By Carrie Algozzini
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 21, 1997

Columnists face off on racism

Editor:

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the definition of racism, but I have always known it to be the opposite of equality. In the Oct. 10 edition of the Daily Wildcat I was struck by an amusing irony. On one page, you have the article "Christopher Columbus Day - Remembering Its Victims." On the opposite page you have an article entitled, "People Even More Ignorant Than I." In Ms. Ramirez's article, she discussed how Christopher Columbus Day celebrates the European conquest of indigenous tribes. While in Mr. Buchheit's article, he discusses the absurdity of racism and how he wishes we could all be color blind.

These two articles seem to have no basis for comparison but discussing some form of racism. While Mr. Buchheit seeks to end racism, Ms. Ramirez seeks to propagate racism. I am struck by her statement near the end of the article: "Education has brought us the knowledge of the wrongs that have been done against us and these wrongs have become a white man's burden." This seems to be a racist sentiment to attribute the wrongs of some people into a burden of every person who is white. Mr. Buchheit said it best: "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 -"

Maybe Ms. Ramirez has a pure, clear-cut bloodline, but the vast majority is so mixed we can't even name what percentage we are of each race. Myself, my view of "my burden" because I'm white is non-existent. I am not responsible for my parent's wrongs, my ancestor's wrongs or my color's wrongs. I am only responsible for what I do and nothing else.

Perhaps if Ms. Ramirez wrote articles encouraging ethnic pride and less about how a certain race owes her something , she would see more equality and less racism.

Carrie Algozzini
Secondary education
Extended English junior