We are writing directly in response to the op-ed from the last issue, “I’m Only Human.” The op-ed has upset a lot of people and has hurt a lot more. As demonstrated by the polarized comment section online, it unfortunately represents the views of a sizable portion of the student body. And while censoring their views would not be productive, we must explain why they are misguided.
Cultural appropriation and microaggressions may appear trivial compared to the experiences of people like Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Sandra Bland. At Middlebury, people of color are not getting shot. But racism on this campus is very real.
Middlebury College, despite the wonderful education it provides, can be a painful and isolating place for many black students.
“You’re kinda an Oreo. Black on the outside and white on the inside!”
“I don’t really see you as a black person.”
These comments can shape how students of color perceive themselves at Middlebury. We might feel weak or inferior when people use the n word; as “ghetto” when people appropriate the ghetto; or as unintelligent when people joke about the way we speak.
True, a white student saying the n-word is not an international crisis like Syria or Boko Haram, which the author cited as “more important things to worry about.” But the accumulation of microaggressions is a macroaggression. They shape how minorities are treated in the real world. Seeing black people as “aggressive” can trigger police brutality, and seeing them as “stupid” could inhibit their ability to get hired. This prejudice is just the top layer of a worldview that systematically exploits people of color, and a litany of others, so it is crucial that we challenge it here at Middlebury.
In an effort to ignore this reality, some advocate a form of perverted humanism – the idea that we can all get along with each other on the understanding that we are all human beings, not as “black, white, gay or straight.” Some may think, “We all are human, and ought not worry about differences like gender, sexuality or race. Progress is sloppy, and we shouldn’t be monitoring our own speech or behavior. Make mistakes, think big and don’t take anything personally!”
This is callous. Like it or not, we do not live in a post-racial society. Even children, from a very early age, begin distinguishing between different races. We should acknowledge the reality we live in, instead of inventing another, even if it does make life more complicated.
And one final point: As students, we are not as removed from the real world as we would like to think. When we leave Middlebury we will become law-enforcement, teachers and parents. At that time, the argument over ‘micro’ or ‘macro’ issues parodies itself: Inequality is inequality, and prejudice is prejudice. And respecting the dignity of all people should not be a chore.
Harry Cramer ’16.5 is a Local Editor from Wellesley, MA and Kahari Blue ’19 is from New Haven, CT.
