In a letter to the editor (Oct. 6) three students announced their terminal pathological status (“sick to death”) regarding NIU’s “obsessive compulsion” with racism in the Unity Through Diversity week.

While their pride in their white heritage is commendable, the ignorance reflected in their lack of understanding of racism, the purpose of Unity week, and the goals of those who oppose oppression in all forms is not. Such letters rarely deserve comment, but because the authors’ views are probably shared by many others, a response is warranted.

The authors’ views seem to typify the extent of racism at NIU. Racism includes not only overt acts that keep one group in its place, but includes also the “mind-set” that effectively maintains the conditions and attitudes that promote dominance of some groups over others. How the authors’ conclude that rejection of racism requires “racial castration,” “cultural uniformity,” “stripping of cultural identity,” or “following a herd instinct” is unclear.

On one hand the authors’ seem to acknowledge that there is cultural diversity at NIU, but, on the other, oppose any attempts to acknowledge it (how does one “genuflect at the altar of cultural pluralism?”). It seems they would not only ignore this diversity, but remove it (what does it mean to “blend unobtrusively into the multi-racial future?”).

The anger expressed by the authors typifies the attitudes of many persons who cannot understand why some groups feel they are excluded from rights and resources to which others normally possess unquestioned access. Through violence of either word or deed, they resist peaceful attempts of excluded groups to attain similar rights. It is sad some people are unable to recognize the reasons NIU action against racism is needed. It is sadder when these actions are resisted.

Some people would be happiest if the niggers, kikes, spics, micks, fags, and others of their ilk would disappear and let the “decent folk” live in peace. Fortunately, the future is multi-cultural, and Unity Through Diversity week simply announced that, as an official party, it’s OK to be black, Hispanic or gay at NIU. Gosh, it’s even OK to be heterosexual, ignorant, or reactionary, a heritage with which some seem unjustifiably proud.

Jim Thomas

sociology