Lisa McClelland
simply wanted to be included. You see, at her school, the Freedom High
School in Oakley, California (a contradiction of terms if there ever was
one) there is an Asian Club and a Black Student Union, both of which she was
excluded from because of her race. These groups are accepted by the school’s
administration and by the local community on the whole. But when Lisa wanted
to form a group called the Caucasian Club it would seem this is when the
hypocrisy started to flow at Freedom High.
It should be pointed out that McClelland is of a diverse background and
actually represents the mainstream in the American culture. She counts among
her ancestry American Indian, Hispanic, Dutch, German, Italian and Irish
backgrounds. She is a perfect example of our country’s once proud
melting-pot identity, an identity that promoted no single racial background
but the diversity of being an American. That being said the fact she is
being denied the opportunity to be included is even more ridiculous.
McClelland didn’t try to buck the system by being the only white girl in the
Black Student Union or the only non-Asian in the Asian Club, both exclusive
clubs that obviously discriminate against those not of their heritage. She
wasn’t blazing the trail ala Annika Sorenstam when she
challenged the exclusivity of the all-male PGA tournament not so long ago.
What McClelland wanted was to form a group that used the same criteria so
that others could feel included as well. If the notion of common sense were
to be applied here it would champion the idea that if there were going to be
extra-curricular student run organizations that had racial requirements for
the purposes of membership, then every racial group that wanted to have a
group should be afforded the opportunity. Equal treatment.
It
would seem that Darnell Turner, the first vice-president of
the local NAACP chapter believes otherwise. Mr. Turner stated, "The club, in
name, seems like a backdoor approach to separation. From a historical
perspective, this will bring up fears." In other words Mr. Turner believes
that it is okay for the school to sponsor an all black club and an all Asian
club, after all these segregated groups would not promote separation even
though they exclude. It would only be the existence of the Caucasian Club
would be bigoted, divisive and threatening.
This is a perfect example of how hypocritical and bigoted the NAACP has
become. It has become the ultimate special interest group promoting
divisiveness and discrimination, racism and segregation. In this case they
promote their special brand of racism by asserting that it is acceptable to
exclude in the name of the black community, or any other racial community
for that matter, but it is unacceptable to exclude in the name of the white
community. They charge that the mere mention of something all-white would
reignite the flames of pre-Civil Rights Era behavior all over the country.
Of course, this is a ridiculous notion. It would seem that in the land of
fairness common sense and equality take a backseat, or the back of the bus
as it were, to special interest and social inequality as the NAACP fans the
fears of racism from decades ago.
If for no other reason Proposition 54 must be passed in California and the
racial colorblindness that it proposes needs to be championed around the
country. We must all break the barriers that bind us to classification and
the existence of groups such as the Black Student Union and the Asian Club
only serve to widen the gap between the races. If Proposition 54 fails and
fades away then the once honorable notion of equality will be shattered for
the rest of time and by the hands of those who were initially discriminated
against. Free a last? Hardly.
Frank Salvato is a
political media consultant and the managing editor for The New Media Journal.us. He is a
contributing writer for The Washington Dispatch, GOPUSA, OpinionEditorials,
Men’s News Daily, Canada Free Press & AmericanDaily. His pieces are
regularly featured in Townhall.com. He has appeared as a guest on The
O’Reilly Factor, The Kevin Matthews Radio Show (Chicago) and The Brad Messer
Radio Show (San Antonio). His pieces have been recognized by the Japan
Center for Conflict Prevention and are occasionally featured in The
Washington Times and The London Morning Paper as well as other national and
international publications.
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