Join us for a Teach-In challenging fear and prejudice against people of other cultures. What is Islamophobia, and how does it affect our community? How and why is anti-immigrant rhetoric on the rise? What is a "real" American?The Social Action Collective.
Come to listen, learn, and add your voice to the discussion.
God, it could have been so much worse.
The event was organized by two professors, one of whom I know socially. Nice guy, actually. Un-shaved, dressed in teh scruffy-sheek style, un-tucked, short sleeve button-down shirt, etc...
He read from a prepared statement, giving a brief history of American xenophobia and thereby disproving the notion that the country was in the midst of a racism epidemic. People used to distrust the Irish, who knew? Americans worried about mass immigration from eastern Europe? Really? This professor seemed unaware that people are naturally suspicious of those who are different. Who among us hasn't looked over an unfamiliar car in our neighborhood? There were lots of references to Yale. Missouri, and such.
Next came a series of student experiences. These too disproved the whole thesis of the event. One Muslim student, a veteran, said his CO had once told him that anti-ISIS efforts should be named Operation Kill All Muslims. Another Muslim student said in elementary school he got sent to the shrink for playing guns. A series of Latin students related experiences of the 'why can't you speak English?' variety. An Asian student pointed out that the only racism that she experienced came from black people. Sound familiar? A black professor talked about 'white privilege', but that's a discussion for another post.
Toward the end one student, himself an army veteran spoke and pointed out that just because a person criticized a religion doesn't mean he is 'Islamaphobic' and the term is used to shut down discussion of Islam and its many problems. At this point the other organizing professor jumped in, for the first time I should add, interrupting a student and challenging him.
The professor hopped into the speaking area and asked questions, his face alight with mischief. Our atheist stood his ground, repeating over and over again that one can criticize something without hating it or people who believe in it. He had a short, civil discussion afterwords with a few kids from the RVCC Muslim Student Association.
The above mentioned interrupting professor is interesting. Youthful, 30-ish. Casually but sharply dressed. Baggy jeans, but with a button down, sweater and tie. Seems very friendly and open. I see him holding class outside sometimes. I went an looked him up on Rate My Professor. His reviews are universally positive, the students like him a lot. Also filled with leftist dogma making reference to 'white privilege', 'systems of oppression', 'radical right wing groups' etc etc. Has annoying habit of snapping his fingers when he hears something he likes. A lot of people were doing that, which seems to be some sort of leftist trend.
After about an hour, the meeting, attended by say, a hundred students, broke up. I went over to the head of the MSA and arranged a talk before his group on the Arab-Israeli wars. I've been to a few of their functions, nice kids.
My own sense, after attending this thing is quite hopeful at least about the students. There's no hope for the professors.
God, it could have been so much worse.
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