Show 11 1 1 j j 1 mm m 1 it t Seems To Me Ity Joseph H. H Roberts 1 1 Integration vs segregation C COPYRIGHT 1977 Contemporary Features Syndicate Inc A reader has objected to my column opposing ethnic studies She says minority groups have havea a right to study their history and language read the works of their writers and take pride In their heritage She maintains the courses are necessary because the Ithe racially and socially biased white while majority ignored the contributions of the minorities ties falsified their hl history tory and made the minorities feel Ceel they were socially intellectually and morally inferior I agree that the white majority has been guilty of shameful bias in its treatment of or the minorities in the past I do donot donot donot not agree however that this justifies bias now in behalf of the minorities We cannot eliminate racism and bias by using racism and bias to correct the wrongs caused by racism and bias Elitism is still elitism no matter which groups practice it If as the proponents of civil rights have maintained it is wrong to make members of minority groups feel inferior to others because of their ethnic backgrounds it is just as wrong to make them feel superior or deserving of special consideration consideration consideration con con- because of their backgrounds The idea that blood determines the worthiness worthiness worthiness wor wor- of individuals is ridiculous and cruel either way We have known since the Middle tiddle Ages that a persons person's family class race or nationality will not determine his ability moral character personality intelligence or appearance In spite of the old notion of bloodlines and birthrights birthrights birthrights bir bir- bir- bir bitter experience has taught us that there can be widely varying qualities among people even within the same family would anyone argue that Billy Carter is as qualified Ef r dEl S. S 11 his brother 1 jimmy I. I It If is inconceivable to me that in our enlightened age we can continue to jeopardize good judgment with the simpleminded simpleminded simple simple- minded assumption that all members of a group are alike All we have to do is look around us The wide variation in qualities among the members of oC the minority groups is obvious ob ob- Some are smart and some arent aren't some are arc talented and some arent aren't some are honest and some arent aren't some are religious and some arent aren't some are arc attractive looking and some arent We do them no service by pretending they are all one way or the other I have traveled over a goodly portion of the world and I 1 have observed that no people anywhere have a monopoly on beauty brains brawn or morality I have seen beautiful women and handsome men in every land I have met wise people strong people noble people inventive people courageous people sometimes amazing people One thing I have noticed however is that the people who identify themselves first as citizens of the country in which they live are the most secure people and live in the strongest nations Whenever people think of themselves first as members of ofa a family tribe religion race or movement they tend to segregate themselves and to communicate primarily with their own kind This condition very often brings about divisiveness within a nation and undermines its strength A look at any of the underdeveloped countries will bear me out Where nationalism is weak the nation is weak My concern is that we no longer seem interested in securing legal economic and social EQUALITY for the minorities Now we seek to correct past wrongs by committing committing com corn milting further wrongs by seeking not equal but preferential treatment for those who belong to groups that have been oppressed I believe reverse discrimination is still discrimination even if it is used to make up for past neglects and I believe segregation is still segregation even if it is practiced to preserve rye the cultural h ral identity of minority groups If IT we want to integrate the minorities into the general society we must oppose ethnic studies and the costly demands that children of minority groups be taught in their own language We simply cannot integrate people and segregate them at atthe atthe atthe the same time J |