By Ezekiel Buchheit
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 10, 1997

People Even More Ignorant Than I

Arizona Daily Wildcat Ezekiel Buchheit

This is a pretty worthless topic to try and tackle. Racism, that is. Because all the intelligent people have already figured it out: racism is bunk, and the ones who still practice it are obviously far too ignorant for anything that I ever say to have an effect. So I guess I am writing this for the benefit of those few with good hearts, and bad rearing, who are just a bit confused and need a push in some direction.

I'm also writing this for a couple of freaks that I've met in my life. People who, I hope, will see this, and then realize what a bunch of goobers they are.

We all know ("all," hahaha!! I made a funny!) that racism breeds ignorance, and hate and anger, and flat-out stupid people. There is no argument against that. However, I think a great example of the essence of racism can be found in a couple of these goobers that I mentioned above. Like Crazy Running Bear, a.k.a.: Scott. Scott here is a Native American, something to be very proud of. He also hates this fact and wishes that he was white. Kind of weird, right? Well here's the clincher, Scott also hates the white race for all that they've done in the past and wants to rid the world of them.

Along with Scott, there is Nip (No this is NOT a Japanese racial slur. This is his name.). Nip is Korean. In fact Nip - isn't this just great - is a white supremacist. A Korean White Supremacist. I believe that the pure essence of racism, along with its crystal pure ignorance, is evident through these two examples.

Now ask a racist and they'll say that they are simply proud of their race that they believe in the purity of their race, and want to preserve their culture. That's it.

My roommate is proud of his race. He is a Mexican-American and doesn't deny the fact, and is honored to be so. But that doesn't mean that he beats the hell out of Vietnamese, feels superior to all other races, and pours Elmer's glue into my ear at night while I sleep. No, it just means that he is proud of his heritage, and who he is.

So you see, the difference between pride and racist pride is the fashion through which it manifests itself. There's nothing like going out to see your favorite band live in concert and having the experience completely ruined by a bunch of mindless, inbred-to-keep-that- white-Aryan- purity-survivng, ignorant skinheads, who can't seem to express joy in any other fashion other than beating the holiness of the thirteen year-old girl standing next to them. "Hey, this is my favorite song! Let's go stomping on somebody's spine! Yeah!"

What is even more pathetic than these displays of pure physically manifested ignorance and hatred, is the fact that most racist people have some fashion in which to justify their own stupidity. The stupid arguing for the ignorant. This blows me away. I once heard a skinhead claim that he wasn't ignorant or somehow biased because he didn't just hate one culture, he hated everyone equally.

So in an effort to park the pencils of anyone trying to write some spellbinding letter on the side of racism, let me explain to you that there is no excuse. None. I don't care what horribly traumatic experience occurred to you when you were six years old, I don't care what pain your ancestors suffered, and I don't care what suffering you are enduring right now, to blame an entire race, culture, and creed, for the ills of one or two sick individuals is as ignorant as anything they did to you to lead you to this decision. Perhaps all people should start off their life blind, raised in a raceless culture, until such an age that they can no longer tell the difference in people. Too bad that's such a fantasy world.

But I do have a cure. I do have a way to permanently end racism. What I want is for every racist individual to look into their genealogy. I want you to track back your family history as far as you possibly can. I GUARANTEE that you will find at least one example of some "inferior" blood line infecting your system, turning you into all that you hate. If this isn't enough, if this doesn't stop you from hating these people, do the rest of us a favor, and pick up a gun, and if you still want to "kill 'em all," ventilate yourself, because we are all sick of dealing with you.

Ezekiel Buchheit is a freshman majoring in English.