretty good job of being a leader. Every person is different, regardless of what race we fall into, not everyone wants to be a scientest or teacher. I would be tempted to ask what this other student is going to school for? What is his degree going to be in? If its not anything with a goal of being a government leader isn't he just wasting his money on his education? Good luck to you and your girlfriend, I'm so sorry that there are people still who are this biggotted.

Answer 6

The notions that black people are better at being slaves is completely ridiculous. If you look at it logically, white people are better at being slaves, as many of their ancestors were serfs (this is like a slave but with no rights at all).

The problem is that your classmate is attempting to use a logical argument (the idea that different races are better at different things) which does not account for individuality.

This makes as much sense as the statistical (but true) argument that average adult has one breast and one testicle.

Your classmate is deluded and his argument isn't thought out at all. WHAT group of whites would be better in government ? Swedes, Irish, Scottish ? Why would one cultural group be better than another ? Doesn't drive and ambition count for anything ? Leaving aside that his argument is specious, it is also staggeringly incomplete.

He, and your classmates who agree with him haven't thought it through. The only conclusion that you can come to by thinking it through is that race and culture are not an issue in determining who is better at what.

Answer 7

I am so glad that you are sharing this with the world. This is disgusting, but if we let it go unnoticed, it will only increase.
My son is half asian, though I thought I would have a half-balck child before I met his dad. I have always wanted to mix the cultures and create one culture in this country.
Anyway,
It seems that even along color lines, we are NOT all the same, and you CANNOT speak of race comfortably.
You are not like them! I guess I can see that you did not want to stand out...
But you may want to ask them next time what they would feel if suddenly there was a person of color in the room.
This sounds so extreme, I almost want to ask if they were doing this just to get on your nerves-
I want so desperately to believe that, you know?
But if you don't stand up, then you and all other silent folk are letting this propogate itself. Your silence is complicity!
So, please, never be afraid to stand up and do something about this!

Answer 8

First of all color does not have anything to do with the position (Im white and im tell you this) His just proud to be white, ignore him, Slaves are forbidden even to th white skinned, skin is just a protection not the thing that controls the society. Dont worry the president wont approve this, slavery is very much forbidden

Answer 9

It is pretty common in the world to think that planning will solve problems but as Communism taught us it almost always ends up failing. Evolution on the other hand tells us that it is diversity which really ends up giving the best results. Get that person to learn about the stock market and investments and he will soon realize that thinking you know what is best doesn't really give any results. It is the things you don't expect that make society advance.

Answer 10

Some people out there are just so ignorant and arrogant that their way of thinking is so shocking, you almost dont know whether to agree or not. But clearly, you are an intelligant guy and you know this is a wrong way to look at things. I TOTALLY disagree with his opinion and i think this world would be a much MUCH better place without such pigheaded people like him init. x