<p>Houston, Texas: Engineering</p>
<p>what were all your stats??</p>
<p>Linus, were you at the engineering open house?</p>
<p>Well, I'm from Vestavia.
What about you?</p>
<p>Donoho? private school in anniston.</p>
<p>Welcome freshmen!!</p>
<p>I will be a senior in BME.</p>
<p>You are all gonna love it!!</p>
<p>I am from Huntsville, Alama and here are my thoughts. Actually - segregation was all over the country - even in the north. What you are referring to are two events - in B'ham, Al in the early 60's a terribly misguided sheriff ordered fire hoses turned into a civil rights crowd. Also, there was a tragic bombing at a black church where 4 little girls were killed. See this website: <a href="http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/randall/birmingham.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/randall/birmingham.htm</a> Condelezza Rice lived in this area and was friends with at least 1 of these little girls. She is a fine example of people who are strong and will make it completely on their own merits. I love her! If she ever runs for President, I will vote for her. It was a dark time in Alabama's history. However - the posting that said that civil rights problems didn't start in Alabama was correct. Although the KKK was officially started in Pulaski, TN, problems truly began of course with slavery in general but escalated AFTER the Civil War when reconstructionists began to take over the state governments in the South. I would say that no one state should have to claim that segregation/discrimination started in their state. After the war, black people were still not allowed to vote (this was wrong) but others who had supported slavery before and during the war had their voting rights removed (also wrong). The intention of this was to keep the reconstructionists in office and not allow someone who had sympathies with the slavery movement to be in office. This removal of voting rights and the frustration of people that had been barely making a living before the CW with a couple of slaves now faced complete devastation. This caused them to lash out. Funny how things are - the Republican Party of today (Lincoln's party) were the reconstructionists, the ones against slavery and discrimination. The Democratic Party was started specifically to thwart reconstruction. The "Solid South" is a reference to the fact that the Democrats could always depend on the South to vote 100% Democrat in any national election (and also state/local elections) until just the last 15-20 years. George Wallace (who stood on the steps of the University of Alabama to deny black people the right to attend school there in the '60's) was a staunch Democrat. He later changed his stance on civil rights because it was politically advantageous to him. If you want to read an interesting book - read "Jesse James: The Last Rebel of the Civil War" (I forget the author) - it explains all of this and is fascinating. Jesse James wasn't a glamorous train/bank robber but a left-over CW rebel who (supposedly) did all those crimes in the name of Southern sympathy. Anyway - short history lesson - if you ever live in the South you will discover something. There are not nearly as many prejudiced people down here as you've been led to believe and to quote Ferrol Sams, a Southern writer (read some of his books - he's great): "In the South we love the individuals [black] and hate the race, in the North, they hate the individuals and love the race." I paraphrased this, I am sure. I would say that through the early 70's, at least, this was true for the South. Now - I would say that there are pockets of people that are prejudiced - always will be - but the vast majority of the people that I know do not share those feelings. Of course, my friends and associates are mostly professional people who are educated. I work with people of all races and I personally never see or know of prejudices in my job. However, I do know that black people feel that there are prejudices even if we don't see them. That is a shame and I don't know how to answer those feelings because I don't live in those shoes. Sometimes it is probably justified, sometimes it is not. It's hard for minorities to know exactly when, though, and I am sorry for that. I had a black friend once tell me that she moved to the South from Boston because in the South you know exactly when someone is prejudiced against you -and you can handle that. But in the North there are still many people prejudiced, they just hide it and that is worse. She told me that in the North you don't know who to trust. But that was 20 years ago and I am sure that times have changed.</p>
<p>eppsas, I know you mean well but there I have some disagreements. 40 years is not a very long time. Things have changed but change is gradual, and change of human nature is even slower. You cant just say, ok, we have a new law. No more lynching black people, and expect everyone to say were sorry, we were wrong.</p>
<p>You may think racism may be gone but for those who face it every day, it's a different story. I'm an immigrant Asian. I still hear the condescending voices talking down to me and the untrusting eye following me around. When I was a little kid, I was made fun of because I couldnt speak English very well. The teacher didnt want to take care of me because I was a hassle. Just because colored/white fountains or "we don't serve colored here" signs aren't around anymore doesnt mean anything. Racism doesn't have to have a form. </p>
<p>Sure, there are very few vocal and active racists left in today's politically correct society but the basis of racism is very much still around. Racism today is what I call "discreet racism." Many people who think they're not racist may actually be unconsciously prejudice without ever meaning to. </p>
<p>There is one story that I remember about a college girl and how she found out she was unconsciously prejudice. She was a waitress at a restaurant where an Asian couple was dining. The Asian couple requested a wine menu and took their time ordering their drinks. She said she became angry at the Asian couple for taking so long to order; thinking "who cares what they drink, what would Asians know about wine?" Later, she realized that she was being patronizing because she thought less of them. She said she was so surprised and ashamed of this fact that she apologized to the couple, crying. </p>
<p>You don't have to hate races outright to be racist. There are many people in the North and the South who think less of different races. </p>
<p>Im not saying that things havent changed. There are great people everywhere. Am I being overly sensitive? I know Im not, but I wish I was. </p>
<p>P.S. Sorry for the long post. No ones going to read it...hah</p>
<p>I read it - thanks for that perspective. I did say that I don't walk in those shoes - I am not dismissing what happens, I just personally don't experience it or even see it as often as someone in those shoes would. I think that is what people tend to forget.</p>
<p>solebury, PA (outside philly)
Chemical Engineering (so obviously the engineering school)
SAOP June 7/8</p>