Mr. Loosveldt’s Musings
Wow! What a week. My first and second period classes are reading To Kill A Mockingbird and are at the critical point in the story where Tom Robinson is on trail for the rape of Mayella Ewell. Thank you for all the volunteers who have helped me put this important section of the book “on its feet”. Once again, Atticus shows grace under pressure. He faces an uphill task of proving Tom’s innocence to an all white jury, many of whom are racist. Third and fifth period we have read and studied about the atrocities and genocide in Darfur and what happens when intolerance and racism is allowed to happen while the rest of the world turns a blind eye. All this discussion has got Max wondering if white people are the only ones capable of being racist? An interesting question. Once again, if you’d like to respond, remember to be appropriate and sensitive to our audience.
On the literary front, Our popular book, Under the Mask is now in its second printing. The books will go on sale Monday. I think it would be cool for the authors to autograph their narratives and poems in the book. Speaking of poems, I’m so impressed with the poems many of you shared with us on the blog. I think its time to bring back Open Mike Fridays. I’d also like to invite you to respond to the poems that have been shared on the blog and to invite the rest of you to share a poem that might brighten the day of someone who needs it or provide them with a good laugh. All authors appreciate good positive feed back.
Have a great week!
March 19th, 2007 at 10:42 am
I have heard it said, not by anyone here at H3, that blacks can’t be racist, because of all the trouble they went through back in the day. Racism is a thought more then it is an ability to do something. But I’m pretty sure this Presidential Election, if it ends up going like it does is going to be very interesting. If Barack Obama ends up running for President, and doesn’t win, alot of people will be accused of being racist, becaus they didn’t like Obama, same with Hilary, but it’ll be sexist instead of racist. And if Mit Romney (Mormon Candidate) goes for Republican and loses against some other person that would seem like a decent enough president, then there’s also the possibility of religious descrimination. If some one is put into jail, seemingly inoccent, and it’s a Black, and the Judge/jury is a majority white, then it may be considered racist. But if it’s a white, it may be considered unfair.
It’s all based on a person’s point of view. But Black People, Hispanics, Indians, Native Americans, Norwiegans, etc. can all be racist.
March 19th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
What I learned about Darfur is that 400,000 people died and 2 million inocent people died. The war is about power and how people are trying to get more power. And a peace agreement was broken. There was rape, man slaughter, starvation, and displacment going on in Darfur. The people that are responsible for this war is the “janjaweed”. They killed thousands of people and destroyed thousands of houses.
March 20th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Man oh man. I hate this racism thing. People are people and it deosn’t matter on the religion or race.
I hate how whites have a history if being rascists to blacks so they are the only poeple who can be called rascists. I know a few people at this school who are racsists towards white peole and that’s not cool. People don’t even realize that they are being racsists, well they are. Someone can say something without trying to be racists but people are like that is sooo racsists. And they say we cant be racsits are part white. Well than they can’t say things like that.
I am racist againts racist people.
March 20th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
My mom sent me this email today, and I thought I pertained to what we’re talking about.
Someone finally said it.
How many are actually paying attention to this?
There are African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Native Americans, etc; … And then, there are just Americans.
You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction. You Call me “White boy,” “Cracker,” “Honkey,” “Whitey,” “Caveman” … And that’s OK. But when I call you, N****r, Towel head, Sand-n****r, Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink . You call me a racist.
You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you, so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?
You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day. You have Black History Month. You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Ma’uled Al-Nabi. You have the NAACP. You have BET… If we had WET (White Entertainment Television), We’d be racists.
If we had a White Pride Day … You would call us racists.
If we had White History Month .. We’d be racists.
If we had any organization for only whites to “advance” OUR lives . We’d be racists.
We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce .. Wonder who pays for that?
If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships . You know we’d be racists.
There are over 60 openly proclaimed Black Colleges in the US , yet if there were “White colleges” … THAT would be a racist college.
In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching For your race and rights. If we marched for our race and rights … You would call us racists.
You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you’re Not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride … You call us racists.
You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white police officer shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running From the law and posing a threat to society .. You call him a racist.
I am proud . But, you call me a racist.
WHY IS IT ONLY WHITES CAN BE RACISTS?
After all of the above, please know this:
There is REALLY only ONE race .. The Human Race!!!
PLEASE, GET A GRIP!
March 21st, 2007 at 7:22 am
The fact that some black people are saying that whites are the only racist people is a racist thought right there. Some white people are racist and some aren’t. But that also goes for black people. I have heard some black people talking and they have said that their white teachers are being racist by giving them detention and treating them unfairly. Well the truth is they might be racists and we will never really know. But I also see that same teacher giving detention to a white person. I think that the wold is racist, but not just to blacks, the world is racists to whites, hispanics, chinese, etc.
March 22nd, 2007 at 7:32 am
Just because blacks were discriminated against back in the day, doesn’t mean that they can’t be racist. Rose’s mom opened up a new idea. Why is it that blacks get so many benefits and aren’t called racist, but if whites have just one good thing we are called racist. I’m not going to dismiss the fact that blacks were treated poorly, but what I have to say is this: don’t live in the past. Blacks got freedom before women did, and you don’t see the women calling men sexist when they get something good. However, blacks call whites racist if we get one good white-only thing. Well maybe the blacks are racist against themselves. Maybe they think, “Hey, I’m black. I don’t stand a chance in the real world because whites are racist, and they won’t give me even one small chance”. Bull-patooty. If they wanted, they could do anything, but I think that some blacks may just want to use white people as a scapegoat to say, “Well if I try to get a job, I’ll get beat out by a white person”. They’re just lazy and don’t won’t to try. Now I’m not saying that all blacks and whites are this way, but some might be and I just wanted everyone to know that. I’m not racist, only disappointed. In the big picture we are all just one group. We are destroying each other and for no good reason. Why does everyone have to fight?
March 22nd, 2007 at 7:35 am
Ok, let’s see. Racisim is a problem for one reason, and that is becasue most white people, of whom the racisim is directed at, don’t see that we can be racist, and so can the accusers. If more white people had the courage to point out someone’s flaws when they call you racist, then the problem should fix itself. Instead we walk around not caring if we showed more care for the other races, like reporting the crimes regardless of where or when or why it happened. If you can stand up and say you are without a racist thought, then that in itself is racist and a lie becuase no one isn’t racist in your own eyes. See it from other people’s point of view… Like walk in someone else’s shoes and see why they think that it is a racist comment or statement. The fact is, to not be racist you would have to be of every race, every religon, and every culture to be able to stand up and say that you aren’t racist. Because you can’t be racist to yourself. So next time someone calls you racist, it’s probably because they are racist too and don’t want to point out their own flaws out to you.
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:01 am
Here’s a poem you can read to all your classes Mr. Loosveldt
Once Upon a What?
A Year from sometime this week
I danced
If you want to call it that
I’d known her for years
And I liked her ever since we met
I liked Her alot
I never told her
In six years I never even mentioned it.
Did she feel the same way?
If she did, then for how long?
We were young
Niether of us could date anyway
I wasn’t even the one who asked her to dance.
I wanted to, but I couldn’t
I was afraid of rejection
My friend asked her for me
We danced, kind of
It was more of as wobble really
We were both a bit embarassed
She was popular
I was not
I didn’t care
But did she?
’sigh’ It was a great last moment together
That’s the day I moved
I looked for her
To tell her all about my feelings then and there
I haven’t seen her since the social
And I probably won’t see her again
A year from sometime this week
I cried.
March 25th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
Hate
is a strong word to say
but rumors are even stronger
They roam through the air like diseases.
Hate is something you feel
but don’t actually mean it
rumors are something you say
but they hurt someone else
they both are different
but they both are cold.