Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 13:16:11 -0800 (PST)
From: Allison Bell
Subject: Letter to the Editor
A House Divided:
Divide and conquer seems to be the name of the game. From its inception, the superficial concept of “race” has been used to negatively categorize people without regard to cultural affiliation. To be required to identify with one particular race in this day and age seems absurd. United States citizens who are the decendants of African slaves – currently classified as “African-American” – are of West African, European, and Native American descent. Let’s stop splitting hairs about who has the most black, white, red, yellow, or brown blood. It is an individual’s own prerogative to identify him or herself as multicultural. One should not be forced to choose one “race” over another given the negative history surrounding the concept of race. Give the plantation politics a rest and get on with the real business at hand!