The Delusion of Freedom
Nikesiha Nicholson
Issue date: 12/1/01 Section: Opinions
- Page 1 of 1
Walking out of the local grocery store, I can hear the wind whipping with vigor. Turning around I search to find the source of the noise, only to find the American flag waving boldly above the neon title of the store, causing a thunderous sound. It triggers thoughts about the day of terror; thousands of Americans killed this past Sept. 11.
Driving on the road, I came to a red light behind an old, faded green truck that has a bumper sticker of the American Flag that read "Americans, United We Stand." Then beside that, the Confederate flag. That flag boldly states something clearer and louder to me than "United We Stand." It presents the idea for minorities, what does it mean to be an American?
How many people are aware that a person is more likely to get the death penalty if they kill a white person, rather than black? Murder in itself horrendous as it is, how would you feel if your life was valued as less, simply because of your color? Is that American?
Celebrating Halloween, two Auburn University fraternity chapters reminded the nation, that it hasn't been that long, since Birmingham Alabama was called "Bombingham".
At two separate Halloween parties, Delta Sigma Phi and Beta Theta Pi dressed in Klan robes after hanging the Confederate flag for a party decoration. All those who did not wear Klan robes, wore black face, T-shirts with FUBU (For Us By Us) written on them or T-shirts similar to those of a black fraternity. If all of this was not repulsive enough, they made light of blacks who have been lynched over the years.
Initially I was shocked that someone was idiotic enough to pose for pictures with a noose around his neck, and the mocking blackface. I was always under the impression that, racism was a covert operation, so that African-Americans would join the masses of those saying, " We are all equal".
This is a wake up call, for all those people of color who strive for acceptance.
Okay, we can ride on any part of a bus, or go to any college. We can even vote! The amount of African-Americans who've voted in the last presidential election was unprecedented. Even then we were reminded of how important we are to the voting process.
The blatant racist behavior of Delta Sigma Phi and Beta Theta Pi for their disregarded all of the struggles African-Americans from the days of the slavery, the Civil Rights Movement and the present patterns of hate crimes and police profiling are disguisting.
This is the perfect opportunity to point out why we need affirmative action. And not to hire unqualified people and be unfair, but because without affirmative action unlawful practices of hiring would ensue.
Those collegiate racists at Auburn University will be the employers of tomorrow.
The scariest thing about the fraternity photos is what if the events held were part of some initiation that could've been going on for decades?
Fortunately someone told their secret and now they are being punished.
What if there are hundreds of predominately white fraternities following these practices?
What if this is not the end of this form of hate but only the beginning?
Driving on the road, I came to a red light behind an old, faded green truck that has a bumper sticker of the American Flag that read "Americans, United We Stand." Then beside that, the Confederate flag. That flag boldly states something clearer and louder to me than "United We Stand." It presents the idea for minorities, what does it mean to be an American?
How many people are aware that a person is more likely to get the death penalty if they kill a white person, rather than black? Murder in itself horrendous as it is, how would you feel if your life was valued as less, simply because of your color? Is that American?
Celebrating Halloween, two Auburn University fraternity chapters reminded the nation, that it hasn't been that long, since Birmingham Alabama was called "Bombingham".
At two separate Halloween parties, Delta Sigma Phi and Beta Theta Pi dressed in Klan robes after hanging the Confederate flag for a party decoration. All those who did not wear Klan robes, wore black face, T-shirts with FUBU (For Us By Us) written on them or T-shirts similar to those of a black fraternity. If all of this was not repulsive enough, they made light of blacks who have been lynched over the years.
Initially I was shocked that someone was idiotic enough to pose for pictures with a noose around his neck, and the mocking blackface. I was always under the impression that, racism was a covert operation, so that African-Americans would join the masses of those saying, " We are all equal".
This is a wake up call, for all those people of color who strive for acceptance.
Okay, we can ride on any part of a bus, or go to any college. We can even vote! The amount of African-Americans who've voted in the last presidential election was unprecedented. Even then we were reminded of how important we are to the voting process.
The blatant racist behavior of Delta Sigma Phi and Beta Theta Pi for their disregarded all of the struggles African-Americans from the days of the slavery, the Civil Rights Movement and the present patterns of hate crimes and police profiling are disguisting.
This is the perfect opportunity to point out why we need affirmative action. And not to hire unqualified people and be unfair, but because without affirmative action unlawful practices of hiring would ensue.
Those collegiate racists at Auburn University will be the employers of tomorrow.
The scariest thing about the fraternity photos is what if the events held were part of some initiation that could've been going on for decades?
Fortunately someone told their secret and now they are being punished.
What if there are hundreds of predominately white fraternities following these practices?
What if this is not the end of this form of hate but only the beginning?