COLUMN: "From One Racist to Another"

From Bill Madison's "Crackers In My Soup," Spring '92.From Bill Madison's "Crackers In My Soup," Spring '92.· And don't forget, Penn is a liberal institution. After six weeks of writing for The Daily Pennsylvanian, these are the truths that have been revealed to me by a conscientious and concerned student body. I found out through the astute observations of DP readers that I am indeed a racist, possibly the most racist individual that many students have ever encountered in print (I guess some of you out there need to read just a little bit more.) What a surprise, now all I need is a cross to burn. I find it strange that I never once mentioned the word "racist" in any of my columns, but people have been quick to label me as such. I specifically chose not to use the word "racist" in my columns because I felt that it was counterproductive to engage in name calling while trying to point out social concerns in the Penn community. It is ironic to me that so many white students have the license to call me a racist for my critiques of volunteerism and the Greek system. In the future, I suggest that when one reads a column in the DP, he or she determines what that person is trying to say in 700 words. When I wrote "Pass The Sunscreen," it was not an indictment of people lacking melanin in their skin. Nor was it an attempt to imply that there was a latent genetic inferiority in people lacking melanin. My message was merely that there is an oversensitivity in our society regarding color. But, for some reason, many of you felt that I was trying to profess a belief in "Black is Better." I can try to enlighten the ignorant, but I have only pity for the stupid. Regarding my column on volunteerism, I dare anyone to come foward and claim that paternalism does not exist among many people who see themselves as helping the community. I have seen paternalism in education, in athletics, in the rhetoric of politicians and in the mindset of some volunteers who attempt to offer their time to the community. There is no harm in showing impoverished children Penn's campus, or in taking them on Easter egg hunts or in cavorting with them through a house during Halloween. But my only question was, what good is being served for these children, and is there more good that can be accomplished? After these children have taken home a bag full of hard-boiled eggs or a sack full of candy, do you ever wonder what these children are thinking, other than the fact that "Hey, there are some nice white people in the world"? When a child is culturally, economically and socially deprived, only playing frisbee with them on the Green hardly gives you the title of a volunteer. I have the utmost respect for those who volunteer because on some level there is an element of self-sacrifice, but I also realize that people do good things because of the satisfaction they derive from it. Therefore I think it is extremely important that people constantly reevaluate their motivations. But again, many of you saw me taking the opportunity to chide white women -- especially those in sororities -- or to say that white people should not volunteer because their assistance is not required. I can try to enlighten the ignorant, but . . . I never wanted to write a column that was solely a response to critques written against me, but the letters I received informed me that people were missing the point. When I was younger, I used to argue with an uncle in Boston on the relevance of the social turmoil in the Sixties. He would always say that my generation would be the first test of whether or not the Civil Rights Movement was just a phase in American history, or if permanent change had been achieved. I would then respond that if the future of the United States rested in our hands, then this country would have to wait a few more generations. Other than through laws that prohibit people from being outright racists, I feel that people have been slow to change their viewpoints. I've met students in my four years here who say that their parents would never hire a black employee if it could be avoided. I've seen a University that only recently decided to change the inappropriate name of a department that many students and faculty found offensive. I've seen students who feel that the morality of our society is threatened by two men kissing on the cover the DP. And I've seen a Penn community that would call me a racist for daring to voice criticisms against my fellow students. Well, if acknowledging that Penn is not some bubble-enshrouded utopia angers you, you can call me whatever you want. I have chosen to take my hood off and see my reality as it exists. How about you? · Bill Madison is a senior International Relations major from Alexandria, Virginia. Crackers in My Soup appears alternate Tuesdays.