Stuck In The Middle

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/12/29/tucson_orders_closure_of_mexican_american

My first response to hearing this on the radio was "That's terrible!" For several reasons it is, not the least of which is the fact that this program was put in place by a federal mandate to meet enthic deversity requirement, now they want to tear it down. Welcome to education in the 21 century.  We are going to see this tearing down of effective programs in the name of money for some time now, and we might as well get used to it.  A second troubling point is the fact that is striping away the opportunity for these students to learn their culture and heritage.  These kids are forced to learn about slavery, just like my student should learn at least some about Chicano history.  Should we stop teaching the Civil War?  If you follow the notion that the Civil War was ONLY about the ending of slavery than it might lead to problems.  Finally I think this is just pure rascism.  Let the people have their history.  People are doing everything in their power to tear down this particular group of people.

As I thought about this more, I started to play through a train of thought I have had for some time.  This has been hashed out in conversation with my fiance and friends of our in Charlotte, but it is not fullying developed in my mind.  While I am starting to agree more with it, it is still not something I feel 100% about either. 

I have started to become less impressed with the notion of naming things and reconizing distinctions.  What I have thought about is getting rid of these names for every group of people, kind of person or race of people.  Why not just call a person by what they are? A person.  I have talked to people who belong to various groups who have different characteristics about the challenges of someone who is on the outside looking in.  My worse fear is to call someone by the incorrect nomiclature for their grouping.  I want to be sensitive to their personality, but it is getting so hard to understand all the differences. What can be done to eliminate this?  I suggest getting rid of these titles.  I will be happy to be refered to by Chris, Christopher, C.T, CTB.  You can call me anything within my name.  Yes, I'm white, Southern, Appalachian, lower to middle middle class, and educated, but I am also hetrosexual, blond haired, left handed, and I have an affinanity for football.  I do not insist on being called any of these when I first meet someone. 

Would we not do more to level the playing field be simply doing this?  Instead of having to worry about what to call someone, like many politically correct people insist on doing (and they do have the right to do so), we could just call someone by their name. 

Understandably, members of a minority group can say. "this is easy for you to say.  You're apart of a majority group." It is easy to look at me and know pretty quickly, for the most part, what I am about. I understand that I am writing this from a position of power, but I am trying to equal it out.  I love the ideas of individuality, but there is one group that ALL individuals are a part of: THE HUMAN RACE.  Why not start acting like it and stop with the reconizing of every little detailed group.

That being said, let the kids have their class.  My goodness!  This is what our country was founded on.  Out of many, One...I think I have read that somewhere.  We have lost focus on the one part just a bit, but thre are ways to refocus our attention.  In my opinion, getting rid of educational programs is not one of them.  Plus, if a education program is working (like this one seems to be) why changing it?