The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Don’t Misunderstand the Real Issue

I am writing in response to Kathleen Brown’s condemnation (“Oppression: Absolute Fact, Widespread Opinion”) of Russel Henderson’s Sept. 23 column.

But I hesitate to do so for two reasons: first, because I do not think I can do Henderson’s column justice, but more importantly, because in addressing Brown’s statistical citations, I do not wish to affirm that they are scientifically sound. It is my opinion that statistics are too easy to manipulate to be the basis of a rational argument, but with that in mind, I will move on.

Brown seems to be confusing the issue. Yes, racism exists, but the primary problem plaguing minorities is the issue of CLASS, not RACE.

The statistical correlations Brown cited are true for people in poverty, be they black, white or purple. And I’m sorry to trample on her worldview, but poverty is not a result of capitalism, nor is racism an “unalienable” consequence of capitalism. Poverty exists in every industrialized economic system and there is simply no logical progression from capitalism to racism.

Capitalism is an economic system that enables the union of workers and competitive wages, not the opposite. As Sir Winston Churchill stated about democracy, capitalism is indeed the worst system possible–until you look at any other.

I doubt Brown would disagree that there is a world of difference between racism and equality. Henderson asks only that we all exist on equal ground, where WASPs coexist with minorities and none have advantages over others.

That, I feel, is equality in its truest sense.

More to Discover
Activate Search
Don’t Misunderstand the Real Issue