*BSD News Article 15647


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From: mycroft@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Charles Hannum)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.programmer,comp.os.coherent,comp.os.linux,comp.os.mach,comp.os.minix,comp.periphs,comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit,comp.os.386bsd.development
Subject: Re: PUT AN END TO JMONROY! (Was: QIC NEWS...)
Date: 5 May 1993 05:17:58 -0400
Organization: dis
Lines: 80
Message-ID: <1s80o6$1nlf@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu>
References: <C653Au.Iqy@sugar.neosoft.com> <1993May4.034429.1146@nrao.edu> <1s5o9c$j3h@hal.gnu.ai.mit.edu> <1993May4.160411.16584@nrao.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: hal.ai.mit.edu


In article <1993May4.160411.16584@nrao.edu> rgooch@rp.CSIRO.AU (Richard
Gooch) writes:
>
> A few reasonable interpretations:

I would hardly call them `reasonable'.

> "I'm proud of being white"  -->  "Thank ... I'm not [black | Asian |
> ...]"

`I'm proud of being black.  Thank God I'm not white, red, or yellow.'

> "I'm proud to be heterosexual"  -->  "I'd hate to be a poof"

`I'm proud to be gay.  Breeders are just using each other.'

> "I'm proud to be a male"  ->  "Males are better. It's good to be a
> male".

`I'm proud to female.  Women are smarter.'

> Is it actually your intention to offend people, or aren't you aware
> that this is offensive?

How is `white pride' any more offensive than `black pride' by your
test?  Is it possible in your world to praise anything without also
implicitly insulting something else?


Just today I picked up a copy of MIT's Tech Talk, and what did I find?

  Health Coverage Offered To Same-Sex Partners

At first, this sounds okay; maybe even a Good Thing.  But I read a
little further and find that, essentially, any two men or women living
together, not even necessarily lovers, can get the `family coverage'
plan; however, unmarried heterosexuals cannot.  Who is bearing the
brunt of discrimination here?


People have told me straight up that I should be ashamed of my
heritage.  Why is this?  Why should I carry the burden of countless
generations before me?  Perhaps I should instead remind people of the
tribal wars in Africa where one tribe would kill every living member
of the other, or that tribal leaders participated in the slave trade?
Does it matter?  None of the people I know were there, and I doubt any
of them condone it; nothing more need be said.


It seems to be a popular trend to believe that it is alright to
discriminate against the majority with the reasoning that the minority
deserves `equal protection'.  Whether a discriminatory policy is
discriminatory and should not be condoned is independent of whom it
discriminates against.  If it is not alright to treat the minority
unfairly, then neither is it alright to treat the majority unfairly.


Frankly, I like my skin.  I enjoy female companionship.  Being male I
can take or leave.  B-)  I'm told I should not be happy with what I am
because of evil things people with the same color skin as mine have
done in the past (as if each race has not done its own share), or
because some men choose to abuse women (as if women don't ever abuse
men).  I am offended by this, but I never hint that the people telling
me that should be censored.

Instead, I encourage people to air their prejudices.  Perhaps some day
we can all realize that the other parties are just tired of the petty
bickering, and of each group trying to get unfair advantages over the
others.


--
To all those who have replied to this thread either in email or news, I
thank you.

-- 
 \  /   Charles Hannum, mycroft@ai.mit.edu
 /\ \   PGP public key available on request.  MIME, AMS, NextMail accepted.
Scheme  White heterosexual atheist male (WHAM) pride!