Racial issues a black-and-white matter? I must take exception to Michelle Hamilton’s letter in the May 16 issue of Scene. She says: “As horrible as this country is to black people . . . ” In what country do black people have it better than in the United States? In what country do they have better employment, education, health care, and other quality of life? The focus should be on how horrible blacks are to whites in this country.
Ms. Hamilton reveals having attended mostly white schools. I doubt very much these schools had a Beat Up a Black Kid Day. Kids in the predominantly black Cleveland schools have Beat Up a White Kid Day. In The Plain Dealer, Regina Brett reported how May Day is celebrated, with black students beating up on white students. Brett explains how the beatings have become such a tradition that teachers do not even give homework on May Day because so many white children fear to come to school. Cleveland has been a black-run school system for decades. No white-run system would tolerate this.
It is also horrible the way whites have been forced by blacks to flee their neighborhoods. Even the monied white liberals of Cleveland Heights are fleeing for whiter environs [“Paradise Lost,” May 21].
Ms. Hamilton also speculates on the “laziness and scheming attitude of white culture.” She attempts to depict all whites as belonging to unions that demand “exorbitant wages” and force American corporations to relocate overseas in search of people willing to work hard. But Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW and Hyundai all have factories in the United States.
Ms. Hamilton also refers to the “embezzlement and fraud” permeating white culture. No doubt there is corruption in white culture, but in what other culture is there less corruption? Can Ms. Hamilton name a white-run school system where there has been as much corruption as in the Cleveland schools? Can she name a city run by whites where there has been as much corruption as the City of Cleveland?
Seeing Ms. Hamilton using words like “the laziness and scheming attitude of white culture” brings to my mind the way Klansmen used to talk about blacks in the Old South. The South was a backward region for many decades because of these Klansmen. I believe Cleveland is a backward region today because the majority of blacks in this region have the same hateful attitude toward whites that the Klansmen had toward blacks.
Bob Gross
Garfield Heights
Supercoach
Harris a hero — at least to students: Coach Harris [“Saving Coach Harris,” May 2] was somebody who stood up for what was right instead of what was popular. I have had a chance to play under him as an athlete and work for him with the sports camp in the summer. He has personally fought for students when the university was unjustly dealing with someone. I know because I am one of them.
He is your biggest fan and biggest critic. He was also a surrogate father to me when I first came to Case. He is a big reason why I have succeeded. I know for a fact that other students feel the same way. Coach Harris’ firing just shows that Case Western Reserve is not an institution concerned with the interests of students.
Steve Anthony
Cleveland
An Artful Offense
A Catholic prays for pictorial respect: Thank you very much for your article “Sex, Lies, a Priest, & Elaine Presser” [May 16]. It appears that your story was well-thought-out, professionally written, based upon facts, and thorough in its review of this unfortunate situation. However, I do take exception to your use of a picture of the rosary on the cover.
For some 800 years, the rosary has had a special place in the life of Catholics. Many look upon the rosary as a holy symbol of their special connection between the Mother of God, the Church, and Christ.
No author would depict the sacred Western Wall in Jerusalem or a Torah scroll in an article concerning a rabbi who got himself in trouble. Jewish people and people of faith would consider their use sacrilege.
When the Imam Fawaz Damra was convicted and subsequently deported, I never saw pictures of a symbol sacred to Muslims depicted in any of the news articles. Any such depiction would have been an offense.
In this same vein, may I kindly ask that you consider the sensibilities of Catholics? Out of respect for those Catholics in your reading area, might you not use the picture of the holy rosary in such a manner?
James Konchan
Lakewood
Statistical Nightmare
Student claims Pilla’s a really bad number: I just read your article [“The Edge of Reason,” May 16]. It’s a good one. I just graduated from Case and took a lot of courses from the statistics department in the last four years. I know the professors well. Pilla is the worst person I have met.
She always wants to take advantage of others. She had a honey time with many professors at the beginning, and they stopped talking with her after they knew more about her. She is arrogant and treats students as free slaves. This bad reputation makes graduates avoid her, even in the hallway.
Though her methods got grants, her work is still not accepted by peer-reviewed journals. She hasn’t had any good publications in the last four years. Dr. Loader’s comments about the department and Pilla are very biased.
Guan Xing
Princeton, New Jersey
This article appears in May 30 – Jun 5, 2007.
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“In what country do black people have it better than in the United States? In what country do they have better employment, education, health care, and other quality of life?”
Almost certainly Canada, the UK and France, to name just three. Seriously, does Mr. Gross not honestly know that black Americans, on average, have less health coverage and worse health outcomes than just about any other demographic in the country, while black citizens of those three countries have universal health care? The quality-of-life measurements in those countries are easily ascertainable, but I suspect Mr. Gross is more interested in pushing an ideological agenda than, you know, learning something.
“It is also horrible the way whites have been forced by blacks to flee their neighborhoods.”
Forced? We’re talking about competent adults with free will here, right?
Is the Generational Gap Shortening?
There has always been a generational gap between adults and young people. Everything the younger generation does today is different from our elders. From the way we dress to the way we listen to music, to the way we watch television. But is the generational gap shortening? I thought the older we got, we mature and start having different interests. But do we? I am 28 years old and my parents are approaching 60. I see major differences between my parents and myself. I have a four-year-old daughter. I am starting to wonder if there will be a difference between her generation and my generation.
Let’s start with employment. In today’s time, it is hard to go out and find a job. Our generation has to have every degree necessary (Undergrad, Masters, Doctorate) just to get a decent job or even get your foot in the door of a good company. Back when my parents were young adults, there were jobs everywhere. My father always said that if anyone got fired from a job, they could go down the street and find work. Also, employers were looking for people that had skills. My mother is a typist and mastered shorthand (writing) before the age of 18. There were no computers that answered all our general questions, spell check, calculators, machines that made parts electronically. Not saying that computers are not helpful, but now employers can now hire their daughters, sons, and family members to do the job. We can look at fashion. A lot of men my father’s age are clean-cut. Nice hair, fitted pair of pants or slacks, nice polo-style shirt, clean pair of shoes, and jewelry just to accentuate their clothing. Today, we dress in baggier clothes. I am not going to go as far as sagging my pants, but I like my clothes loose. I feel a lot more comfortable. The jewelry that we wear is more flamboyant. We have to have name brand items on from head to toe. I look at the music we listen to. My parents love Motown, Funk, Jazz, and Adult Contemporary. They know a few artists that I listen to, but if we sat down and watch the Grammy Awards, they wouldn’t know half of the artists on television. Last is television. My parents are more familiar with formatted television shows. Today on every channel there is a reality show. My parents like American Idol and Celebrity Fit Club but they would not sit and watch BET’s 106 and Park or MTV’s TRL.
Even though we are supposed to change with the times, we get accustomed to certain ways and lifestyles. The only change that I see as we get older is responsibility. We tend to buy houses, cars, and take care of our children. I can see myself wearing the same kind of clothing my son would wear; jeans, shirts, and a pair of white Air Force Ones. I can see myself sitting down and watching the video countdown with my children because I grew up on Hip Hop/Pop music. The generational gap may be shortening but this is good between adults and children. Adults that are my age will understand a lot better than my parents when I was growing up. When I was a teenager, I remember asking my Mom for Nikes and designer clothes and she would say, “no”. I remember my Mom telling me to turn off the music videos. Since I grew up with cable, designer clothes, internet, and Hip Hop/Pop music, I understand the pressure it is for a young person to fit in with their peers. Our country is an image based society and that is not going to change anytime soon.
By Eric Douglas
Founder and President of
The Get It Right Organization