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Show Editorial WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012 3 THE SIGNPOST The Signpost Viewpoint Playing the "unbiased by proxy" card There's a term out there that many might not be familiar with. It's called "unbiased by proxy." Never heard of it? Well, that's understandable, since we really just made it up, but the concept should be all too familiar. Basically, it goes like this: Because Mr. Smith is friends with Mr. Jones, who happens to be in a minority group, Mr. Smith is considered not biased toward the minority group as a whole. Make sense? No? Here's an example to illustrate the point. In the recent controversial case-making headlines, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. For those who can't bring themselves to watch the news, the whole controversy surrounding the incident is unfortunately based more on race than anything else - Martin was black, and Zimmerman was white (actual- ly, he's half Hispanic, and most people seem to glaze over that fact - but we digress). Now, this isn't going to be a discussion about whether Zimmerman acted in self-defense or not, because that's just a whole `nother can of worms. No, we want to focus on one of the tactics the defense is using. Yep, you guessed it. They're pulling out the "unbiased by proxy" card. In more than one article, the media reports that Zimmerman's defense is claiming this wasn't a racial hate crime at all. Why? Zimmerman's friends all say he's a great guy. And hey, guess what? A few of his friends are black. That's right. The defense is arguing that because Zimmerman has black friends, he's obviously not racist, and obviously this wasn't a racially charged incident. Whether or not that last point is true is another discussion for another time. But the rest of that statement should bother you. The whole point we're trying to make here is that this is really a shoddy defense. For one, it implies that all black people are the same. If you think differently, then how about this: There are people outside of the United States who are fairly certain that all Americans are fat, rich, white, angry, not very bright and swear all the time (description courtesy of a friendly cab driver from Singapore). But hey, those people have met a couple Americans before. They probably even have American friends. So obviously they aren't biased or stereotyping or, heaven forbid, racist at all against Americans. They're unbiased by proxy. What more defense do they need? This defense also implies that race is and forever will be the main determining factor in any incident with even a question of racial controversy. Not past criminal records. Not recorded 911 phone calls. It's just because someone knows someone else (isn't that the case for everything?). Unbiased by proxy is used in real life all the time. It doesn't always focus on minority groups, but for the sake of time and relative dimensions in space, we'll limit it to them. Of course, it's not just racial minorities. When called a bigot for vehemently opposing homosexual marriage, an unnamed individual claimed that no, she wasn't a bigot because she had a friend who was gay, so obviously she wasn't prejudiced against gays. Again, whether or not the individual in question is a bigot (and whether or not that's a really great term to use at all) is not the problem. In this case, the dear misguided woman is all for making choices that affect the lives of hundreds to thousands of minority Americans - and again, whether it's right or wrong or who cares isn't the point. She's defending her stance not because she's part of that group, not because she has statistical evidence determining that homosexual relationships are detrimental to any- thing, but because she's friends with someone who's considered part of that group. Here's a news flash for you: A person can have black or Asian or Hispanic friends and still be racist. An individual can be married to a woman and still oppose women's rights. Someone can have friends of various sexual orientations and still be completely prejudiced against homosexuals. "Unbiased by proxy" might be a relatively new term as far as the rest of the world goes, but the concept behind it has been around as long as there has been something to be biased about. While pulling out this defense doesn't necessarily mean you really are biased or racist or bigoted or what have you, maybe think for a minute - why are you using it in the first place? Comment on this column al wsusignpost.com Abstract Academic 'm not trendy! I listen to indie music! Kory Wood • The Signpost columnist ■ '19 IT AGAINST THE RULES TO PUT A BOUNTY ON THE GM FOR INVITING 'TEBOWMANIA' INTO THE LOCKER ROOM?" 5HENEMAN TRUE MEDIA SERVICES IF I LET YOU KEEP THIS WHEELCHAIR, I'M WORRIED YOU WON'T EVEN TRY NOT BEING PARALYZED. BSIDEC, MV FRIEND WANTS TO TURN THIS INTO A ROLLING MARTINI BAR. Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Asst. Managing Editor News Editor Sports Editor Photo Editor Business Editor Nathan Davis Stephanie Simonson Thomas Alberts Cozette Jenkins Corie Holmes Amanda Lewark Jessica Klemm 626-7121 626-7614 626-7614 626-7655 626-7983 626-8071 626-7621 I'm in the writing lab right now, and there is a gloomy girl on the computer to my right who has her headphones in. She is watching a music video of what appears to be a small group of emaciated, pale 24-year-olds, practicing their best frowny faces and complaining, through the art of truly mediocre lyric poetry, about why growing up in the suburbs with rich parents and lots of opportunities was, like, way hard, man. Two folks down from her is a larger male of the sporting variety who doesn't think it's rude to be eating Chinese food in a small, airtight computer lab. His headphones are the size of hubcaps, and the noise leaking out from them indicates his musical preferences involve plugging diesel trucks into gigantic amplifiers and then recording the noise they make as they drive off a cliff. And a row away from Mr. Chinese Food is spunky freshman girl who is bouncing happily and nodding wistfully while Dwayne McCountry reminisces into her ears about high school stadiums, beers on back porches, stubborn patriotism and Ford endorsements. But hey, I'm not saying those styles of music aren't great. Just observing. Features Editor A&E Editor Copy Editor Adviser Ad Manager Office Manager People tend to get a little edgy when you make fun of their music, much the same way they get when you mock their politics or religious preferences, if not more so. We all form emotional attachments with our favorite musical styles. I have a long and painful relationship with James Taylor, even though I know that his music is like liberal Nyquil®. I just don't care. We've seen fire and rain, he and I. My wife has been emotionally cheating on me with Michael Bolton for years now, and even though it sounds like someone is trying to pop off his kneecaps with screwdrivers when he sings high notes, she still loves him. And she hates it when I make fun of him (sorry about the kneecaps thing, honey). I have a friend who loves what the kids call "indie" music. She spends a lot of effort looking for new groups to love, then lords over the rest of us with a catalogue of their names ("What? You've never heard of Pine Tree Popsicles? Their lead singer is s0000 deep and dreamy. You're all so lame with your Adele"). Then, as soon as other people start to like them, or if the band's music plays on anything more prestigious than a commercial for laundry detergent, she calls them "overrated" and "sellouts," then ditches them faster than, well, a pine tree Popsicle. My theory is that a lot of people like indie music not because it's better, but because it's different. Which is also not always a bad thing, I guess. People like to hear things which are different, Jerrica Archibald Kory Wood Jennifer Sanda Shane Farver Shelley Hart Georgia Edwards which, in turn, means there are more different things out there. But how different is different? Is different really different, like a garage band with a nudist opera singer and an electric harpist and a Cuban conga line and 12 bass harmonica players, or is different just another troupe of hot skinny guys with guitars, mediocre facial hair and high, tight voices? If you want different, look no further than my brother. And then, look at the music he likes (rim-shot!). When people say that they "you know, really love music that's unique, and, like, random," he scoffs at them because his favorite music groups are (these are all real, folks) a six-man gospel Seventh-Day Adventist jazz a cappella group, a Swedish jazz-rock trio which performs arrangements of Justin Bieber and Britney Spears songs, an American modernist composer who worked as an insurance salesman his whole life, another Swedish jazz a cappella group (he has a Scandinavian thing), and Beyonce. Now, I know that some people are going to read this column, and all they're going to take away from it is that I'm a big elitist snob, and that I think the pursuit of indie music is dumb, and that it's only an ironically trendy way to avoid being trendy. Well, you're right on all counts. Now leave me and James Taylor alone. We have some soulsearching to do. Comment on this column at wsusignpost.corn 626-7105 626-7624 626-7659 626-7526 626-6359 626-7974 The Signpost is a student publication, written, edited and drafted by Weber State University The Signpost reserves the right to edit for reasons of space and libel and also reserves the right students. Student fees fund the printing of this publication. Opinions or positions voiced to refuse to print any letter. Letters should be submitted online to thesignpost@weber.edu are not necessarily endorsed by the university. and read Letter to the Editor in the subject box. Letters should not exceed 350 words. |
